How to download instagram content


How to Download All of Your Instagram Data, Photos, and More

  • You can download your data on Instagram by accessing the app's security settings, and requesting the data from Instagram.
  • Downloading your Instagram data allows you to export photos, videos, archived stories, comments, messages and more.
  • You can download your data from either the Instagram app or the website.
  • This story is part of Business Insider's Guide to Instagram.

If you are thinking of leaving Instagram for good, downloading your data is a smart move. 

The data download tool not only gives you a copy of all the videos, photos, and stories you've archived, but also messages, profile information, and comments. If anything, the feature allows you to have a backup of everything you've uploaded to the platform.

Luckily, it's an easy process that's not hard to figure out. Here's how to download your data through the Instagram app for your iPhone and Android devices, or through any internet browser on your Mac and PC.

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How to download Instagram data through the mobile app

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your profile page by tapping your icon in the bottom-right corner.

2. In the upper-right hand corner of your profile page, tap the three horizontally stacked lines. Then, tap "Settings."

Open your settings menu. Meira Gebel/Business Insider

3. Select "Security." 

4. Under "Data and History," tap "Download Data." 

Select the "Download Data" option near the end. Meira Gebel/Business Insider

5. Enter your email address and then select "Request Download." 

6. Enter your password and then tap "Next." 

You'll receive an email with the data within 48 hours.

It could take up to two days to receive your data. Meira Gebel/Business Insider

How to download Instagram data through the website

1. Visit the Instagram website and log in if you haven't already.

2. Click the profile icon in the upper-right hand corner of the screen, and then click "Settings."

Go straight to your account's settings menu. William Antonelli/Business Insider

3. Click "Privacy and Security" in the left sidebar.

"Privacy and Security" is one of the last options. William Antonelli/Business Insider

4. Scroll down to find "Data Download." Then, click "Request Download." 

You'll have to enter your Instagram login information. William Antonelli/Business Insider

5. Enter your email address and enter your Instagram password, then click "Request Download."

You'll receive an email with the data within 48 hours.

How to view your Instagram data

If you don't think it's necessary to request a copy of your data, but still want to view it, you can do that as well. You can review everything Instagram tracks from the date you joined the platform to your ads interests.  

1. Open the Instagram app.

2. Go to your profile page by tapping the profile icon on the far-right side of the bottom toolbar.

3. In the upper-right hand corner of your profile page, tap the three horizontally stacked lines. Then, tap "Settings."

4. Select "Security." 

5. Under "Data and History," tap "Access Data." 

 

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Meira Gebel

Meira Gebel is a freelance reporter based in Portland, Oregon. She writes about business, culture, and technology for Insider. Her work has been featured in Digital Trends, Willamette Week, USA Today, and more. She is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School and San Francisco State University.  Feel free to reach out to her on Twitter, where she can be found most of the time, @MeiraGebel.

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How to download Instagram photos: a complete guide

(Image credit: Solen Feyissa via Unsplash)

How to download Instagram images

01. Download Instagram photos via the app
02. Download using source code
03. Save images on Instagram
04. Download using third-party apps
05. Download multiple images
06. Download Instagram Stories

Working out how to download Instagram photos to your computer or phone isn't as easy as you might think. To download Instagram images, you can't just right click and save like you can on many websites – even if you're using Instagram in your browser. That's understandable since it helps prevent people from misusing others' photos. However, there are legitimate reasons that you might want to download Instagram photos – either your own or someone else's if they've given you permission.

Maybe you've had enough of Instagram and plan to stop using it but want to take your images with you. Or perhaps you posted a shot on the social media platform and then deleted the original image from your camera or phone by mistake, leaving the only copy on Instagram. 

You might also want to repost an image from a friend or colleague's feed after receiving their permission, but note that Instagram has now introduced a way to do this directly without having to download images from Instagram (just find what you want to post, click the arrow icon under the image and select "Repost" – if it's enabled).

But while posting photos on Instagram is a piece of cake, you've probably found that how to download photos from Instagram isn't so straight forward. There are ways though, both using Instagram itself and through other methods. Below we'll show how to download Instagram photos to your PC, Mac or phone in several different ways. You can download your entire Instagram history, use the source code for individual images or use in-browser or downloadable third-party apps.

If you want to give your Instagram images a boost, see our pick of the best photo editing apps and the best graphic design software. For more Insta tips, see our guide to Instagram fonts or how to change the font in your Instagram bio and learn how to turn on Instagram's dark mode. We also have a beginner Instagram Reels tutorial, if you've yet to get your head around Instagram's newest content format.

If you do download Instagram photos, please respect image ownership. Some of the methods below will allow you to download Instagram photos that belong to other people. You should also seek permission before doing this and always give credit where it's due.

