On November 22 2023 Wednesday, Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced that now all users can download public reels in the app. However, this feature was initially released by United States users back in June 2023. Before rolling out this feature, users can just save Instagram Reels to view them later.
Mosseri said in his broadcast channel on Instagram that you will now see the Download option when tapping on the share button of a reel if a creator has turned on the download option for their reels. At the same time, a reel posted by a public Instagram account will be downloadable by default. But creators can switch it off if they want so that people do not copy their clips.
NOTE: If you are downloading a Reel that has a licensed audio clip, the download Instagram Reel video will not have the auditory. Reels that have original audio will have the sound in the download clips.
Here are the steps to turn off the download option for publicly posted Instagram reels.
- Hover over to the Instagram settings option.
- Tap on the Privacy option from the pop-up options.
- After that, tap on the Reels and Remix option.
- Now turn off the Allow people to download your Reels toggle.
Moreover, a download Instagram reel will show with an Instagram logo and the creator’s username, like the one you see on TikTok.
It is not a radical modification, but it will ease more engagement that helps to lift up exposure for Reels makers.