Which Reel links work
All of these are the same Reel, and all of them work — paste whichever one you have:
| Where you copied it | What the link looks like |
|---|---|
| Share button in the app | instagram.com/reel/ABC123xyz/?igsh=… |
| Reels tab in a browser | instagram.com/reels/ABC123xyz/ |
| A profile's Reels grid | instagram.com/username/reel/ABC123xyz/ |
| Old-style post link | instagram.com/p/ABC123xyz/ |
The part after /reel/ is the Reel's code; everything after the ? (like igsh=) is tracking that we strip off automatically.
Reels download in 3 steps
- In Instagram, open the Reel and tap the paper-plane icon → Copy link.
- Paste the link into the box above (or tap Paste).
- Tap Download MP4, then the Download button that appears a few seconds later.
What's in the file
- Video: H.264, the format every phone, laptop, TV and editing app can play. Most Reels come out at 720×1280; some newer ones are larger.
- Sound: AAC audio joined into the same MP4. If the Reel used a song from Instagram's music library, the song is in the file as you heard it.
- No watermark: no Instagram logo, no @username, no end card. It's the file Instagram's own player streams.
- Length: up to 30 minutes, which covers Reels and most video posts.
Reels download vs Instagram's own "Download"
Instagram added a Download option to the share sheet for public Reels in 2023, starting in the US. The file it saves is re-rendered with Instagram's logo and the creator's username on top, and accounts can turn the option off. If you're saving your own Reel to repost on TikTok, YouTube Shorts or Facebook, that stamp is exactly what you don't want. Read more: why Instagram downloads have a watermark.
Saving your own Reels
The most common use we see is creators backing up their own Reels before deleting a draft account, or reposting to another platform. Instagram's own "Download your information" export also includes your videos, but it can take hours and arrives as a zip — pasting a link here takes seconds.
Only need the song?
Switch to MP3 audio above the box, or see Instagram video to MP3.