How to download Instagram videos

Do you keep coming across amazing videos on Instagram that you want to watch over and over again? But what if you don’t have an internet connection? Frustrating, right?

By downloading Instagram videos to your Mac or iPhone, you can have a collection of your favorite content at your fingertips, even when you’re offline. No more restrictions or interruptions.

In this article, we’ll show you how to download Instagram videos in various ways. 

Save any video from Instagram

Whether you’re on a long flight, relaxing in a remote location, or just want a stash of videos for future entertainment, downloading Instagram videos to your Mac puts you in control. It’s all about being able to enjoy your favorite content on your terms.

How to download videos from Instagram and save them on your Mac?

Check out the Pulltube app. It’s secure, trusted, well-reviewed, and really easy to use. It can download any video from the web, which makes it really handy as an Instagram video downloader, too!

Here’s how to use Pulltube to download Instagram live stories and videos:

1. Install and open Pulltube 
2. Copy the link to your Instagram video and paste it into Pulltube, or just drag and drop the URL onto the app 
3. Trim the video or change the quality if you like 
4. Click Download video. 

That’s how you download from Instagram effortlessly. You can view your video any time you like and save it wherever is best for you.

Save videos from Instagram to iPhone and iPad

Unfortunately, Instagram does not allow you to download IG videos to your iOS device. However, you can save your favorite IG videos to your Instagram Collections.

It’s simple: When you see a video you want to save, tap the bookmark icon below it. In reels, tap three dots and then tap the bookmark icon.

Once you tap the icon, the video is available on the Saved page of your profile. You can access it by going to your profile page, clicking the hamburger icon at the top left, and selecting Saved.

As you can see, Instagram doesn’t allow you to download videos you find in your feed or in other people’s Stories.

But as long as you have the original creator’s permission, there are a few workarounds. One easy way to save Instagram videos is to record your screen while the video is playing.

For iPhone users, you can do this in five simple steps:

1. Swipe down to reach the Control Center
2. Tap the round Record button
3. A three-second countdown will begin before recording
4. Record your video
5. Open the Control Center again and tap the red round Record button to stop recording
6. Your video recording is now available in your Photos app.

Keep in mind that it’s not the best way to download video from Instagram because of loss of quality. Plus, Instagram user interface will be visible on your video. 

So what is a better way of saving Instagram videos? 

As mentioned above, you can easily download any IG video to your MacBook using apps such as Pulltube and then transfer this video to your iOS device with the help of AirDrop, for example.

Tip: Enjoy your favorite Instagram videos on the big screen and create a theater-like experience in your living room. It’s all possible with JustStream. 

Download Instagram video using source code

Here’s the method of downloading Instagram videos that will make you feel like a hacker.  

You can open an Instagram video in your browser on Mac and save it from the source code: 

1. Open the video, right-click it, and choose Inspect element or View page source 
2. Press Control + F and type “mp4” in the search bar
3. You’ll be redirected to the piece of code that contains a link 
4. Copy the link next to “=src”
5. Paste the link in the new tab, right-click it, and choose Save video as…

Save Instagram video using online solutions

You also can download Instagram videos online. We always try to be very cautious about recommending this option, but some people will still use it, so let’s make it as safe as possible.

Because many online video downloaders you’ll encounter online contain malware, it’s important to use only well-reviewed trusted tools. You can try websites such as W3Toys.com. We found it very quick and efficient in downloading videos from Instagram. All you have to do is paste the link and click Download. The video will open in a new tab, and you can save it from there. 

The only downside is that the website is riddled with ads, some of which might contain malicious content, so be very careful not to click on them. 

Download videos from Instagram using browser add-ons

Another helper tool is a browser extension for saving Instagram Stories and Reels. You’ll find many such extensions on the internet, but we again recommend using only the well-reviewed ones. We’ve found Social Video Downloader and FasSave Chrome add-ons quite reliable — you can find both in the Chrome Web Store. 

Tip: In case you notice that your Mac starts acting weird or slows down after installing an Instagram extension, make sure to get rid of it immediately. The fastest way to remove browser add-ons is to open CleanMyMac X > Extensions > View all extensions, select the extension, and click Remove. 

Is it alright to download Instagram videos?

Instagram wants to keep you tethered to the app. Its business involves serving you ads, which is only possible when you’re using the app. This is the main reason why it won’t allow downloads.

But there are so many good reasons to allow downloads from Instagram! Imagine trying to surprise your loved one with a video montage for their birthday. Downloading all your videos together is a great way to surprise them. It also makes editing the videos really easy. You can trim, splice, and append videos to one another however you see fit.

Note: You shouldn’t download videos from the profiles of other people unless you’ve received explicit consent from them. 

Find secure Instagram video download tools in Setapp

When it comes to downloading and managing videos, we love the workflow of Pulltube. Downloads are a snap, and moving those files to your iPhone is totally seamless with AirDrop.

Note that some of the tools mentioned in this article – Pulltube, AdLock, JustStream, and CleanMyMac X, are available for free as part of a seven-day trial of Setapp, a platform with dozens of awesome apps for a Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Once your free week ends, Setapp is only $9.99 per month. Give it a try, and let the Setapp tools help you tackle almost any task faster and smarter.