How Can I Save a Video From Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | Nov 05, 2024

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Once in a while, you’ll stumble upon an incredibly useful video on Instagram that you simply need on your phone. Maybe it’s a recipe for your favorite dish, travel destinations for summer, or a cute video of your celebrity crush. And there’s only one thought in your head after watching it—how can I save a video from Instagram? In this quick guide, we’ll show you all the ways you can save a video post to revisit later.

A man and woman smiling while watching Instagram videos on a smartphone.

Save Video Content To Revisit Later by Bookmarking It

Want easy access to your favorite videos on Instagram to revisit and rewatch later? The fastest way to do that is by saving—aka “bookmarking”—those videos.

You can save all sorts of videos, from Instagram Reels to feed posts. Then, you can look through your bookmarked posts without having to scroll back through the app to find them again. What’s cool is that you can categorize all your saved videos into Instagram Collections. This makes for a more organized and super seamless experience looking through saved videos.

Saving a video post is super easy; all it takes is a few taps. Here’s how to do it, using a Reel as an example:

1. Open the Reel you want to save.

2. Tap the three-dot menu on the bottom-right corner of the video.

Path Social’s screenshot of an IG Reel with a yellow box and arrow highlighting the three-dot menu on the side.

3. Click the Save button with the bookmark icon.

Path Social’s screenshot of a Reel’s options menu highlighting the “Save” button.

4. Choose which collection you want to place it in. To create a new category, click New collection.

Path Social’s screenshot of the “Save” options with a pink box highlighting the “New Collection” option.

5. Type in a name for your collection. Then, hit Save.

Path Social’s screenshot of a user naming a new collection for saved posts.

Now, you can find that video in your Saved folder, which you can access in your profile settings.

Bookmarking videos to your Saved folder has tons of benefits. It’s a great way to gather posts from which you want to draw inspiration for your own content. You can also use the feature to collate helpful, informational content you want to look back on later, like tutorials.

How Do I Save a Video From Instagram to My Camera Roll?

Sometimes, a video is so good that saving it isn’t enough. It’s so helpful and impactful that you need a copy of it in your camera roll to watch offline.

Unfortunately, Instagram currently doesn’t allow people to download other users’ videos. So, if you really want to save a video to your device, you need a third-party Reels video downloader.

There are tons of popular video download apps out there. One of our favorites is called Publer. Here’s how to save a video straight to your device with that website:

1. Open the Reel or video post you want to download on Instagram.

2. In the pop-up menu that appears, tap the share button (aka the paper plane icon).

3. Select Copy link. You should see a checkmark as a quick confirmation that you’ve successfully copied the link.

Path Social’s screenshots of an IG Reel’s share button and the “Copy link” button that appears afterward.

4. Head to the Publer website and paste your video’s URL into the appropriate field.

5. Hit the Download button to process the video and save it to your device.

Path Social’s screenshots of the Publer page highlighting the “Download” button and a message to wait for the download.

Note that you can only download videos from public Instagram profiles. There’s currently no way to download Reels from private accounts.

But if you’re really desperate, consider screen-recording their videos. Just know it won’t be perfect. You’ll capture many unnecessary elements, like the like and comment buttons and the video’s caption.

IG Story Videos: How Do I Save From Instagram to My Phone?

Reels and feed videos aren’t the only video content that can catch your eye on the platform. People’s Instagram Stories are pretty entertaining, too. There’s also a stronger urge to save these videos to watch them again because they expire after 24 hours.

Sadly, there’s also no way to download someone else’s Story. However, you can always resort to screen-recording Stories using your phone. And don’t worry—Instagram doesn’t notify the Story’s poster if you do!

You can also download your own Stories. If you haven’t published them yet, it’s super easy. Just tap the three-dot menu at the top of the Story Editor and hit “Save.”

Path Social’s screenshot of the “Save” button on an IG Story that hasn’t been published yet.

Want to save your Story videos to your camera roll after posting them? Here’s how:

1. Open your current Instagram Story.

2. Tap the three-dot menu labeled More.

Path Social’s screenshot of a published Story’s three-dot “More” button.

3. Select Save.

Path Social’s screenshot of the “Save” button in an IG Story’s menu options.

4. Choose between Save photo/video (downloads only that post) and Save story (collates all Stories into a single video).

Path Social’s screenshot of the options to “Save photo” or “Save Story” after choosing to save an IG Story.

How Can I Save a Video From Instagram DM?

According to Statista, about 694,000 Reels are sent on Instagram via direct message every single minute. When you receive videos through DMs, it’s probably from someone sharing content they know you’ll like. So, it’s no surprise that you want to keep them handy. To save those Reels, follow the steps above to download them to your phone or Saved folder.

But what about the personal videos that aren’t posted on the platform but are sent to you directly? The good news is that it’s even easier to download those videos. Just open them up in your chat with someone. Then, hit the downwards arrow button to save it straight to your device.

How Can I Save a Live Video From Instagram?

Just finished an Instagram Live session talking to your fans and want to see how you did? You can easily download your latest Live videos to your phone to rewatch and review them better.

Wondering, “How can I save a video from my Instagram Live?” It’s easy. Right after you finish your Live, tap the “Download video” button to save the whole stream to your device. That’s it!

Note that you can only download these videos after your Live has officially finished. And be patient—the process can take longer than downloading regular videos since Live videos are pretty long!

Save Inspiring Videos and Make Better Content To Grow on IG!

Saving captivating content for future reference is awesome for revisiting tutorials, tips, and other helpful videos. But it’s also a game-changer for elevating your content. By saving videos, you can use them as inspo for future posts and you can refine your content making it extra engaging. And with engaging content always comes more followers!

Want to grow your following even faster? The folks at Path Social can help! We use AI-driven algorithms to deliver your content straight to those most likely to enjoy and engage with it. As a result, you’ll get more followers and higher engagement rates, paving the way to IG success.

No more wondering, “How can I save a video from Instagram to improve my content?” just to grow your fanbase. With our help, you can just sit back, relax, and let us do the work. We’ve helped pages like Pushing the Project gain over 17,000 new followers fast, and we’ll do it for you, too. Grow your Instagram presence with Path Social today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I download a video from Instagram?

You can’t download a video directly from Instagram. So, you have to use a third-party Instagram video download app to get a copy of it. Provide the URL of the video you want to save, and then download it! Popular video downloader sites include Publer, Snapinsta, and Inflact.

Why can’t I download other people’s videos on Instagram?

Instagram doesn’t allow people to download other users’ videos to protect their privacy and the potential distribution of their content. If you really want to download someone’s video content, use a third-party downloader.

Does Instagram notify others when you download or screen-record their video?

No, Instagram doesn’t send notifications when you save, screenshot, or screen-record someone else’s content. The platform has no way to find out if you’ve used a third-party downloading tool to save someone’s video posts. So, they won’t send notifications if you do that, too.