Download Instagram Video and Reels as MP4 with Sound

Updated 26 October 2026

How to download an Instagram reel or video in 3 steps

1. Copy the link. In the Instagram app, tap the paper plane (Share) under the reel, then Copy link. For a video post, tap the three dots at the top and Copy link. On a computer, copy the address from the browser bar.
2. Paste it in the box above and tap Get video. You see the cover, the caption, the account and every quality Instagram has for that reel, each with its real size in pixels.
3. Pick a quality and tap Download MP4. The best quality is selected for you. The file saves with sound, as a normal MP4 your phone, laptop and editing apps can open.

You do not need an app, an account or your Instagram login. Public reels and video posts are all it takes.

What quality Instagram really gives you (no, there is no 4K)

We downloaded reels and checked exactly what Instagram sends. Every reel we tested had a 720p version (720×1280 pixels, the usual vertical reel size). Reels uploaded in higher quality also had 1080p (1080×1920). Some had smaller versions too, for slow connections:

The box above shows only the qualities that particular reel really has, so you never pick "1080p" and get a 720p file. A site that promises 4K Instagram downloads is promising something Instagram does not store: the biggest reel file we found was 1080×1920.

Picture and sound arrive as two separate streams. We join them into one MP4 without re-encoding the picture, so the file is exactly what Instagram serves, with nothing lost and nothing added.

VP9 or H.264: which one plays on your device

Here is something most Instagram downloaders do not tell you. When a website asks Instagram for a reel, Instagram sends the picture in a format called VP9. It is efficient and looks good, but not every device and app can play it. That is why a downloaded reel sometimes opens with sound and a black screen.

That is what the Convert to H.264 switch is for. H.264 is the format every phone, computer and editing app has supported for years. It is on by default when you open this page on an iPhone or iPad.

H.264 is made once on our server, so it takes longer than a plain download: in our tests the conversion took about as long as the reel itself (47 seconds for a 54-second reel, 13 seconds for an 11-second one). The file is also bigger than Instagram's VP9 version, because H.264 needs more data for the same picture: a 54-second reel in 1080p was 26 MB as VP9 and 39 MB as H.264. If you only watch on Android or in a browser, leave the switch off and your download is instant.

Instagram's own Download button vs this tool vs screen recording

Instagram now has a Download option on some reels. It is handy, but it is not the same as getting the video file:

Save (the bookmark icon) is different again: it only keeps the reel inside your Instagram account. You cannot use that copy outside the app.

Tube Snip vs other Instagram video downloaders

We checked the most visible Instagram video downloaders on their own pages on 26 October 2026:

All of them are free and none needs your Instagram password. Tube Snip is the one that shows you exactly what you will get before you download, and the only one here that fixes the "sound but no picture" problem with H.264. If you need a story or every slide of a carousel, one of the others will suit you better for now.

Where to find the link

The link is all this page needs, and Instagram puts it in a few places:

• Reel in your feed or the Reels tab: tap the paper plane under the reel, then Copy link.
• Reel someone sent you in a DM: open the reel full screen first, then use the paper plane and Copy link. Copying the chat message does not give you the reel's address.
• Video post (not a reel): tap the three dots at the top right of the post, then Copy link. These links look like instagram.com/p/…
• On a computer: open the reel on instagram.com and copy the address from the browser bar. instagram.com/username/reel/… works too.

Links with extras at the end (such as ?igsh=…) are fine. We clean them up for you.

Where the video goes, and how to put it in your gallery

Download Instagram reels on Android, step by step

1. Open the reel in the Instagram app and tap the paper plane, then Copy link.
2. Open Chrome, go to this page and tap Paste in the box. The reel shows up with its qualities.
3. Leave the best quality selected (H.264 can stay off: Android plays Instagram's VP9 video) and tap Download MP4.
4. Chrome shows "Download complete" at the bottom. Tap Open, or find the video later in Files → Download. Most gallery apps pick up the Download folder by themselves.

