Welcome to a new lesson of our Instagram Academy. In an earlier lesson we saw how to download Instagram photos to a PC. But how does it work for video? What if you want to download videos from the people you follow straight to your phone? No problem. Today we go through the best ways to download Instagram videos on mobile and in the browser, so you can build your own video gallery and watch it whenever you like.
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The options we suggest come in three groups. The first two cover how to download Instagram videos on mobile: the first work on Android, the second on iOS. The third group covers web services that let you download videos to your PC. Let’s go through them so you can pick whichever fits your needs.
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How to download Instagram videos with an Android app
Let’s start with the apps that work on Android. The Play Store carries plenty of apps for downloading Instagram videos; we picked the easiest to use.
Video Downloader
Image from Google Play
The first app is free on the Play Store and very intuitive. Simple as it is, Video Downloader (which you can download here) includes a video guide walking through every step for downloading a video from Instagram. You will manage even if you are not comfortable with technology.
How does it work? Copy the URL of the video you want and paste it into the text field on the app’s main screen, under “Download”. The video downloads automatically and you can watch it in the “History” section.
In the text field on screen, under Download, paste the link if it hasn’t been added automatically. The video is then downloaded automatically by the app and appears below under History.
If you want to save it to your phone, tap the share symbol next to the preview, where you will find:
- Share, to share the video to other networks;
- Post Again, to reshare the video on Instagram;
- Download Image, to save the video’s cover image;
- Download Video, to save the video to your gallery.
The one flaw of this app is the number of adverts, often intrusive.
Inst Download
Image from Google Play
If you want something simpler still, the Play Store has Inst Download (to get it, click here). It has just two screens: the first, Guide, explains what it is for; the second, Download, is where you download your Instagram videos. Here too you copy the video’s URL and paste it into the text field. The video downloads automatically and appears in a box below. The app then offers three actions:
- save Image, to save the video’s cover;
- save Video, to save the video to your phone’s gallery;
- repost Image, to repost the video to Instagram.
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How to download Instagram videos with an iOS app
If you have an iOS device, an iPhone or an iPad, we suggest InstDown (here) for downloading Instagram videos. Not only because anyone can use it, but also because it is free and carries no adverts.
To download as many videos as you like, copy the URL and paste it into the text field under “Put your link”. Once downloaded, authorise the app to access the iOS Photos app if it asks. You will find the video in your device’s gallery.
How to download Instagram videos: through the browser
If your aim is to back up every video you have posted to your profile onto your PC, Instagram made that possible in April 2018. How? Very simply:
- Open your browser and go to Instagram Web on your PC.
- Log into your account with your credentials, or through Facebook.
- Once on your profile, click the person icon at the top right and choose the cog icon to the right of the “Edit profile” button.
- In the left-hand menu select “Privacy and Security”, scroll to “Data download” and click “Request download”.
At that point Instagram emails you a link for downloading all the content, photos and videos, on your profile.
If you are not the author of the videos you want to download, here are sites offering web services for that. We have mentioned them before, but if you missed that lesson here is a short recap. Remember that once downloaded, the videos are for personal use only and not commercial use, unless whoever published them says otherwise.
4K Stogram (Windows/macOS)
Image from www.4kdownload.com
4K Stogram is a free video downloading program for Windows and macOS. It lets you save Instagram videos published by an account other than your own. Once downloaded (click here) and set up on your PC, you can follow two accounts at once and download everything free of charge. Just enter the handle of the account you care about and that is that.
JDownloader
Another option we suggest is JDownloader, software (which you can download here) that lets you download not only Instagram videos but any file published online. Free and compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux, JDownloader makes saving simple and fast. How? Just copy the URL of the video you want and paste it into JDownloader. A single click on “Play” starts saving the file into your PC’s “Download” folder.
DownloadGram Web
Image from downloadgram.com
If you want to download Instagram videos without installing any software on your computer, the answer is called DownloadGram. It is a free web service (available here) that lets you download any photo or video published on Instagram. Just copy the URL of the content you want and paste it into DownloadGram.
DreDown
Image from www.dredown.com
As an alternative to DownloadGram there is DreDown, another web service that downloads Instagram videos without installing anything. With DreDown too, copy and paste here the URL of the video you want, from Instagram or from other networks.
Conclusion
In this lesson of our Instagram Academy you discovered three ways to download Instagram videos, on mobile and through a browser. First we showed you Android apps built precisely to let Instagram users download videos published by other accounts. Second we pointed you to an iOS app that combines simplicity, no adverts and no cost. Third we went through free software and websites that let you download Instagram videos to your computer simply and intuitively.
What are you waiting for? All that is left is to pick the one that suits you best.
We will see you in the next lessons, where we will go deeper into other Instagram subjects you are sure to find interesting. Stay tuned and keep following your favourite Instagram Academy.
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