Meta-owned social media platform Instagram’s new feature now allows users worldwide to download Reels from all public accounts.
This feature was first announced in June and was limited to users in the United States only.
Instagram Users Can Now Download Reels From Public Accounts
Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s CEO, said on his Instagram broadcast channel: “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.”
Anyone globally can now download Reels from a public account to their gallery or downloads section if they are 18 years or older. By default, Instagram has turned off the download option for Reels for Instagram users under the age of 18. However, the default setting for downloading reels can be turned on anytime in the Settings. Also, Reels posted on a user’s private account cannot be downloaded.
“Anyone on Instagram can download your reels and share your reels unless you change your reels download settings. New reels you share, after downloading becomes available, will be able to be downloaded. For Instagram users under 18 with public accounts, the default setting for downloading reels will be off, but can be turned on at any time,” Instagram says on the revised FAQ page.
Further, all the downloaded Reels will include a watermark with the creator’s Instagram handle and an account name, similar to downloaded TikTok videos. In addition, only the original audio clip in the downloaded Reel will be saved on the app.
The new feature will make it easier for users to save their favorite Reels offline for later use or share them with people who are not on Instagram.
How To Download Reels From Instagram App
While the feature to download Reels has been released globally, the new feature is only available for mobile phone users, i.e., Android and iOS devices.
- Open Instagram.
- Go to the Reel that you wish to download.
- Then, tap on the Share button.
- Now, select the Download option from the menu.
It is important to note that publicly posted Reels are downloadable by default. However, Instagram Reel creators can switch off the download option to prevent people from downloading their Reels.
To do this, you need to go to your profile and choose the hamburger in the top right corner. Then, under Settings and Privacy, select and tap on Reels and Remixes. Toggle the “Allow people to download your Reels” switch to the off position. By doing this, people will not be able to save your Reels.
Since the new feature is being rolled out in a phased manner, it may take a few days before it is seen on all devices.