Save a reel to Photos with Safari
- Copy the reel's link. In the Instagram app, tap the paper plane under the reel and choose Copy link.
- Open this site in Safari. Go to the Instagram Reel Downloader page, paste the link into the box and tap Get.
- Pick a quality and tap Download. The first option is the original upload. The site prepares the file and shows a preview right there, so you can check it is the right reel.
- Tap the download button under the preview. Safari asks whether to download the file; tap Download. It is saved in the Files app, in the Downloads folder.
- Move it to Photos. In Files, open the video, tap the share button and choose Save Video. The reel is now in Photos.
You need two things: an iPhone on iOS 13 or later, and a reel from a public account. Since iOS 13, Safari has a download manager and saves files the way a computer does. To start, open the Instagram Reel Downloader in Safari.
Where the file goes
Safari does not put the video straight into Photos. It saves it in the Files app first. Whether the Downloads folder is on the phone or in iCloud Drive is set in Settings, under Safari, then Downloads - check there if you cannot find the file.
The last step, Save Video, copies the video into Photos. After that you can delete the copy in Files so it does not take up space twice.
Things that make it easier
- The download link lasts 30 minutes. If you left the page and came back later, paste the reel link again.
- The video comes from this site. Both the preview and the file are served by this site's own server, not by Instagram's, so the file arrives even where Instagram's video servers do not load.
- Want just the sound? Choose "Audio only" in the quality list. An audio file does not go into Photos; it stays in Files and plays from there. To find out what the song is, see find a song from a video.
- Put the site on your home screen. In Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. The site opens like an app, full screen and one tap away - no App Store involved.
The other way: the Telegram bot
If you have Telegram on your iPhone, this is even shorter. Send the reel link to @MoeinimyDL_bot and the reel arrives in the chat as a video in its original quality. Open it, tap the share button or the ⋯ menu, and choose the option to save it to Photos.
The bot does a few things the site does not: under the reel there are Caption and Identify this video's music buttons, and the video stays in the chat so you can find it later or send it on.
If the download button did nothing
- iOS older than 13. Safari on those versions only plays the video and cannot download it. Use the Telegram bot instead.
- An error on the website. What each message means is in why a reel will not download.
- No Save Video option. Make sure you opened the video itself in Files, not the folder. The share button is at the bottom of the video's screen.
It all starts on the Instagram Reel Downloader - bookmark it in Safari and next time it is two taps away.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install anything?
No. Safari and Files come with the iPhone. You install nothing, create no account and type your Instagram password nowhere.
Can I save a reel from a private account on iPhone?
No - not on an iPhone or anywhere else. Only reels from public accounts can be downloaded. If a reel fails, see why a reel will not download.
Does it work in Chrome on iPhone?
This guide uses Safari because every iPhone has it. Other browsers usually save downloads to Files as well, and the last step is the same.