The faster way: share straight from Instagram. In Chrome, open the menu (⋮) and tap Add to Home screen or Install app to put Tube Snip on your phone. After that, Tube Snip appears in Android's share menu. In Instagram, tap the paper plane under a reel, then Share to… (or the "More" option, depending on your version), and pick Tube Snip. The reel opens here, ready to download, without copying anything.

Download Instagram reels on iPhone, step by step

1. In the Instagram app, tap the paper plane under the reel, then Copy link.
2. Open this page in Safari and tap Paste in the box.
3. Check that Convert to H.264 is on (it is, by default, on an iPhone). It makes sure the video plays in Photos.
4. Tap Download MP4. When Safari asks, tap Download.
5. Open the Files app → On My iPhone → Downloads, tap the video, then Share → Save Video. It is now in your Photos library like any video you recorded.

iPhones do not let websites appear in the share menu the way Android does, so copy and paste is the way on iOS. To come back quickly, open this page in Safari, tap Share → Add to Home Screen, and Tube Snip gets its own icon.

Download Instagram videos on a PC or Mac

1. Open the reel or video on instagram.com in your browser. You do not need to be logged in to Instagram for public reels; if Instagram asks you to log in to see the page, you can still copy the address from the browser bar.
2. Copy the address (Ctrl+L then Ctrl+C on Windows, Cmd+L then Cmd+C on a Mac).
3. Come back to this page and press Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on a Mac) in the box. The reel opens right away.
4. Pick a quality and click Download MP4. The file goes to your Downloads folder.

On Windows, the video plays in Chrome, Edge, VLC and the Photos app. On a Mac, turn H.264 on before downloading if you want to open it in QuickTime, Photos, iMovie or Final Cut.

Which Instagram links work

Short links shared from the app and links with tracking bits at the end work too. If the box says the link is not a reel or video, open the post itself and copy its link again.

Will the video look worse if I post it again?

A little, and here is why. Every time a video is uploaded to Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, the platform compresses it again to save space. A reel that has been downloaded and uploaded several times loses a bit of detail each time, the way a photocopy of a photocopy does.

You can keep the loss small:

• Download the highest quality the reel has. 1080p if it is there, otherwise 720p. Never upload a 360p copy.
• Do not screen record. A screen recording adds a second round of compression, captures your status bar, and is often not the full resolution.
• Keep the original file. If you edit, export once from your editor at the same resolution, not several times.
• Start from the creator's post, not from someone else's repost. The original upload is always the cleanest copy.

And if you repost someone else's reel, ask them first and credit them. It is the right thing to do, and it keeps your account safe from copyright strikes.

Why Instagram downloaders sometimes stop working

Instagram changes how it delivers reels from time to time, and it limits how many reels a single server can open without logging in. When that happens, many downloader sites suddenly show errors or blank results. Some of them then ask visitors for their Instagram password, which you should never give.

Tube Snip handles it differently. We never ask for your login. If Instagram refuses a post for a moment, you get a clear message ("Instagram did not open this post for us") instead of a broken file, and trying again a few minutes later usually works. When Instagram changes something on its side, we fix our side, and the page itself tells you what works today: reels and video posts, yes; stories and carousels, not yet.

Saving all of your own reels at once

If you want a backup of everything you have posted, Instagram has an official way: Download your information. In the app, open your profile, tap the menu (☰), go to Accounts Center → Your information and permissions → Download your information, and request a copy of your media. Instagram prepares a file and sends you a link when it is ready, which can take from a few minutes to a couple of days.

Use Instagram's export for a full backup of your account. Use this page when you need one reel now, from your account or anyone else's public profile.

Myths about downloading Instagram videos

"This site downloads Instagram in 4K." Instagram does not keep reels in 4K. The largest version we found was 1080×1920. A "4K" file is either the 1080p one with a bigger label or an upscaled copy that is larger without being sharper.

"Private Instagram downloader." No website can open a private account's reels without being logged in as one of its followers. Sites that promise this either do not work or ask for your login, which puts your account at risk.

"Instagram's Download button gives you the original." It gives you a copy with the Instagram logo and the account name burned into the picture, and only when the creator allows it.

"An app works better than a website." Apps and websites get the video from the same place: Instagram's servers. An app adds ads and permissions on your phone; a website does not need to be installed at all.

