Whether you took a photo with the Instagram in-app camera and it didn’t save a copy to your phone or you accidentally deleted the original photo (or — gasp — your phone was stolen) and the only copy you have left is the one you posted on Instagram, getting photos from Instagram is easy. We can show you a few easy ways to download Instagram photos.
Instagram has a downloader tool that lets you download all of your data — photos included — in a single process. To give you options, we’re going to run through Instagram’s official process of downloading your content before diving into the other options, which include bookmarking, using screenshots, and using third-party apps.
Before you get too far, though, remember to respect other users’ photos — just because you can download Instagram photos doesn’t mean you should if they aren't yours. Some users may specifically share images meant to be saved as wallpaper, but if it’s not clear, it’s a good idea to ask before you download. Instagram has a detailed outline of its copyright policy.
How to download all of your information from Instagram
Instagram has a simple tool that lets you download all of your data (including all of your photos) in a few simple steps. Below, we’ll walk you through the process.
Step 1: Log into Instagram in the web browser of your choice and go to your profile.
Step 2: Click on the Gear icon that’s to the right of where it says Edit Profile and select the Privacy and Security tab.
Step 3: You should now see a page that says Account Privacy on the top. If you see that, scroll down all the way to the bottom, and you’ll see a header that says Data Download with a link below it that says Request Download. Click that link.
Step 4: You will be prompted to enter your email and password to confirm who you are and where you want the data to be sent. Once your identity has been confirmed, it’s just a matter of waiting.
You can also complete the download request using the app:
Step 1: Open the app and go to your profile.
Step 2: Tap the Menu icon in the upper right corner, then choose Settings.
Step 3: Tap Security > Download Data.
Step 4: Type in your email address and then tap the Request Download button. Then type in your password and tap Next. Then select Done.
Much like Facebook’s download tool, Instagram will automatically package up all of your information and send you a download link via email. Instagram says it could take upwards of 48 hours, but we’ve tried it a few times with various accounts, and it has never taken more than an hour or two. The emailed download link will expire after four days, so make sure to use it before then.
How to bookmark photos on Instagram
Downloading an image isn’t the only way to save it. If you want a quick way to find a photo later, but you don’t need it physically stored on your phone, you can bookmark it on Instagram. Instagram has the ability to organize saved posts, a bit like Pinterest boards.
Using the bookmark feature, you can save photos to recall them later, like putting images tagged #foodporn into a folder of restaurants you’d like to try or saving those epic landscape shots to a folder of dream vacation ideas. This feature makes your favorite grams easy to access, but unlike downloading them, you’ll only be able to access them within Instagram.
Step 1: Below the image you want to save, tap the Bookmark icon (it looks like a piece of ribbon) that is located beneath the lower right corner of the image. (If you click on a post in the website version of Instagram, then the Bookmark icon will be found on the right side of the screen, and not beneath the image.)
Step 2: The photo is now saved, but if you would like to organize your saved Instagram photos, tap the Save to Collection that pops up in the app. Type in a name for the collection if you're creating a new one. Then tap Done.
Step 3: To view, edit, delete, or organize your Instagram saves, navigate to your profile and tap the Saved icon above your images on the website. On the app, go to your profile page, tap the Menu icon, and go to Saved.
How to screenshot an Instagram Story
Since Instagram Stories are usually displayed full-screen, images shared through Stories can make for great wallpapers for your phone. In fact, some photographers will specifically share pictures this way for this purpose. There’s one trick to taking a clean screenshot of an Instagram Story that you need to know.
Step 1: When you view an Instagram Story, it will have information, like the user’s name, overlaid on it. Simply tap and hold anywhere on the screen, and these overlays will fade away (this will also pause the Story, giving you extra time to take the screenshot).
Step 2: With your finger held on the screen, take a screenshot. This may require a bit of finger gymnastics, but it shouldn’t be too hard. Here’s how to take a screenshot on an iPhone X, iPhone 8 and older, Samsung Galaxy phones, and Google Pixel and Pixel 2.
How to save photos from Instagram in Windows and MacOS
DownloadGram's Instagram Photo Downloader
DownloadGram's Instagram Photo Downloader doesn’t require downloading software to run, which makes downloading Instagram photos a bit less risky, not to mention easier. It can be used on desktop computers as well as mobile devices.
Step 1: Navigate to Instagram on the web.
Step 2: Find the picture you want to save. Click on the Triple-Dot icon and click Go to Post.
Step 3: Copy the photo’s URL from the web address bar in your browser.
Step 4: Go to DownloadGram’s Instagram Photo Downloader website.
Step 5: Input the photo’s URL into the box with the auto-generated Instagram link.
Step 6: Click the Download Now button. Then, click the resulting Download button (directly underneath your image) to save your image.
On a mobile device:
Step 1: Open the Instagram app and find the photo you want to download.
Step 2: Tap on the Triple-Dot icon and click Copy Link.
Step 3: Follow steps 4 to 6 from the desktop instructions above, using a mobile web browser to paste the link at DownloadGram and tapping the Download Now button.
Should you use an app to download Instagram photos?
The Instagram app doesn’t allow users to download individual photos. That hasn’t stopped third-party platforms from creating their own workarounds for the problem, though. The question is, are these third-party Instagram apps actually safe?
Instagram’s parent company, Meta (formerly known as Facebook, Inc.), has faced backlash for user data that was sold to a company for social media campaigns. That data was collected when users allowed third-party apps to access their Facebook profiles.
Some of those third-party Instagram downloaders may be perfectly safe, creating the app solely to earn money by sending you annoying ads while you use the app to download Instagram photos. Many of them require you to log in to your Instagram account and allow the app to access your account information, though. Rather than open up your account to potential risk, it’s safer to stick with downloading images using just the URL and an online web app or Instagram’s own account download tool if you need to recover all of your posts.
