
Since Instagram Reels was introduced on the platform, netizens couldn’t help but use it to their full advantage. Instagram Reels has been helping individuals express themselves better, and content creators and influencers who need to create more engaging content for their followers to see. Influencers are also using Reels to monetize their content.
Instagram Reels allows users to create short and entertaining videos, and share them with anybody on Instagram. They can edit their Reels with audio and effects, then share it on their Feeds or to a broader audience via Instagram’s Explore.
Many also see these Instagram Reels as a formidable competitor of TikTok, another social media platform that lets its users create, watch, and share 15-second videos online, just like how it works with Instagram Reels. Now, a new competition between these two social media seems to be brewing.
TikTok has been allowing users to download TikTok videos posted by others, then share them outside the app. Instagram had not allowed this with their Reels – until this time.
You can now download Instagram Reels posted by others and share them with the community, even outside the Instagram app. Here’s the news.
Download Instagram Reels now
It was Instagram’s chief executive officer himself, Adam Mosseri, who, on Tuesday, announced via the social networking platform’s new Broadcast feature that it is now possible for users to download Instagram Reels. But with a few limitations.
First, this feature is only available to Instagram users in the United States for now.
Second, it is available only on mobile. So, if you wish to use this feature on the web version of your Instagram, you can’t.
Third, Reels can only be downloaded from public Instagram accounts. There is no way you can download a private Instagram account’s Reels.
Lastly, users who own public Instagram accounts can turn off the ability for others to download their Reels.
Furthermore, Mosseri did not specify in his Broadcast whether there would be a watermark on the downloaded Reel, just like what happens on TikTok. But, the photo he posted showed that the downloaded Reel would have the Instagram logo and the account’s name.
How to download Instagram Reels
It is elementary to download an Instagram Reel. Simply tap the Share icon for the Reel you wish to download, then choose Download. The Reel would then go to your device’s camera roll. You may also share the downloaded Reel within Instagram or outside the platform.
With this newest feature, it appears Instagram is beefing up its competition with TikTok. The ability of TikTok users to download videos on this platform has helped grow TikTok even further.
“In the [United States], 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,” the message on Mosseri’s Broadcast read.