What you can download from Instagram
Zovan works with anything Instagram shows to people who are not logged in. In practice that means:
- Reels from public accounts, in the original resolution the creator uploaded.
- Video posts in the main feed, including longer videos that used to be IGTV.
- Photo posts — the full-size image instead of a cropped screenshot.
- The audio of a Reel, saved as a separate sound file, handy if you only want the music or voice-over.
Posts with several slides (carousels) currently save the first item. If you need a specific slide, a screenshot or asking the creator is the quickest route.
What doesn't work, and why
Zovan never logs in to anyone's account, so it cannot see content that Instagram keeps behind a login. That includes private accounts, Stories and Highlights, posts shared only with Close Friends, and some age-restricted content. If a link fails with a "private or needs a login" message, that's the reason — it isn't a bug, and no honest downloader can get around it.
Quality, size and sound
Instagram compresses everything it stores, so the best you can get is the version Instagram keeps, not the file the creator originally recorded. Most Reels are 720p or 1080p. A 30-second Reel at 1080p is usually only 5–15 MB, so choosing a lower quality only makes sense on a slow or metered connection.
The file you get is the clean video stream, without the "Instagram" overlay that the app adds when you use its own download button on someone else's Reel. Please don't use that as a reason to repost other people's work as your own — see the note below.
Tips that save time
- If the Instagram app only gives you a "Share to…" sheet, scroll the bottom row to find Copy link.
- Links copied from the app sometimes end with ?igsh=… — that's fine, paste it as it is.
- On iPhone, Safari puts downloads in the Files app. Open the file there and use Share → Save Video to move it into Photos.
- Add Zovan to your home screen (browser menu → Add to Home Screen) so it opens like an app next time.
Use it respectfully
Downloading a Reel to watch offline, keep a recipe or save a memory of your own is very different from re-uploading someone else's video. If you want to share it, share the original post or ask the creator first, and always give credit. Creators earn from views on their own profile.