The numbers in the box, explained

• 1080p, 720p, 540p: the width of a vertical reel in pixels. 1080p is 1080 pixels wide and 1920 tall. Higher means sharper and bigger.
• MP4: the file type. It holds the picture and the sound together and opens almost everywhere.
• VP9 and H.264: two ways of compressing the picture. Instagram sends VP9. H.264 is older and plays on every device, which is why we offer it.
• AAC: how the sound is stored inside the MP4. Every phone and computer plays it.
• The size next to each quality: how much space the file takes. In our tests a minute of 720p took 7 to 19 MB (calm videos are smaller, fast action bigger), and a minute of 1080p about 29 MB.

Reels with music: the sound is in the file

Every quality comes with the reel's sound: the music, the voice and the effects together, just as you hear it in the app. If you only want the sound, the Instagram Audio Downloader saves it as MP3, Instagram's original M4A, or WAV, with the cover and a name filled in.

How people use downloaded reels

• Watching offline: on a flight, in the metro, or with a weak connection. A minute of 720p is usually 7 to 19 MB.
• Keeping your own work: creators back up their reels in full quality, because Instagram can remove posts or accounts. The 1080p download is the best copy you can get back.
• Editing: cutting a reaction, adding subtitles or making a compilation of your own reels in CapCut, InShot or Premiere. Turn H.264 on for editors.
• Sharing with someone who is not on Instagram: a WhatsApp or Telegram friend, a family member, a teacher.
• Reposting with permission: some creators allow reposts if you credit them. Download the clean file, post it with their name, and tag them.

Is it safe to download Instagram videos?

Most downloaders are fine, but some sites make money in ways worth knowing about. A safe Instagram video downloader:

• never asks for your Instagram username or password. Public reels need no login, so a site that asks wants your account, not the reel.
• does not make you install an app or a browser extension to save one video. Many "Instagram downloader" apps are full of ads, and some ask for permissions they do not need.
• does not ask to send you notifications. If a "Download" button opens a permission pop-up, close it. If you allowed one by mistake, Android's notification settings show how to turn it off.
• gives you an .mp4 file, never an .exe, .apk or a "player" you have to install.

Tube Snip asks for nothing but the link. There are no pop-ups and no fake download buttons, and the file goes straight from our server to your Downloads.

Why the first download takes a few seconds

When you paste a link, our server asks Instagram for the reel and reads which qualities it has. When you tap Download, it fetches the picture and the sound and joins them. A 720p reel is usually ready in a few seconds. With H.264 on, the server also converts the picture, which takes longer. A reel stays ready on our side for about 40 minutes, so the same reel in the same quality comes back faster the second time. When many people download at once, the page shows your place in line instead of failing.

When a reel will not download

Private accounts, stories and carousels

• Private accounts: their reels can only be seen by their followers, so our server cannot open them. We never ask for your login to try.
• Stories: not supported here yet. A story that was also posted as a reel can be saved from the reel's link.
• Carousels (posts with several slides): not supported yet. Paste the link of a reel or a single video post.
• Live videos: not supported while they are live.

Is it legal to download Instagram videos?

Downloading is fine when the video is yours: your own reels, a video you recorded, a video released under Creative Commons, or one the creator has said you may use. Videos belong to the people who made them, and the music in them belongs to its artists and labels. Reposting someone else's reel without permission, or using it in your own content, can break copyright and Instagram's terms. Instagram explains the rules in its copyright help pages.

A good rule: download for watching yourself, for your own content, or with permission, and always credit the creator. If you want to react to someone's reel inside Instagram, use Remix: it keeps their name on it.

Tube Snip is not affiliated with Instagram or Meta.

More free download tools

• Instagram Audio Downloader: a reel's sound as MP3, Instagram's original M4A or WAV.
• YouTube Shorts downloader: Shorts as MP4 with no watermark, on any phone.
• YouTube video downloader: any YouTube video from 144p to 4K, always with sound.
• TikTok to MP3: the sound of any TikTok, with the song name filled in.
• YouTube clip cutter: save only the seconds you need from a YouTube video.

Questions about this tool