Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, with a large portion of millennials and Gen Z actively sharing their life moments. However, Instagram can be a great distraction as well, and you might feel like deleting your Instagram account will be better. Whatever might be your reason to quit this platform, you will need your Instagram data for future use. Here are a few easy steps to download Instagram photos, stories & messages of your profile.
How to Download All Your Instagram Data?
If you have downloaded your Facebook profile or page information before, taking Instagram backup of your profile won’t be a tedious task. Let's dive into the steps to download Instagram photos, stories & messages.
- Open Instagram, and Log into your account.
- Click on "Edit Profile" and then click on Privacy and Security.
- You will be directed to a new page where you will find a Data Download tab, if you scroll down. Click on the Request Download option.
- You need to enter your email Id and password for security purpose. Then, click the Request Download button again. You will be directed to a page that states that your download has been requested, and it might take up to 48 hours to complete your request.
- Within two days, you will receive a mail from Instagram with a download link to your profile data.
- You need to log in to your Instagram account once again, and then you will be able to access and download your profile information. You might receive multiple ZIP files containing your data, depending upon the size of the content on your profile.
- Each ZIP file will consist of various folders that contain your photos, videos, comments, messages, and stories. You can then store this data at a safe location.
Where to save your data?
You have downloaded your profile data and have access to all the stores, images, videos, comments, and messages. What if you lose it all again? Though requesting a download is easy, it is time-consuming. In case of sudden data loss, you will end up in an obscuring predicament if the information you have is vital. We can postulate several permutations and combinations, but losing your data is the last thing you want to encounter.
Therefore, it is essential to make an Instagram backup at a secure and accessible place. The best options you can choose for backing up your data are:
- External drive
- Cloud storage
- Syncing Service
Let's briefly discuss these backup methods.
External Drive
External drive refers to a storage that is not a part of your device system. Some standard external drive storage options include USB drive, hard disk, CD drives, etc. Moreover, if you want a more secure way to save your data into external drives, you can use Time Machine as well.
However, the drawbacks of storing data in external drives are:
- Increased storage costs
- Prone to physical damage
- Limited storage
Cloud Storage
Cloud storage is an advanced, more accessible, and quicker way of storing data. If you back up Instagram photos on the cloud, you can access them anywhere, anytime, and on any device. Cloud backups are more cost-effective, accessible, and shareable.
However, the only concern with cloud storage is data security. When you use cloud servers, you are relying on a third-party service to take care of your data's safety and accessibility. Moreover, your data is stored online and is vulnerable to cyber attacks as well.
Syncing Services
Syncing services work in a similar fashion of cloud providers but provide fewer features and storage and security features. A syncing service helps you upload your information on an online server, enabling you to store your data on the web. If you suffer data loss, you can download and access your data from the syncing service. Some popular syncing services include:
- OneDrive
- Dropbox
- Mega
However, syncing services are not as advanced as cloud services, and are prone to disaster data loss.
Wrapping It Up
The process to download Instagram photos and other profile information is easy; you can follow these simple steps to download Instagram photos, stories & messages mentioned above to save your data and store it to access whenever required. However, it is essential to store your information in the right place to ensure you don't face any data loss problems.
