Instagram now lets you download Reels but only from these accounts

Instagram has now made it possible for users worldwide to download Reels from public accounts on their mobile phones, a feature that has long been requested. The move follows the popularity of a similar feature on TikTok, accessible in the US and various other countries.

This feature, which was already available in the US, is now being extended to users across the globe. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced this expansion on his broadcast channel, specifying that it is accessible to users globally, provided they are not minors.

“You can now save reels created by public accounts to your camera roll – any reel you download will include a watermark with the creator’s Instagram handle. We rolled this out in the US earlier this year, and now it’s available globally. Just tap the Share icon on a reel and choose Download. Btw, public accounts can turn off the ability for people to download their reels – if a reel you love isn’t eligible to be downloaded, you can still tap the three dots and Save it to watch it later in the app,” he wrote.
Notably, Reels from private accounts or those posted by users under 18 cannot be downloaded. The download feature is exclusive to mobile users on both Android and iOS platforms.

To download a Reel from a public account, users must grant the app access to their phone’s storage. Following this, they can select the desired Reel, tap the paper plane icon, and find the option to Download the Reel at the bottom. The downloaded Reel will include a watermark displaying the account’s handle along with Instagram’s logo.

Instagram Reels is a feature on the Instagram platform that allows users to create and discover short, engaging video content. Similar to TikTok, Instagram Reels enables users to record and edit short videos, set to music or other audio tracks. Users can enhance their Reels with various creative tools, including special effects, filters, and text overlays.