How to Save Instagram Reels to Camera Roll (iPhone & Android)

The Problem

Instagram lets you "save" Reels to your Collections — but that's not the same as saving them to your phone. If the creator deletes the Reel or you lose access to your account, the saved Reel is gone. To truly keep a Reel, you need to download it to your device's camera roll.

How to Save a Reel to Your Camera Roll

Step 1: Get the Reel URL

1. Open Instagram and find the Reel
2. Tap the share icon (paper plane)
3. Tap Copy Link

Step 2: Download with ReelFetch

1. Open your browser (Safari on iPhone, Chrome on Android)
2. Go to ReelFetch
3. Paste the Reel URL and tap Fetch Reel
4. Tap Download MP4

Step 3: Save to Camera Roll

On iPhone

The file downloads to your Files app. To move it to Camera Roll:

1. Open the Files app
2. Go to Downloads
3. Find the .mp4 file
4. Tap and hold → Share → Save Video

Done — the Reel is now in your Photos app.

On Android

Chrome downloads the file directly to your Downloads folder. Most Android phones automatically add downloaded videos to your Gallery. If not:

1. Open your Gallery or Google Photos app
2. Look in the Downloads album
3. The video should be there

Can I Save Reels Directly from Instagram?

Instagram only allows saving Reels to Collections (bookmarks within the app). There's no built-in option to save Reels to your camera roll. That's why a Reels download tool is necessary.

What About "Save to Device" in Instagram?

Some users see a "Save to device" option for their own Reels (ones they created). But this doesn't work for other people's Reels. For any Reel you didn't create, you need an external tool.

Tips

• Quality: ReelFetch downloads Reels at the highest available quality, typically 1080p
• Audio: The full audio track is included in the MP4 download
• Batch: You can download multiple Reels one after another — just paste a new URL each time
• Storage: A typical 30-second Reel is 5-15 MB

Important Notes

• Only publicly accessible Reels can be downloaded
• Respect creators: Don't re-upload or monetize content you don't own
• Personal use: Downloading for offline viewing is generally fine (see our legal guide)

Ready to Save?

Open ReelFetch in your browser, paste a Reel link, and save it to your camera roll in under 30 seconds. No app needed.