- Saving your own Instagram photos to your phone as you post
- Downloading all your Instagram photos with an information export
- How long an Instagram photo export takes to arrive
- Saving someone else's Instagram photo for yourself
- Respecting copyright when you save Instagram pictures
- If Instagram photos won't save or download
- Frequently asked questions
To download your own Instagram photos, use Export your information in Accounts Center and choose Export to device, or turn on Save original photos so each new post is copied to your phone. Instagram's help describes saving other people's posts only with Save, inside the app.
Two very different people search for this. One has photos on Instagram that they no longer have anywhere else, perhaps product shots, a holiday or a client project, and wants copies safe on their own device. The other wants to save a picture someone else posted. Instagram's Help Centre answers the first question well and is deliberately limited on the second, so I'll be straight about both.
Everything here comes from Instagram's own help pages. I haven't included any third-party downloader, because Instagram doesn't recommend them and they put your login at risk.
Saving your own Instagram photos to your phone as you post
Instagram has a setting that keeps a copy of each photo in your phone's library the moment you post it. On the Instagram app for iPhone, the steps are:
- Tap your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile.
- Tap Menu in the top right.
- Below Your app and media, tap Archiving and downloading.
- Tap the toggle next to Save original photos to turn it on.
Instagram says that with Save original photos, or Save original posts on some devices, turned on, every photo you post on Instagram will also be saved to your phone's library. Instagram adds a note for Android: people may see a delay before photos appear in their phone's Instagram photo album. The wording of the setting can differ between iPhone and Android, so look for Save original photos or Save original posts.
This only works going forward. It saves new photos as you share them; it doesn't go back and copy everything you've already posted.
Downloading all your Instagram photos with an information export
For photos you've already posted, the official route is the export tool. Instagram says you can export a copy of your information to your device, and your photos are part of that. You do it from Accounts Center:
- Tap your profile picture in the bottom right, then tap Menu.
- Tap Meta Account, then tap Your information and permissions.
- Tap Export your information, then tap Create export.
- Select the profile you'd like to export from, then tap Next.
- Select Export to device.
- Choose what to include, a date range, the format, the notification email and the media quality.
- Tap Start export.
Instagram describes exporting as a password-protected process that only you have access to. If you can't get into your account but still want a copy of your information, Instagram says you can contact it through its privacy support page.
How long an Instagram photo export takes to arrive
Don't expect it instantly. Instagram says it may take up to 30 days for it to email you an export link, though many are quicker. When your export is ready, you have 4 days to download it from the Available downloads section of the Export your information tool in Accounts Center.
Instagram suggests you check you have enough storage before you choose to download to a device. The types of information and the media quality you select change the size of your files, and files with high quality videos are larger. If you only want your pictures, picking just that one type keeps the file smaller.
| Method | Gets you | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Save original photos | A copy of each new photo as you post it | Keeping future posts safe |
| Export your information | A downloadable copy of your Instagram information | Photos you've already posted |
| Save inside Instagram | A private saved list inside the app | Other people's posts |
Saving someone else's Instagram photo for yourself
Here's the honest bit. Instagram's help pages describe a way to save other people's posts inside Instagram, but they don't describe a button that downloads another person's photo to your camera roll.
What Instagram does offer is Save. Tap Save below a post, from your feed or from a profile, and it goes into a private section of your profile. Instagram says only you can see the posts you've saved, and the person who made the post can't tell that you saved it.
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- Tap Save below the post. For a reel, tap Options and then Save.
- To sort saves, tap and hold Save, then pick an existing collection or tap New collection.
- To find them later, go to your profile, tap Menu and tap Saved below How you use Instagram.
That gives you a lasting reference for inspiration, a competitor's style or ideas for your own content, all without copying anyone's work onto your phone.
When you export, location details attached to posts come along too, so you may want to read how to turn off Instagram location for future posts. And if you have more than one profile, checking whether you already have an Instagram account helps you export from the right one.
Respecting copyright when you save Instagram pictures
Because a photo is easy to save doesn't mean it's free for you to reuse. If you want to repost a photographer's picture, a customer's picture or another brand's picture, ask the person and credit them. Instagram has a reporting route for intellectual property, which shows how seriously it takes the question, and a report of that kind isn't anonymous.
As a rule, I'd only copy files you own, export your own information, and use Save for everything else. That keeps you clear of awkward conversations with people whose work you borrowed.
If Instagram photos won't save or download
- Check the Save original photos or Save original posts setting is switched on.
- Make sure your phone has enough storage, since Instagram flags storage for exports.
- On Android, allow a short delay before photos appear in the phone's Instagram album.
- Update the app, restart your phone and try Wi-Fi and mobile data in turn, as Instagram suggests for any app problem.
- Never enter your Instagram password into a site that promises to download photos for you. Anyone offering a shortcut to get into an account is a risk.
Frequently asked questions
How do I download my own photos from Instagram?
Use Export your information in Accounts Center: tap Create export, select your profile, choose Export to device, pick what to include and tap Start export.
How do I automatically save my Instagram photos to my phone?
Go to Menu, tap Archiving and downloading, and switch on Save original photos. Instagram says every photo you post will then also be saved to your phone's library.
How long does an Instagram data download take?
Instagram says it may take up to 30 days to email an export link. When it's ready, you have 4 days to download it.
Can I download someone else's Instagram photo?
Instagram's help pages describe saving a post inside Instagram with Save, not downloading another person's photo. Saved posts are visible only to you.
Will the person know I saved their post?
No. Instagram says that when you save someone's post, they're not able to tell.