How to download Instagram photos to a PC or Mac

There is no native method to download Instagram photos from your account one by one. The one option Instagram has is to let you to download your account’s entire history in one massive package. That includes all the photos and videos that you’ve uploaded as posts or stories as well as a lot of other things you might not want, such as details of your comments and likes.

This “official” way to download your stuff was introduced due to privacy concerns following controversies at parent company Facebook (now Meta) to give people more ownership of their data. It might not be very practical if you just one to download one image that you uploaded recently, but it's not a bad option if you want to save a whole load of old photos that you've accidentally deleted from your phone. To get started you'll need to request a download link either via the Instagram website or the app.

01. Login to get started

(Image: © Joseph Foley on Instagram)

Go to the Instagram website, log in, then click the gear icon to the right of where it says Edit Profile. Choose Privacy and Security from the list of options.

02. Request download

This will lead you to the Account Privacy page. Scroll down to where it says 'Data Download' and click 'Request Download'.

03. Get the download link via email

(Image: © Joseph Foley on Instagram)

Enter your email and password again, confirming the email address where you'll receive the download link, then click 'next'. Instagram will start bundling your data into a downloadable package, and then send you the link by email. The platform says this can take up to 48 hours, but the email tends to come through within an hour or two. The link's only valid for four days, so keep an eye out for it or you’ll have to start all over again.

04. Download your data

(Image: © Joseph Foley on Instagram)

Once you receive the email, click 'Download Data'. You’ll be taken to the Instagram site to sign in and start the download. The package comes in the form of a zip file that contains every post you've ever made as well as details of every message and everything you've searched for, liked or commented on. Depending on how long you've had an Instagram account and how much you use it, this could mean a ton of data, so extract the file to a new folder of its own to keep the many subfolders and files in one place.

You can also request this sizable download package through the app. Go to your profile, tap the menu icon in the upper right-hand corner and choose 'Settings'. Select 'Security', 'Download Data', type in your email and password, then tap 'Request Download'.

How to download Instagram photos individually using the source code

If you don’t want the hassle of wading through your entire Instagram history to find the one specific photo you wanted to download, or if you need an image from someone else’s feed after having received their permission to use it, you can download Instagram photos individually by turning to the source code.

01. Find the image source

(Image: © Joseph Foley on Instagram)

How you do this will depend on your browser. On Internet Explorer, you can click on the photo you want to download to view the full image, then right-click on the image and select 'View Source'.

02. Copy the code

(Image: © Jospeh Foley on Instagram)

Scroll through the code and find the meta property information (hit control+f or command+f and search for 'meta property'). You'll want to copy the URL that appears in double inverted commas in the line beginning: '<meta property="og:image" content='

03. Save the image

Paste the link into your browser, hit 'Enter', and you’ll be taken the photo you want to download. Now, simply right-click or control-click on the image and choose 'Save Image As'. The default name will be a long stream of numbers so you’ll probably want to change it to something more recognisable. The process may also work for videos depending on your browser. 

On Google Chrome, you can look for the source image by clicking 'Inspect', then looking for the 'V' folder under the sources tab.

How to save images on Instagram

If you simply want to be able to find an image on Instagram again rather than use it on another device, you might find it’s enough to save it within the platform. Instagram allows users to bookmark any post in order to be able to find it again later, whether it's from an account you follow or not. You can organise saved posts into folders to make them easier to find, for example by creating folders for design inspiration, wish lists, or dream holiday destinations – don’t worry, no one else can see your bookmarks!

01. Save to collection

(Image: © Joseph Foley on Instagram)

Tap the bookmark icon below any Instagram post and it will turn black to show the post has been saved. For the Marie Condo approach to bookmarks, tap the 'Save to Collection' message that pops up then click the + icon to choose an existing collection or create a collection with a new name.

02. View and edit your images

(Image: © Joseph Foley on Instagram)

To view or edit your bookmarked images in the Instagram app, go to your profile, tap the menu icon at the top right, then 'Saved'. In a browser, you’ll find the 'Saved' tab above your own feed. From here, you can tap the plus icon to add new collections or to move a previously saved photo to a collection.

How to download Instagram photos using third-party apps

If you definitely need to download photos from Instagram rather than save them in the app but find the first two options above to be too fiddly or time-consuming, there are many third-party apps that offer workarounds. Bear in mind that some of these require access to your account data, while others rely on heavy advertising to make their money. Where possible we’d advise using the previous solutions, but if you want the convenience of a quick fix, then these are some of the most popular options.

Download Instagram photos using DownloadGram

DownloadGram is one of the most appealing third-party options to download Instagram photos since it doesn’t require the installation of any software. That may inspire more trust in terms of security. It can be used on both computers and mobiles. It can also be used to download videos, IGTV and Reels. The downside is that you can only download one piece of media at a time.

