The Easiest Way to Download Images from Instagram
Instagram is full of aesthetic photos. So, no one can blame you if you want to download some of them. Also, people tend to upload the best photos that they took to Instagram. There's a high chance that applies to you too. Maybe, you lost the original copies of some of those photos. So, you want to download the ones you have on Instagram.
The problem is that, unlike Facebook, Instagram does not allow you to download photos – not even those on your own profile. But don't worry; there are workarounds, and you can find them in this guide.
How To Download Your Photos
Instagram not allowing you to download your own photos is not entirely true. You can do it, but the photos come in a package. The platform allows you to send a request to download all information in your account. That includes all the text as HTML and JSON archive, videos, and – you guessed it – photos.
Unfortunately, it's very inconvenient to use. Aside from not getting to select which photos to download, it also takes 48 hours for Instagram to process the request. Furthermore, since you have to download a very large number of files, it consumes a lot of data. And what if you need to do it again the following year?
It may be best to find the original file from somewhere else. Maybe you saved a copy on an external hard drive, flash drive, memory card, or cloud storage. The gist is, only choose this method when you have no other choices.
Still, knowing how to do this could be helpful. So, here's a guide to doing that.
To do this, you need to use the Instagram website on a browser. It's the only way to access the tool that lets you send a request to Instagram.
So, open Instagram on a browser and log into your account. Then, go to your Account Settings. Under the Privacy and Security section, find “Data Download,” then “Request Download.” Click that and follow the steps Instagram will tell you. Last, wait for 48 hours to get a link to the downloadable files via email.
How To Download Photos As You Upload Them
To avoid needing to do the method mentioned above, you can download photos as you upload them to Instagram. You may be asking, wouldn't you be just duplicating your copy of the photo if you do this? That's only true if you don't add filters and edits to the photo. When you do this, your device will save a copy of the photo with these edits.
Furthermore, not all photos you upload on Instagram are from your device. The app has a camera tool that allows you to take a photo and upload that directly to Instagram. You don't get a copy if you don't download that as you upload it.
Now, how can you do this? It's actually very easy to set up. Open your Instagram app and log into your account if you haven't yet. Tap your profile photo on the bottom right corner of the screen, then the hamburger menu at the top right. Select “Settings.”
Tap “Account,” then “Original Photos” or “Original Posts” if you are using an Android phone. You will find a toggle switch there saying “Save Original Photos.” Turn that on, and you're done.
Downloading Photos Using Third-Party Mobile Apps
Both methods mentioned above are for downloading photos from your Instagram account. What if you want to download a photo from another account – your celebrity crush, for example. Do you have to be content with the screenshot method?
Instagram does not have a tool that lets you download pictures from another person's account. But there are workarounds. You can use Third-Party mobile apps to do that.
Downloading Photos on iOS
If you are using an iPhone for Instagramming, you can use Repost: for Instagram to download photos. It is an ad-supported but free-to-use third-party mobile app. Unlike the other apps out there, the ads on this app are not intrusive.
To use it:
- Start by finding the photo you want to save.
- Tap on the three dots menu and select “Copy Link.”
- Open the Repost for Instagram app and paste the link to the appropriate field. The app should show you the Instagram post with the photo you are trying to download.
- Tap the Download button to save the photo to your camera roll. Bear in mind that Repost will apply a watermark.
Downloading Photos on Android
If you are using an Android phone to Instagram, you can use Regrann – Repost for Instagram instead. You can find this app in the Google Play Store. Using this app is 100% like using Repost for Instagram.
Download Photos Using a Third-Party Website
You can also download Instagram photos when using a computer. The Repost App is one of the many websites you can use. And using it is as straightforward as using the apps. Copy the URL of the post, paste it to the field on the website, and click the Download button.
Download Instagram Photos Using a Browser's Development Tools
You don't have to use third-party services if you are tech-savvy. You can use a browser's development tools to save a photo to your device.
The browser needs to download images first before it can display them. So, if you can find the image there, you can save it without the help of a third party. We highly recommend that you use this method because it's risk-free.
Open Instagram on a computer browser and go to the page where you can see the image you want to download. For most web browsers, right-clicking a white space and clicking “Inspect” should open the development tools. You can also press F12 on your Windows PC.
Go to the Network tab and select Images or IMG. Find the image you want to download on the list. There are small previews you can use as a guide. Right-click it when you find it and select “Open in new tab.”
A new tab will open in your browser with the photo in the same size it is available on Instagram. Right-click that and select “Save Image.” And there you go.
Please remember that it's best to ask for permission before downloading someone else's photo. If you can't, ensure you are not using it in any way that profits you. You can use it as a lock screen or wallpaper and nothing more.
Date: October 27, 2022 / Categories: Tips, / Author: Rich Drees
