ReelManager (Personal)

Android app to organize Instagram Reel links locally with tags, search, and an easy “Share to app” workflow. Intended for personal use only.

Why this exists

Instagram’s “Saved” list becomes hard to browse once you collect many Reels. This app helps you:

• import existing saved content (via Instagram data export JSON)
• add custom tags (e.g., recipe, vegan, low-carb, breakfast)
• search and filter by tags later
• save new Reels quickly using Android Share (Share → ReelManager)

MVP Scope (current plan)

Core features

• Reels list (grid/list)
• Reel detail screen:
  • open in Instagram (via link)
  • edit title (optional)
  • add/remove tags
• Local persistence (Room)
• Import from Instagram export JSON
• Add new items via Android Share sheet

Out of scope (for MVP)

• Direct Instagram API integration / fetching saved posts automatically
• Hosting, login, or cloud sync
• Downloading/storing videos (only links + metadata)

App structure (high level)

• Tabs (bottom navigation)
  • Reels
  • Settings (import, maintenance)
• Screens
  • Reels list
  • Reel details (tags, link)

State management plan:

• UI in Jetpack Compose
• Screen state in ViewModels (StateFlow)
• Persistence with Room

Data model (planned)

Tags-only MVP with an easy path to add “Collections” later.

• Reel
  • local id
  • Instagram URL (unique)
  • title (user editable)
  • created timestamp
  • pinned/favorite flag (optional)
• Tag
  • id
  • name (unique)
• ReelTag (many-to-many join)
  • reelId
  • tagId

Future extension:

• Collection + ReelCollection join (same pattern as tags)

Import workflow (planned)

1. User requests Instagram account export.
2. User selects the relevant JSON file in-app (Storage Access Framework).
3. App parses the file defensively and extracts post/reel URLs.
4. URLs are inserted into the local database (deduplicated).

Note: Instagram export formats may change. The importer aims to be best-effort.

Share workflow (planned)

From Instagram (or browser):

• Share → ReelManager
• App extracts the shared URL text
• Inserts reel if new (or opens existing)
• Shows detail screen so user can tag it immediately

Development

Tech stack

• Kotlin
• Jetpack Compose (Material 3)
• Room (planned)
• Navigation Compose (planned)

Run

Open the project in Android Studio and run the app configuration on an emulator/device.

Roadmap

• UI prototype with fake data (list/grid + detail + tags)
• Room database + DAOs + ViewModels
• Share receiver activity (ACTION_SEND) to add Reels
• JSON import in Settings + bulk insert + result screen
• Search + tag filtering + tag suggestions
• (Optional) Collections

Notes / Disclaimer

This is a personal project. It is not affiliated with Instagram/Meta.

The app stores links and user-entered metadata locally. No guarantees are made regarding compatibility with Instagram export formats.