Although you may come across videos or photos on Instagram that you want to save to your device for later, the app doesn’t permit this for privacy and security reasons. Your only option is to Save them and watch later within the app.
Luckily, there are a few ways you can go about saving Instagram media to your device, whether it be a Windows PC, iPhone, or Android. In just a couple of minutes, you’ll learn how to do this!
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How to Download Instagram Videos
Although the method for downloading Instagram varies depending on the device, all of them allow you to download content from Instagram onto your local storage. Whether you use an iPhone, Android, or PC, you can follow these methods without needing an account or logging in.
It’s important to think about the various types of content on Instagram before you start downloading, such as videos, photos, IGTVs, stories, highlights, and reels. Depending on what exactly you want to save, you’ll have to use a different workaround.
This article will provide you with a step-by-step guide so that you can get started quickly and easily.
How to Download Instagram Videos on Android
You can download Instagram videos on your Android phone by using a file manager, screen recording, or a third-party app like InstaDP.info.
SCREEN RECORD
The Screen Record function is different depending on the Android custom operating system you have. You can check if it’s in your toggle bar, available as an app, or accessible through the Settings app. After you know how to do it, just play the target video on Instagram and screen-record at the same time.
Another potential solution is to use a screen recorder from a third-party provider, such as XRecorder from Inshot Inc.
CACHE
The following steps are a tad more technical, but they will guide you:
- Download the Instagram app and watch the target video all the way through. Doing this will save it to your device’s cache.
- Use a third-party file manager like Xplore or ES File Explorer.
- To access your videos from the Instagram app on an Android phone, go to Android > data> com.instagram.android > cache > videos
Instagram now catalogues all the videos you’ve watched in one neat folder. Tapping on any video will start playback, and holding down offers a ‘Copy/Move’ option.
APP
If you’re looking for an Android app to download videos from Instagram, Inshot Video Downloader is my top pick. Not only is it easy to use, but its interface is great as well. To get started:
- Download the app from the Google Play store and open it.
- To download a video from Instagram, go to the app and find the video you want. Tap the three dots that are above it.
- In order to download Inshot, please select ‘Share’ and then select Inshot from the options.
- Please download by following the on-screen prompts.
- You can also download videos by copying and pasting the link into InSaver.
How to Download Instagram Videos on PC
Content downloading is more reliable on a PC than other devices, which is why it’s the best option. Here’s what you need to do:
SCREEN RECORD
If you don’t mind having extra text and layers around your Instagram video when you screen record it, this is a viable option for you. You also want to make sure that your PC can handle the processing power so that the video comes out smoothly without any frame skips or choppiness.
To begin recording on a Windows PC, press Windows key + Alt + R. In the corner, you will see a recording widget with a stop button. Once you are finished recording, use that stop button to end the video.
If you want to record on a MacBook, go to your Applications folder and open up QuickTime Player. From there, select File > New Screen Record in order to start recording your Instagram video.
DEVTOOLS
The Instagram app can be easily downloaded to your browser with DevTools. The process is quick and easy, taking only a few minutes. Here’s what you need to do:
- To download an Instagram video, open it in your browser.
- To inspect the code of a video, right-click on it and select Inspect Element/View Page Source.
- Now, use the Find option by pressing Ctrl + F on your keyboard.
- Type “.MP4” in the following text box and press “Enter.”
- The code source page should open up. After that, find and copy the link situated next to src.
- Please open a new tab in your browser, then paste the link you copied earlier into the address bar.
- The video should start playing. If it doesn’t, right-click on the video and select ‘Save Video As.’ Follow the prompted instructions after that.
How to Download Instagram Videos on iPhone
Although you might assume that iPhones have fewer Instagram options because of their inflexible operating system, you can easily download the app here. Just follow these steps:
SCREEN RECORD
If you don’t mind the extra layers of text and borders, you can screen-record an Instagram video on your iPhone. To do this:
- You can open Control Center on your iPhone by swiping down from the top or bottom of the screen, depending on which model you have.
- After pressing the gray Record button, wait three seconds for the recording to commence.
- To cease recording, open the Control Center and tap the red Record button again.
The Record button may not be visible in your Control Center, but don’t worry. You can easily add it by opening the Settings app on your iPhone and tapping Control Center. To record your screen, tap ‘+’ next to Screen Recording.
SAFARI
You can use the cloud-based software ‘InstaStories.watch’ to download Instagram videos to your iPhone by following these steps:
- Locate the video you want to download on Instagram by opening up the app on your iPhone.
- To copy the link of the video, first tap the three dots located above it. From the available options, select Copy Link.
- Open Safari on your iPhone and go to instastories.watch
- Paste the copied link into the text box.
- Click Download
- A notification will pop up on Safari asking if you want to download the video. Press the button that says ‘proceed’ to continue.
- You can observe the progress of yourdownload by clicking on the Download icon. Once the video has been downloaded, click it.
- To share the video, first select it and then tap the Share icon.
- Last, select Save Video to access the recording in your photo gallery or other compatible media app.
APP
You can find plenty of dedicated apps for downloading Instagram videos on iPhone from the Apple Store, such as Blaze File Manager. I personally use this app and it’s also convenient for saving Instagram videos. Here’s how to use it:
- Get the Blaze app on your iPhone by downloading and opening it.
- To download a video from Instagram, open the app and naviagte to the desired video.
- To copy the link to this video, tap the three dots above it and select “Copy Link.”
- Navigate back to the Blaze app and paste in the link.
- To download your video, tap the Download button and then choose Export Video to Camera Roll from the options.
