How to Download Instagram Reels in HD (1080p)
Most Reels are posted as tall, vertical video, and the sharpest version Instagram usually keeps is 1080 pixels wide by 1920 tall. That’s what “HD” means here. Whether you actually get it depends on how the Reel was uploaded, but you can make sure you’re picking the best file on offer.
Download a Reel in the best quality available
- Open the Reel in Instagram and tap the paper-plane icon.
- Tap Copy link.
- Go to the Reels downloader and paste the link.
- Press Download. If more than one quality is offered, they’re listed from best to lowest.
- Tap the first button. That’s the highest quality Instagram has for that Reel.
Why you might not get 1080p
A downloader can only hand you what Instagram stores. If the creator uploaded at a lower resolution, or the original was already compressed by another app, then 720p or even lower is the best that exists. Nothing on our side can add detail that was never there, and we won’t pretend otherwise.
Instagram also keeps several versions of each video and picks one to stream depending on your connection. A downloader looks at what’s stored, so what you get can be sharper than what you saw on a slow signal.
How to check the quality you got
- Windows: right-click the file, choose Properties, then the Details tab. Look at Frame width and Frame height.
- Mac: select the file and press Command-I, then open More Info.
- iPhone: open the video in Photos and swipe up to see its details.
Keep it sharp afterwards
- Don’t screen-record. It lowers the quality and adds the phone’s interface to the edges.
- Don’t re-upload it over and over. Every platform compresses video again, and it adds up.
- Sending it on WhatsApp? Send it as a document rather than a normal video, so WhatsApp doesn’t squeeze it.
Saving it on your phone
If you’re not sure where the file ends up, see our guides for iPhone and Android.
One last thing: a download is for watching yourself. If you want to repost someone else’s Reel, ask them first. Our plain-English guide to the rules explains where the lines are.