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How to download your Instagram data (photos and posts)

You can download everything you have posted on Instagram from Accounts Center → Your information and permissions → Export your information. Choose Posts, All time, JSON and the highest media quality. Instagram then emails you a download link, usually within a few hours. The link works for four days.

Before you start

  • It works for every account: personal, private, Creator and Business.
  • Instagram may ask for your password to confirm the request. You type it in Instagram, never on Inbunden.
  • Choose Posts only. The file gets much smaller, and your posts are all Inbunden needs.

On your phone (Instagram app)

  1. Open your profile and the menu

    Tap your profile picture (bottom right), then the menu (☰) top right, then Settings and activity.

  2. Accounts Center

    Tap Accounts Center at the top of the list, then Your information and permissions.

  3. Export your information

    Tap Export your information, then Create export. In older versions of the app this is called Download your information.

  4. Pick your profile and destination

    Select your Instagram profile (untick any Facebook account) and tap Next. Then choose Export to device.

  5. Choose Posts only

    Tap Customize information, untick everything, then tick Posts under Your Instagram activity. Some versions call it Media.

  6. Set the options and start

    Set Date range to All time, Format to JSON and Media quality to the highest option. Check the email address for the notification, then tap Start export. Instagram may ask for your password to confirm.

On a computer (instagram.com)

  1. Open Instagram settings

    Go to instagram.com, click More (bottom of the left sidebar), then Settings.

  2. Accounts Center

    Click Accounts Center, then Your information and permissions in the left column. You can also go straight to accountscenter.instagram.com.

  3. Export your information

    Click Export your information, then Create export. In older versions this is called Download your information.

  4. Pick your profile and destination

    Select only your Instagram profile and click Next. Then choose Export to device.

  5. Choose Posts only

    Click Customize information, untick everything, then tick Posts under Your Instagram activity. Some versions call it Media.

  6. Set the options and start

    Set Date range to All time, Format to JSON and Media quality to the highest option. Click Start export. Instagram may ask for your password to confirm.

Why JSON and the highest quality?

JSON keeps the dates, captions and carousel order in a form software can read reliably. HTML is meant for reading in a browser. The highest media quality gives you the largest copies Instagram has kept, which is what you want in print.

What happens next

Instagram prepares the file and emails you when it is ready. That usually takes a few hours, sometimes a day or two, and officially it can take up to 30 days. The download link only works for four days, so download the ZIP as soon as the email arrives. No email? Check your spam folder, or look under Available downloads in Export your information.

Then upload the ZIP to Inbunden without unpacking it. Inbunden reads the posts straight from the file and shows them grouped by month.

Wrong format, no posts or a link that has expired? See Instagram export problems and how to fix them.

Questions

How long does the Instagram data export take?

Usually a few hours, sometimes a day or two. Instagram says it can take up to 30 days.

Does the export include likes?

No. You get the photos, the caption and the date of every post, but not how many likes each post got. The likes in the export are the ones you gave to other people.

How big is the ZIP?

It depends on how much you have posted. With Posts only it is often a few hundred megabytes to a few gigabytes. Inbunden accepts exports up to 8 GB.

Is it safe to upload my export?

Inbunden reads only the posts in the file. Your photos are kept for 3 months so you can make more books, and you can delete them at any time.

Ready to make yours?

Bring in your photos, pick the ones you want and preview every page before you pay.

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