Earlier this year, Instagram introduced a feature in the United States that allows users to download Reels from public accounts. The company has now extended this functionality on a global scale. Prior to this development, users could only share Reels from public profiles directly to their Stories or through direct messages. They could also save these Reels using the application’s saved Reels tab. With the latest update, users around the world can now download Reels to share them on various platforms.
Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, announced via his Broadcast channel that all users now have the capability to download Reels posted by public accounts directly to their camera roll. He pointed out that downloaded Reels will include a watermark featuring the Instagram handle of the creator. As the rollout continues, users may experience a delay before this feature appears on their accounts.
Public accounts still have the option to disable the Reels download feature, which would restrict users from saving Reels from those specific accounts to their galleries. However, users can still save Reels for later viewing. By tapping the three dots on the Reel, they can choose to Save it, which will remain accessible through the Saved tab.
If downloads are permitted for a public account, users can save Reels to their camera roll by clicking the Share button, represented by a paper airplane icon, on the desired Reel, followed by selecting the Download option. Public account holders can also choose to disable the default download option by navigating to Profile > Settings and Privacy > Sharing and Remixes > Downloading your Reels, and toggling off the download button.
Users can download their own Reels without a watermark from saved drafts and share them to their Stories or through Instagram DMs. Previously, sharing Reels from public profiles via other social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram required users to copy and paste URLs. With this new update, however, users can now share downloaded Reels as direct video files, eliminating the need to copy links.
