Instagram has no download button for videos, Reels or IGTV. You can save a post inside the app, but that only bookmarks it – if the account deletes it or goes private, it’s gone. The FBDown Instagram video downloader saves the real MP4 file from any public Instagram post to your phone or computer, in HD whenever it’s available.
It uses the same engine as our Facebook tools (Instagram and Facebook share a lot of video infrastructure, since both belong to Meta), with a separate page so the instructions fit Instagram.
How to download Instagram videos
1. Copy the Instagram link
In the Instagram app, open the Reel or video post, tap the paper-plane (Share) icon or the three dots, then Copy link. On instagram.com, copy the address from the browser bar. Links look like instagram.com/reel/…, instagram.com/p/… or instagram.com/tv/….
2. Paste the link in FBDown
Paste it into the box at the top of this page – the Paste button helps on mobile – and press Download.
3. Save it in HD
The preview shows the video cover and the available qualities. Tap Download HD to save the best one. On iPhone, open the file from Safari’s downloads and choose Save Video to put it in Photos.
What you can download from Instagram
| Type | Supported | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Reels | Yes | Vertical, usually 1080p |
| Video posts | Yes | Square, portrait or landscape |
| IGTV / long videos | Yes | Older long-form uploads |
| Carousel videos | Partly | Main video of the post |
| Stories | Not here | Story links need a login on Instagram |
| Private accounts | No | Followers-only content |
If the link is from Facebook instead of Instagram, use the Facebook video downloader – FBDown will also point you there automatically if you paste a Facebook link on this page.
Instagram video quality
Instagram compresses video more than Facebook does, but Reels recorded on recent phones are still stored at 1080×1920. Older posts and videos uploaded from desktop are often 720p or lower. What you download is exactly what Instagram keeps: we don’t upscale, we don’t re-encode, and we don’t add a logo.
Square and portrait posts keep their original shape. A 4:5 portrait video stays 4:5; a landscape video stays landscape.
Saving Instagram videos on each device
Android: The MP4 goes to Downloads and appears in your gallery within a few seconds. From there you can share it, trim it or move it to an SD card.
iPhone and iPad: Use Safari. After the download, tap the arrow in the address bar, open the file and tap Share → Save Video. It’s then in Photos with your other clips.
Computer: The video is saved to your Downloads folder and plays in any browser or media player. Video editors import it directly.
When downloading Instagram videos makes sense
- Backing up your own Reels and posts with full quality, without waiting for Instagram’s data export.
- Watching tutorials offline – cooking, fitness, makeup, language lessons.
- Keeping memories a friend posted publicly.
- Planning content – saving references for a mood board or a brief, with permission when you use them.
Instagram is a creator platform. A Reel that took someone a day to film and edit shouldn’t end up on another account without credit. If you want to repost, ask the creator first and tag them – most will say yes.
Fixing common Instagram download errors
“Private account.” The profile is private. Only its followers can see the posts, and we can’t log in on your behalf.
“Video not found.” The post may have been deleted or archived, or the link is to a photo. Check that the post actually plays a video.
The link has extra text. Links copied from the app sometimes end in ?igsh=…. That’s fine – FBDown removes the tracking part.
A carousel only gave me one video. Carousels with several clips are limited; open the slide you want and try its link, or save the clips one by one.
The video has no sound. Instagram removes some music for copyright reasons in certain regions, and the downloaded file will match.
Other tools on FBDown
FBDown started as a Facebook tool, and it still does that best: the Facebook video downloader for regular videos and Watch, the Facebook Reels downloader, the Facebook Story downloader for public Stories, and Facebook to MP3 when you only need the sound. All of them are free and work in six languages.