Downloading videos from Instagram onto your iPhone is hard especially when Instagram doesn’t have that option for you. However, there are other ways to download videos to your photos app. You can install Shortcuts or update your iPhone to the new iOS 12.
Apple’s new shortcuts allow you to accomplish a lot of tasks that would normally take a lot of time. You can easily use these shortcuts to download videos from Instagram directly to your iPhone. Here we will explain which shortcut will help you and what you need to do.
1: Add the ‘SMD 3.5.8’ Shortcut:
If you haven’t updated to the iOS 12 system yet, this shortcut will also work in the Workflow app. For this, you will first select the link on your iPhone. Then you will select “Get Shortcut”. You will be asked whether you want to enable Auto-Save. Select ‘o’ for yes and ‘oo’ for no. With the Auto-Save enabled you can automatically download videos to your iPhone. If you do not enable it, then you will have to complete two more steps to save videos to your iPhone.
Click on the ‘continue’ option. Then select the language you wish according to the number from the key provided. Finally, select ‘Done’ to save your shortcut. Keep in mind that this shortcut uses third-party services to download your videos.
2: Select your Instagram Video:
Next, you simply select the video you wish to download. This shortcut will work for downloading videos from your Instagram feed, from the explore tab, from specific accounts, and from IGTV. However, you cannot save stories or Instagram video ads as Instagram does not allow sharing of such videos or copying their URLs.
3: Downloading the Video:
To download the video there are two methods you can use. This is because some users are given different options to share links from Instagram. If method 1 doesn’t work for you, you can try method 2.
Method 1: Sharing to Shortcuts
Open the video you wish to download and click on the ellipsis (•••) at the top right corner of the video. Next select ‘Share to’ from the options that show up. Select ‘Shortcuts’ if you don’t see the option then scroll down and select ‘More’. This should show you the option. After you have shared to Shortcuts simply open the shortcut we downloaded earlier. The shortcut will then download the video for you.
The video will be downloaded automatically if Auto-Save is enabled and you will receive a notification letting you know your download is complete. If you did not enable Auto-Save then the video will first show up on your screen, click on ‘Save Video’ to complete your download. You can also share the share the video or save to your files from the sharing options.
Method 2: Copying Link
If you do not have the ‘Share to’ option this method will work for you. Click on the ellipsis (•••) in the top right corner of the video you wish to share. Then click on ‘Copy Link’. 
This will copy the video’s URL to your clipboard. Next simply, go to the shortcut you downloaded and the shortcut will automatically download your video. If you enabled Auto-Save, you will receive a notification letting you know your download is complete.
If Auto-Save is not enabled, then you will have to click on the share option. Then select ‘Save Video’, your video will be downloaded. If Method 2 seems inconvenient, fear not. Here are some additional options that will help to make it easier for you.
- Through Siri Shortcut
You can pair Siri to the shortcut you downloaded and then use voice command to download videos. Go to the shortcut SMD 3.5.8 and click on the ellipsis (•••). Next click on ‘Settings’ in the top right corner. Next select ‘Add to Siri’ and type or record the phrase you would like to enable Siri to run your shortcut. Select ‘Done’ to finish.
With this method, you simply have to copy the video’s URL onto your clipboard and then use voice command to instruct Siri to run the shortcut. This will download the video to your iPhone.
- Add the Shortcut to your Home Screen
You can also add the shortcut to your home screen for convenience. Simply copy the video URL and then click on the shortcut to download your video. You can add the shortcut to your home screen by clicking on the ellipsis (•••) and selecting Settings.
Then click on ‘Add to Home Screen’ and add the shortcut to your home screen from the share sheet. Choose a name and select ‘Add’.
- Using the Widget
Widgets can also help you easily use the Shortcut. You will have to go to the Shortcuts icon to access the widget. From there tap on the shortcut and it will download the video URL saved in your clipboard. You can access the Widget by going to the ‘Today View’. For this simply swipe left to right from the home screen. If you need to add the widget then simply select ‘Edit’ at the end of the screen and add ‘Shortcuts’.
4: How to View your Downloaded Videos:
If you enabled ‘Auto-Save’ then your videos are downloaded automatically to your Photos app. Simply open your photos app and look at ‘Camera Roll’, ‘Videos’ or ‘All Photos’. You can edit or share this video like any other normal video.
5: Customizing the Shortcut:
You can also customize the Shortcut to meet your requirements. For example, you can easily change the same of the shortcut, you can choose the destination of your downloaded videos, or the notification that you receive when your video is downloaded.
To change the name, open the Shortcut and select the ellipsis in the top right corner. Then go to settings and select ‘Name’. You can then enter the name of your choice. To change the download destination simply go to the Shortcut and select the ellipsis. Scroll to the bottom and select ‘Save to Photo Album’ to change the destination. Select the file you want to save your video to or select ‘Ask when run’ to choose any file you want on downloading.
To change the notification layout, or the text you receive, in the same options, select the option labeled ‘Show Notifications’. You can then change the text that appears in the notification you receive or you can select whether you want the notification to make any sound alerts by selecting ‘Play Sound’.
That’s all you need to do. Now you can easily download, edit and share videos from Instagram onto your iPhone. In fact, other apps may also support Shortcuts you install so make sure to select the best Shortcuts to your need.