01. Go to post

(Image: © Joseph Foley on Instagram)

On a desktop computer, go to the Instagram website, find the picture you want, click on the three dots at the top right above the image and choose 'Go to Post'.

02. Download image

(Image: © Joseph Foley on Instagram)

Copy the photo’s URL from your address bar then go to DownloadGram’s website and paste the URL into the box. Click the Download button, then the Download image button to save your image.

On a mobile device, open the Instagram app and find the photo you want, tap the three dots icon and choose 'copy link'. From there, follow the process as above.

Other options include FastSave for Instagram , which offers a faster app-based option for downloading individual images to an Android phone with no copying or pasting needed, but you need to grant the app access to your data, and the ads can be annoying.

How to Download Instagram photos in bulk

If you want to download more than one image from Instagram at a time, you’re limited to using third-party software. Two of the most popular options are 4K Stogram and Save-o-gram.

Download Instagram photos: 4K Stogram

4K Stogram allows you to download Instagram images in bulk (Image credit: 4K Stogram)

4K Stogram allows you to subscribe to a username, hashtag or even a location to mass download every public image that it finds under that tag with no need to sign in to Instagram. However, while it’s free to subscribe to a couple of feeds, you’ll need to pay $10 for a licence for unlimited use. Chances are you’ll also find yourself downloading a ton of images that don’t interest you.

Download and install 4K Stogram on your computer, open the programme then type an Instagram username, hashtag, or location into the search bar. Click Subscribe, then the programme will search and automatically start downloading everything it finds. You’ll find the images piling up in the 4K Stogram folder on your computer in subfolders for each search you entered. 

Download Instagram photos: Save-o-gram

Save-o-gram lets you be more selective with your downloads (Image credit: Save-o-gram)

If you need to be more selective, Save-o-gram allows selected images to be downloaded all at once as a zip file or individually. It charges a one-off fee of $9 after a seven-day trial.

How to download Instagram Stories

Instagram makes it much easier to download your own stories – the image or video including any stickers or text you’ve applied. Just click on the three vertical dots at the bottom right of the story and choose 'Save photo'. You can find old stories by going to your profile, clicking on the menu icon and selecting 'Archive'. (See our guide to Instagram Stories here.)

If you want a Story from someone else’s account – and some photographers specifically share pictures for use as wallpaper by this means – you can save it by simply taking a screenshot. The trick is to hold down one finger on the screen while you do so in order to remove the Instagram UI and get a clean shot. 

Just tap and hold anywhere on the screen so that the UI overlay fades away. This also pauses the story, giving you time to take the screenshot. With a bit of finger contortion, keep your finger on the screen while you take the screenshot, whether that’s by pressing volume up and lock on an iPhone X, the power and home buttons on a Samsung Galaxy, or power and volume down on a Google Pixel. 

Again, bear in mind potential copyright issues when taking screenshots of someone else’s work.

Read more:

  • How to sell on Instagram
  • The best social media platforms: top options for artists and designers
  • Social media tips: advice for artists and designers

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Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news and features, updates buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment for creatives, from monitors to accessories and office supplies. A writer and translator, he also works as a project manager at London and Buenos Aires-based design and branding agency Hermana Creatives, where he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing photography, video content, graphic design and collaterals for the hospitality sector. He enjoys photography, particularly nature photography, wellness and he dances Argentine tango.

Brief instructions for downloading materials from Instagram

Albina Dolinskaya TeachLine Training Center

* the activities of the social networks Instagram and Facebook are recognized as extremist in Russia.

Sooner or later, every user of a well-known social network is faced with the need to download a photo or video. The platform does not welcome such behavior and does not provide such an option. “It will upset us, but it will not stop us,” the users thought and invented several working methods. We collected them in the article: nine0003

Download to smartphone:

  1. To yourself in Telegram, WhatsApp or VKontakte.

You can send an Instagram post to yourself in Telegram. We copy the link to the desired post and send it, and the desired photo or video from there can be saved to your smartphone. By the same principle, you can use WhatsApp chat with yourself.

  1. Bot is power!

And again, Telegram helps out with bots that can save photos, videos, and even the text of a publication. We are looking for @instasavegrambot or @Instatube_bot, open a dialog, click on the “Start” button and follow the instructions. nine0003 Bot in Telegram for downloading materials from Instagram

  1. Select an application.

Don't like Telegram? We use a third party application. We choose by rating and reviews so as not to fall into the development of scammers. For example, FastSave for Instagram for Android.

