Instagram is finally bringing a heavily requested feature. It will let users download reels to their devices, and the process has already started in the US.
Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s head, announced this on the IG broadcast this week and said that the feature will be available for public accounts as well as creators.
However, content creators will still have the option to disable this feature and not allow others to download their reels. Even this is a much-needed refreshment to the platform, according to many.
In the announcement, Mosseri said that “In the US, we’re rolling out the ability to download reels shared by public accounts to your camera roll. Just tap the Share icon on a reel you love and select “Download”. Worth mentioning, Reels shared by private accounts can’t be downloaded and public accounts can turn off the ability for people to download their reels in Account Settings.“
Here are the official steps to downloading Reels on Instagram:
- Open the Reel you want to download
- Tap the “Share” icon
- Select “Add to story‘
- Adjust the size of the reel
- Select “Save“
This will save the reel to your device presumably with the IG logo of the content creator who made the reel. For reels you posted yourself, they won’t have any IG logo, according to official claims.
We already know that TikTok and YouTube shorts allow you to download their videos and shorts to your device already and that they have watermarks.
But it’s unclear, as of yet, whether all Instagram reels will have watermarks or whether you can remove them.
Just to reiterate – the feature has only been rolled out in the US for now. We’ll wait and see when the rest of the world gains access to it.
Sources
- Business Standard – Instagram Reels Can Now Be Downloaded on Your Device, Says IG Head
