docs / how it works

How to download Instagram videos, reels and photos

ReelGrep turns a public Instagram link into the original media file. This page covers how to use it on each device and what happens to your request.

view as markdown

How to download Instagram videos and reels

  1. Open Instagram and find the reel. Tap the share icon (paper plane) or •••, then Copy link.
  2. Open the Instagram video downloader, or the Instagram reels downloader for reels, and paste the link into the prompt. Pasting a full link starts the download automatically; otherwise press Enter.
  3. Preview the clip, then press Download video. The MP4 saves to your Downloads folder.

How to download Instagram photos and carousels

  1. Copy the link of a post (instagram.com/p/…).
  2. Paste it into the photo downloader. Every slide in a carousel gets its own card.
  3. Press Download photo on each image you want to keep.

How to download Instagram audio as MP3

  1. Copy a reel link or an audio page link (instagram.com/reels/audio/…).
  2. Paste it into the audio downloader.
  3. Press Download audio for the original M4A track, or Download MP3. When a conversion is needed, your browser encodes a 192 kbps MP3 on your own device.

Download Instagram videos on iPhone and iPad

Safari saves downloads to Files → Downloads. To move a video to Photos, open it in Files, tap Share and choose Save Video. Photos can be saved the same way with Save Image.

Download Instagram videos on Android

Chrome saves files to the Downloads folder, and most gallery apps show them right away. If a video doesn’t appear, open the Files app and look under Downloads.

Download Instagram videos on PC and Mac

Files go to your browser’s download folder. Use the mirror download link under a video if your network blocks Instagram’s CDN.

What happens behind the scenes

  • Your browser sends the link to the media API, which reads the same public data Instagram shows a logged-out visitor.
  • The API returns short-lived download links (they expire after about five minutes) for each video, photo or audio track.
  • The file streams from Instagram’s CDN to your device. ReelGrep stores no copy, and no account or cookies are involved.

Why an Instagram video won’t download

  • Private account: only approved followers can see it, so it can’t be downloaded.
  • Age-restricted or removed post: Instagram hides it from logged-out visitors.
  • Stories: not supported yet. Reels, posts, carousels and audio pages work.
  • Too many requests: wait a minute and try again. A light rate limit keeps the service fast.