Instagram boss Adam Mosseri announced on Wednesday that the app now allows all users around the world to download public Reels to their devices. Prior to this release, Reels could only be saved in the Instagram app to view later.
Mosseri has communicated this progress through his broadcast channel on Instagram. Specifically, the owner of the application has explained that the downloaded Reels will have an Instagram watermark with the name of the account, just like the one seen on TikTok.
Users can tap the share button and select the download option to save a reel. Accounts will have the ability to disable downloading for their Reels. You can turn off the download option via Settings > Privacy > Reels & Remix and tap the “Allow people to download your Reels” switch.
On the other hand, it is important to note that if you are downloading a Reel that uses a licensed audio fragment, the downloaded video will not have audio. Only Reels with original audio tracks will have sound in the downloaded clip. The company began allowing Reels to be downloaded for users in the United States in June and is now rolling out the capability to users around the world.
In 2021, Instagram stopped recommending clips with a TikTok watermark (or any other watermark). In August 2022, YouTube began embedding a logo-based watermark on Downloaded Shorts, the company’s short video product, to discourage cross-platform sharing.
The ability to download Reels was initially introduced for users in the United States in June as a measure to offer a more versatile experience. The inclusion of the watermark on downloaded Reels is an identification measure similar to that adopted by other social media platforms, such as TikTok.
In a broader context, these implementations reflect the competition and constant evolution in the social media landscape. The trend toward protecting original content, such as limiting audio on Reels to licensed audio clips, highlights the importance of safeguarding copyright and intellectual property in the digital world.
