Instagram now allows anyone to download the public reels on its platform

We know that there are platforms for social media where people enjoy the content that is put out there and the algorithms that are deployed for showing up the content work in full force in order to show them the relevant content which is also the reason why things go viral in the first place. Now, there are social media apps like TikTok and Instagram among others which have started the trend of short videos and it is known that they are widely popular among the masses. One thing to note is that the content that you share on your social media account will not stay private if your account is public so you run the risk of your content being shared by others.

However, Instagram went one step ahead and announced that Instagram Reels shared by public accounts will now be available to download for everyone which means that if you are sharing a reel from your public account then anyone can download it regardless of if they follow you or not. This means that it will become impossible for you to determine who shared your video online since they can be your follower or not. Also, if you don’t keep your account public then the reels can’t be seen by everyone which means that your reach will be far less and you won’t get the engagement that you want. Basically, this is a double-edged sword and you will have to compromise with privacy in order to get engagement from the platform.

Instagram’s head said “downloaded Reels will have an Instagram watermark with an account name — just like the one you see on TikTok. Users can tap on the share button and select the download option to save a reel. Accounts will have the ability to turn off downloading for their Reels. You can turn the download option off through Settings > Privacy > Reels and Remix and tap on the “Allow people to download your Reels” toggle”. Also, it is worth mentioning that “if you are downloading a Reel that uses a licensed audio clip, the downloaded video will not have any audio. Only Reels with original audio tracks will have sound in the downloaded clip.”