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User Guide
Everything you need to download Instagram reels and photos with InstaDownload. If you just want to grab a video, jump to How to Use.
InstaDownload is a small, free Android app that saves public Instagram content to your phone:
- Reels & videos > saved as .mp4
- Photos > saved as .jpg
- Carousels (multi images) > every image is saved
Everything runs on your device. There's no account, no ads, and no tracking - you paste a link, tap Download, and the file in your Downloads folder.
InstaDownload is distributed as an APK (it's not on the Play Store but on fdroid).
- Go to the Releases page.
- Download the latest app-release.apk.
- Open the file on your phone. If prompted, allow "Install from unknown sources" for your browser or file manager.
- Tap Install, then open InstaDownload.
Requirements: Android 7.0 or newer from 2016 y. and higher.
Prefer to build it yourself? See the Building guide.
- Open the Instagram app or website and find the reel/post you want.
- Tap the Share icon > Copy link.
- Open InstaDownload.
- Tap the paste icon in the text field (or long press and paste manually).
- Tap Download.
The app fetches the media, saves it to your Downloads folder, and gives you a short vibration when it's done.
You don't even need to open InstaDownload:
- On the reel/post tap Share > Share to...
- Pick InstaDownload from the share dialog.
- The link is filled in automatically - just tap Download.
Downloads are saved to your device's public Downloads folder:
- Videos:
Download/instagram_video_<timestamp>.mp4 - Images:
Download/instagram_image_<timestamp>.jpg
You can open them from any file manager, your Gallery app, or the Downloads app. Because they're saved to shared storage, they stay on your device even if you uninstall InstaDownload.
Not supported: private accounts, stories, profile pages, and any content that requires you to be logged in.
InstaDownload only asks for what it needs:
| Permission | Why? |
|---|---|
| Internet | To fetch the media from Instagram |
| Storage | To save files - only requested on Android 9 and below. |
| Notifications | Optional - download alerts |
| Vibrate | Haptic feedback when a download starts and finishes |
"Not a valid Instagram post or reel URL"
The link isn't a reel, p, or tv link. Make sure you copied the full URL (it should start with https://www.instagram.com/). Profile or story links won't work.
"Latest methods are patched, please open an issue" Instagram occasionally changes how their pages work, which can temporarily break extraction. Tap the copy button on the error card and open an issue with the details pasted in - that helps get it fixed fast.
The download fails or nothing happens
- Check your internet connection.
- Confirm the post is public - private content can't be downloaded.
- Try again in a moment Instagram sometimes rate limits requests.
I can't find the downloaded file
Look in your Downloads folder. Files are named instagram_video_... or instagram_image_....
Nothing installs / "app not installed" Make sure you allowed installation from unknown sources for the app you're installing from, and that you're on Android 7.0 or newer.
Is InstaDownload free? Yes, completely free and open source under the MIT license.
Do I need an Instagram account? No. There's no login at all.
Can it download private posts or stories? No - only public reels, posts, and photos.
Does it work on multiple images (carousels)? Yes. Every image in a carousel post is saved.
Does it collect any of my data? No. There are no ads, no tracking, and no analytics. The only network requests go to Instagram to fetch the media you asked for.
Is this an official Instagram app? No. It's an independent open-source project and isn't affiliated with Instagram or Meta.
Need something that is not here? Check the Home page or open a GitHub Issue feature request.