Guide
How to download IGTV videos
Published · Updated
- HD MP4
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The short answer
To download a public legacy IGTV link, copy its share URL and paste it into IGDownPro. When Instagram still exposes the media, the available MP4 saves through the same flow as a shorter video; larger files naturally take longer.
IGTV is gone, but the videos are not
Instagram retired the standalone IGTV app and folded long-form video into the main feed. The branding disappeared; the content did not. Every episode ever posted is still there, still served, and the old instagram.com/tv/ links still resolve.
What changed is discoverability, which makes saving more worthwhile rather than less. Long-form Instagram video is harder to find your way back to than it used to be, and creators periodically clear out older uploads.
The practical difference from a Reel is size. A 45-minute episode is a large file, so the download is bound by your connection rather than by any processing step. IGDownPro streams the bytes straight through from Instagram’s CDN instead of buffering the whole file first, which is why the transfer starts immediately.
Step-by-step: saving a long-form video
Identical to any other video download — the only difference is how long the transfer takes.
Open the IGTV or long-form video
Find the video on a public profile, either through the profile's video tab or from a direct link. Private accounts cannot be accessed.
Copy the link
Use the share menu and choose 'Copy link'. Both legacy instagram.com/tv/ URLs and newer post-style links work.
Paste it into IGDownPro
Open the IGTV Downloader and paste the URL into the input field, then press Download.
Save the MP4
Click the download button. The file streams straight to your device — on a long episode, leave the tab open until the transfer finishes.
Ready to try it? Open the IGTV Downloader and paste your link.
Device-specific notes
Where the file ends up differs by platform — this is the part that trips people up.
iPhone and iPad
- Copy the link, open IGDownPro in Safari and paste it in.
- Press Download. Safari shows a download arrow beside the address bar.
- Tap the arrow, tap the video, then use the share sheet and choose “Save Video” to move it into Photos.
Android
- Paste the link into IGDownPro in Chrome and press Download.
- The MP4 lands in your Downloads folder.
- Most gallery apps index it automatically; if not, move it to Movies or DCIM using the Files app.
Windows, macOS, Linux
- Copy the post URL from your browser's address bar.
- Paste it into IGDownPro and click Download.
- The MP4 saves to your Downloads folder. If the browser opens it in a tab instead, right-click and choose “Save video as…”
What to expect from a long-form download
Long videos are the same H.264 MP4 as any other Instagram video, just more of it.
| Resolution | Up to 1080p, matching what Instagram plays. |
|---|---|
| Length | No cap — hour-plus episodes download in full. |
| Delivery | Streamed, not buffered, so bytes start arriving immediately. |
| Encoding | No re-encode, so quality is unchanged. |
Download speed is bounded by your connection and Instagram’s CDN, not by IGDownPro — nothing is throttled. If a long download stalls, resume by pasting the link again rather than retrying the partial file.
How to avoid the dangerous downloaders
This is a category full of hostile sites. A few rules will keep you out of trouble.
- Never enter your Instagram login. Downloading a public post requires no authentication whatsoever. A site that asks for your username and password is harvesting accounts, full stop.
- Do not install a browser extension for this. Extensions with permission to read instagram.com can read your session too. A plain website cannot.
- Be wary of .exe or .apk downloads. Saving a file needs no installed software. An installer offer is malware more often than not.
- Ignore “you must allow notifications” gates. That is an ad-spam subscription, not a technical requirement.
- Check the file you got. IGDownPro returns .mp4 video or .jpg image files. If a download arrives as .zip, .exe, .apk or .scr, delete it without opening it.
For a deeper comparison, use our nine-point Instagram downloader safety checklist.
The legal picture
This is a summary for orientation, not legal advice — if the stakes are real, ask a lawyer in your jurisdiction.
Copyright in an Instagram post belongs to whoever created it, not to Instagram and not to you. Instagram’s terms grant the platform a licence to host and display the work; they grant other users nothing beyond viewing it in the app.
Whether a download is permitted depends on the content, purpose and jurisdiction. Public visibility is not permission to reuse a work. Re-uploading, compiling, advertising with or otherwise distributing someone else's post generally requires permission from the rights-holder.
Practical guidance: ask the creator, credit them visibly, and take it down promptly if they object. If you own content that has been downloaded and reposted, our DMCA policy explains how to file a notice.
Frequently asked questions
Does IGTV still exist?
Instagram retired the standalone IGTV app and merged long videos into the main feed, but existing /tv/ links still resolve and long-form uploads still work. This tool handles both.
Is there a length limit on downloads?
No. A 60-minute episode downloads as readily as a 60-second clip. Larger files naturally take longer to transfer, but nothing is truncated.
Why is my IGTV download slow?
Long videos are simply large files. The speed is bounded by your connection and Instagram's CDN — we do not throttle downloads and we do not queue them.
Do old instagram.com/tv/ links still work?
Yes. Legacy /tv/ URLs and the newer post-style links both resolve through the same field, so you do not need to know which era a video is from.
Does an IGTV download keep its audio?
Yes. The downloaded MP4 keeps the audio track Instagram serves with the video. IGDownPro does not currently provide a separate MP3 export.
My download stopped partway through. What now?
Paste the link again and start a fresh download rather than trying to resume the partial file. Interruptions on large files are almost always a connection drop rather than a problem with the source.
Try it now
Head to the IGTV Downloader and paste a link, or jump to a related tool: videos, reels or carousels.
Prefer to start from the beginning? The Instagram downloader accepts any public link — post, reel, story or profile — and works out which tool it needs.