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SaveLark

How to Download Instagram Reels and Photos on iPhone

Updated · 4 min read

Quick answer

In Instagram, tap the share icon on the Reel or post and choose Copy link. Open savelark.com/instagram-downloader in Safari, paste the link and tap Download, then tap the download button. The file lands in Files › Downloads; open it and tap Share › Save Video (or Save Image) to put it in Photos.

Open the Instagram Downloader →

What works

Reels, regular video posts, single photos and carousels (posts with several slides), as long as the account is public. Photos come in the full size Instagram stores, usually 1080 pixels wide; Reels come as MP4 with sound, typically 720p or 1080p.

Posts from private accounts can't be downloaded, and Instagram answers for them as if the post didn't exist. Stories aren't supported yet, because Instagram only shows them to logged-in accounts.

Step by step in Safari

It takes under a minute, and nothing is installed.

  1. 1In Instagram, open the Reel or post and tap the share icon (the paper plane).
  2. 2Tap Copy link.
  3. 3Open Safari and go to savelark.com/instagram-downloader.
  4. 4Tap the box, paste the link and tap Download.
  5. 5For a carousel, tap each thumbnail in the row under the preview to pick a slide.
  6. 6Tap the download button. Safari asks to download the file: tap Download.
  7. 7Open Files › Downloads, tap the file, then Share › Save Video or Save Image.

Saving every slide of a carousel

Each slide is its own file. Tap a thumbnail, save it, then move to the next one. Photo slides save as JPG, video slides as MP4.

If you only want the pictures in Photos, iOS lets you select several files in Files › Downloads at once: tap Select, pick them, then Share › Save Images.

When it doesn't work

"We couldn't find that post" almost always means the account is private, or the post was deleted. Check by opening the link in a private Safari tab: if Instagram asks you to log in to see it, it isn't public.

Links from the Share button look like instagram.com/reel/… or instagram.com/p/…. A profile link (instagram.com/username) won't work; open the post itself and copy that link.

FAQ

Does the person know I saved their Reel?

No. We fetch the public file the same way a browser does. Nothing is sent to the account and nothing shows up in their notifications.

Can I download Instagram Reels with the original audio?

Yes. Reels download as MP4 with their sound, including music, exactly as they play in the app.

Do I need to log in to Instagram?

No. You never give us your Instagram details, and a tool that asks for them should be avoided.

Can I download Instagram Stories or highlights?

Not yet. Stories need a logged-in account to view, so for now we support posts, Reels and videos.