How to save recipes from TikTok and Instagram
The bookmark in TikTok or Instagram saves the video, not the recipe. To keep the recipe itself, share the post to Meally: tap Share, choose Meally, and the ingredients and steps from the caption land in your recipe book as text, with a link back to the creator. Free for 20 recipes, with no ads.
Option 1: save it inside TikTok or Instagram
- Instagram: tap the bookmark icon under the post. Tap and hold it to save straight into a collection. Everything you saved is on your profile, under the menu, in Saved.
- TikTok: tap the bookmark icon to add the video to your Favorites on your profile, and sort your favorites into collections.
It's one tap and the video stays with the recipe. But the recipe is still locked in the video or the caption: you can't scale it or turn it into a grocery list, and if the creator deletes the post, it disappears from your saves too.
Option 2: save the recipe as text in Meally
- Open the TikTok or Reel with the recipe.
- Tap Share, then Meally. If Meally isn't in the first row, open your phone's full share menu (More, or Share to…) and pick it there. This works on iPhone and Android.
- Meally reads the recipe from the caption and saves the ingredients and steps as text, with the photo and a link back to the post.
- No Share button? Copy the link and paste it into Meally.
If the recipe is only spoken in the video and not written in the caption, there's no text to read. Meally then either tells you it couldn't find ingredients or steps, so you can add them yourself or save the video link, or it rebuilds the recipe with AI and marks it as an AI reconstruction, so you know to check it before cooking.
Saved in the app vs. saved in Meally
| Bookmark in TikTok or Instagram | Saved in Meally | |
|---|---|---|
| What's saved | The post | The recipe as text, plus the link to the post |
| If the creator deletes the post | It's gone | The recipe stays; only the link stops working |
| Change servings | Do the math yourself | One tap |
| Meal plan and grocery list | Not part of the app | Plan the week and get a grocery list built from it |
What you can do with a saved recipe
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Find it again
Sort recipes into folders and categories, and search by name or by an ingredient you remember.
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Cook from it
Step-by-step cooking mode with timers, and servings you can change.
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Plan and shop
Put it on a day in your weekly plan, then tap Generate shopping list: the ingredients land on your grocery list, grouped by aisle.
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Use it offline
Saved recipes, cooking mode and the grocery list work without a connection.
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Share it
Send it as a link, which works for people without Meally too, or as a PDF.
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Credit the creator
The link to the original post stays with the recipe, so the creator is always one tap away.
Frequently asked questions
How do I save a recipe from TikTok?
In TikTok, tap the bookmark icon to add the video to your Favorites. To keep the recipe as text, tap Share and choose Meally: the ingredients and steps from the caption go into your recipe book, with a link to the video.
How do I save recipes from Instagram Reels?
Tap the bookmark icon under the Reel to save it in Instagram. To keep the recipe itself, tap Share and choose Meally, or copy the link and paste it into Meally.
Is there a free app to save TikTok recipes?
Meally is free for 20 recipes and 2 folders, with no ads. Meally Premium removes the limits, as a subscription or a one-time purchase.
What if the recipe is only in the video, not the caption?
Then there's no text to read. Meally either tells you it couldn't find ingredients or steps, so you can add them yourself or save the video link, or it rebuilds the recipe with AI and marks it as an AI reconstruction to check before cooking.
Does the creator still get credit?
Yes. Every saved recipe keeps the link to the original post, so you can open it in TikTok or Instagram with one tap.
Keep the recipe, not just the video
Free for 20 recipes and 2 folders, no ads, on iPhone, iPad and Android.
Sources
- Instagram Help Center: Save posts you see on Instagram and Create a collection for posts you save. Accessed October 22, 2026.
- TikTok Newsroom: New ways for friends and families to discover, share, and connect on TikTok, December 8, 2025 (saving videos into collections).
How Meally imports from TikTok and Instagram is described from the current app on iOS and Android.