Step 1: Copy the link on instagram.com
Open instagram.com in your browser and click the Reel or video post you want. Then copy its link in one of two ways:
- Click the address bar and press Ctrl+C (Windows) or ⌘+C (Mac). When a Reel is open, the address looks like
instagram.com/reel/ABC123/. - Or click the ⋯ menu on the post and choose Copy link.
You can also copy the link on your phone and send it to yourself. Links with /reel/, /reels/, /p/ or /tv/ all work, and the extra ?igsh= tracking part doesn't matter.
Step 2: Paste it here and download
Come back to this page, click the box above and press Ctrl+V (or ⌘+V on Mac). The Paste button does the same thing, though your browser may ask for permission to read the clipboard the first time. Then click Download MP4.
The tool fetches the original file from Instagram, which usually takes a few seconds. The download then starts on its own, and you'll see "Downloading — no watermark, no logo." If your browser doesn't start it, click the Download MP4 button that appears under the message.
You don't need an account. Without signing in you get 2 free downloads in a 24-hour window. After that, a quick Google sign-in keeps it free and unlimited. The limit is counted per network, so your laptop and your phone on the same Wi-Fi share it.
Step 3: Find the video on your computer
Browsers save the MP4 to your Downloads folder unless you picked a different one in settings. The fastest way to find it is the browser's own download list:
| Browser | Open the download list |
|---|---|
| Chrome on Windows | Ctrl+J |
| Microsoft Edge | Ctrl+J |
| Firefox on Windows | Ctrl+Shift+Y |
| Chrome on Mac | ⌘+Shift+J |
| Safari on Mac | ⌥+⌘+L, or the arrow icon in the toolbar |
| Firefox on Mac | ⌘+Shift+Y |
On Windows, File Explorer has Downloads in the left sidebar. On a Mac, it's in the Finder sidebar and on the right side of the Dock.
The file name starts with the creator's Instagram username and ends with the video height, for example username ABC123 (1080p).mp4. Type the username into the Windows search box or Spotlight if your Downloads folder is crowded.
The MP4 plays in the Windows Media Player and Photos apps, in QuickTime on a Mac, and in VLC everywhere. You can drop it straight into Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut or iMovie. It has no Instagram logo and no moving @username.
Want the sound only?
Switch the box above to MP3 audio before you click download. You'll get an MP3 in the same Downloads folder, ready for an editor or a playlist. The Instagram video to MP3 page has more on audio.
If something goes wrong on a PC or Mac
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| "That doesn't look like an Instagram Reel, post or IGTV link." | Copy the address while the Reel itself is open. A profile link (instagram.com/username) or a Story link won't work. |
| "This post is private, age-restricted or a Story…" | Only public videos can be downloaded, even if you can see the post while logged in to Instagram. Ask the creator for the file. |
| "This download link has expired." | Download links last 15 minutes. Paste the Instagram link again. |
| "This video is longer than 30 minutes…" | That is the current length limit. Shorter Reels and posts work. |
| The download didn't start | Your browser may have blocked the automatic download. Click the Download MP4 button under the message. |
| The Paste button does nothing | Your browser didn't allow clipboard access. Click the box and press Ctrl+V or ⌘+V instead. |
| Safari opens the video instead of saving it | Hold ⌥ Option while you click Download MP4, or use Chrome. |
More error messages are explained on Instagram video downloader not working.
Why not an extension or a desktop app?
Search results for "Instagram video download for PC" are full of Chrome extensions and Windows programs. You don't need either. An extension usually asks to "read and change data" on the sites you visit, and a desktop app means one more installer to trust and keep updated. A browser download gives you the same MP4 with neither.
Instagram's own Download option, where it's offered, isn't the same thing either: it adds the Instagram logo and the creator's @username. Why Instagram downloads have a watermark explains the difference.
On your phone too?
The steps are almost the same on a phone; only the place the file goes is different. See download Instagram video to Android or save Instagram video to iPhone.
Please download only videos you made, have permission to use, or want to keep for personal viewing, and credit the creator if you share. For any public Reel or video, go back to the Instagram video downloader without watermark and paste the link.