The feature to download Reels in Instagram allows users to save videos from the social network to their mobile device's gallery without using third-party services, through the app's sharing menu. However, despite its convenience, this process adds a watermark with the profile name from which the video was downloaded, to give credit to the Reel creator.
Furthermore, some Reels videos may not be available for download. This happens, for example, if the Reel is posted by an account with private settings. Tecnoblog explains how to download a Reel through the Instagram app and also provides detailed information about the limitations of native video downloading on the platform.
Not all Reels videos can be downloaded through the Instagram app; this depends on each profile's privacy settings. It is important to note that public accounts of users under 18 years old have the content download setting disabled by default, although the user can change this setting at any time.
Instagram informed Tecnoblog that not all Reels will be available for download. First and foremost, the Reel must be posted on a public account and permitted by the creator to display the 'Download' option. The download function is unavailable for posts made in private Instagram accounts.
If a Reel cannot be downloaded, Instagram recommends tapping the three dots in the bottom right corner of the screen and saving the content for later viewing. The user can find this video in the 'Saved' section in the app settings.
When downloading a Reel without sound, if it uses licensed audio material, such as music. Copyrighted materials are licensed exclusively for use within the social network itself, so the Reels video will download without an audio track.
The situation changes if the Reel uses original sound, meaning sound created by a person or recorded while shooting the original video. It should be remembered that original sounds can be used by other users after publication.
The watermark on the Reel serves as a means of acknowledging the creator's merit. It helps identify the author and the platform of origin, even if the content is published by others or on other social networks. Similarly, TikTok and YouTube Shorts also place a watermark with the creator's nickname when downloading videos through the respective apps.
There are third-party services and applications that allow downloading videos from Instagram without a watermark.