Download on PC:

  1. A little trick with the URL.

You need to open the desired post, at the end of the address bar to the url page add: “media? size=l”. Using the resulting link, you can open a window with a photo that can be saved in the usual way. The method is working even for closed accounts, subject to subscription to them. nine0003 Download Instagram photo on computer by adding “media?size=l” to URL

  1. Online services for PC and smartphone.

We add a link to the desired post to the online service and download media or text from there. The free platforms Stapico, Webstagram, Instagrab, Instasaver have proven themselves well. One limitation - does not work for downloading content from closed accounts, even if you subscribe to them.

  1. Install the browser extension. nine0013

For example, SaveFrom Helper allows you to download content not only from Instagram, but also from 40 other sites. This and similar extensions should be downloaded only from official sites, choosing according to reviews and ratings.

  1. Big trick with the page code.

We open the desired post, hover over the photo, right-click to open the context menu, where we select to view the page code. On the left we will see the developer panel. Press the key combination “Ctrl + F” and in the search box enter “jpg” if we want to download a picture, “mp4” for a video. We see a link that needs to be downloaded completely from quotes to quotes and inserted into the address bar of the computer. We pass on it and open a photo or video that can be downloaded. nine0003

Was the information helpful? The experts of the Instagram Promotion 2.0 course know many such life hacks and are ready to share them with the audience. How to transfer data from Instagram to VK? Over the years, many of us have become accustomed to it and have no idea how to replace this service. Yes, there are many analogues of Instagram, but all of them are slightly different from what bloggers would like to see, after all, it’s a habit. Many content makers see is the best alternative to Instagram - the domestic social network VKontakte. There are many reasons for this: targeted advertising, analogues of Stories and Reels, and in general, many have already registered in VK, it won’t take long to get used to. They recently launched a handy application that allows you to transfer all photos from Insta in a couple of clicks.

Understanding how to transfer data from Instagram to VK.

Despite the blocking of Instagram in Russia , it is now absolutely legal to use it. Deputy Sergei Boyarsky has already warned users that no sanctions for Instagram cannot be used with VPN . At the moment, you can use it without any problems. Another thing is that it is not very convenient. You won’t be constantly using a VPN, because the traffic in such applications is limited, and some pages on the Internet do not load well through a VPN. The audience is leaving, and with it the meaning of Instagram.

How to replace YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and WhatsApp in Russia.

How to transfer photos and videos from Instagram to VK

In order to transfer all photos and videos from Instagram to VK , you will need:

Wait until all photos and videos are transferred to the closed VK album.

All photos will be transferred to the private album , which can be viewed in the Photos section on your page. After that, you can upload them to your blog, or simply open the album for everyone in the application settings.

Important : For download content from Instagram is required for your page to be opened . Otherwise, you will have to download a VPN, open a page on Instagram, and only then carry out this procedure.

Interestingly, no passwords or confirmation are required. That is, in fact, you can upload all the photos of another user without any problems and not even tell him about it. I do not recommend doing this, but if anything, I warned.

Subscribe to us in Yandex.Zen, there you will find a lot of useful and interesting information. Plus, on Zen every day there are exclusive materials that are not on our website. Waiting for you! nine0090

How to save Instagram data

When Roskomnadzor announced the blocking of Instagram, it warned that each user has 48 hours to download all the data. Yes, Instagram provides the ability to download all the data from the account through the archive. Very soon, VK will allow you to download the archive directly via a smartphone or computer, and access to Instagram will not be required at all.

To download data from Instagram you will need:

  • Download VPN, agree to the terms, click the Connect button (any VPN will do).
  • Next, go to the Instagram application on any of the devices.
  • Go to your profile at the bottom of the display.
  • Click on the icon with three stripes, select Your activity is .
  • Select item Download information .
  • Then enter your email address and click Request file .

This is how you can save content from Instagram. nine0003

After that, within 48 hours, Instagram will create an archive with all the data and send it to your email. In my case, it didn't take 48 hours, everything was loaded in about 1 hour.

It is possible that the possibility of such an upload will disappear soon, so I recommend doing it right now. Why? If Meta is included in the list of extremist organizations, you will no longer be able to access Instagram, because it will be illegal. These legal issues were discussed in detail by AppleInsider.ru author Ivan Gerasimov in his article. It seems to me that everyone should know this.

How to change your ID in VK

Another life hack that will help you keep your audience in VK is the name of your ID. Like it or not, the user's nickname on Instagram immediately catches the eye. Most of us know the nicknames of those we follow. So, I recommend you in all social networks to stick to one nickname . If VK is different, it's time to change the ID.

  • Open the VK app on your iPhone. nine0014
  • Next, click on the button with your photo in the upper left corner.
  • Go to Settings, Account, Short Name.
  • Change your ID.

This is how you can quickly change your VK ID.

If your content was really useful and interesting, I'm sure that many will start looking for you by nickname. The same advice works for subscribers. To find a deleted Instagram user, go through popular sites and type in their nickname in applications. nine0003

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