Instagram Now Allows U.S. Users to Download Reels
Instagram users in the U.S. now have the ability to download Reels to their own devices and share them elsewhere. The announcement was made by Instagram head Adam Mosseri via Instagram Broadcast. To download Reels, users can simply tap the share icon on a video and choose the Download option. The downloaded Reels will include an Instagram watermark, the handle of the creator, and audio attribution. However, creators can choose to opt out of allowing their Reels to be downloaded.
This feature is similar to what YouTube and Pinterest have already implemented for their short-form videos, following the footsteps of TikTok, which has been offering this functionality for some time. By enabling users to download Reels with watermarks and handles, viewers can easily identify content that originated from Instagram and find more from the specific creator on Instagram. TikTok's success can be attributed to its video download feature, which has facilitated the widespread sharing and discovery of TikTok content and creators across multiple platforms. Instagram likely hopes for a similar outcome with this update.
