How To Download IG Data: Take Control of Your IG History

Everywhere you go online, there are whispers and conspiracy theories about social platforms trying to steal your data. That’s why there are talks of banning TikTok—people are worried it might be spyware. 

But some platforms, like Instagram, don’t want their users to feel scared. Instead, it gives everyone full access to the data it collects, even giving users a chance to download their info. In this guide, we’ll show you step-by-step how to download IG data.

What Kind of Information Do You See in Your IG Data Download?

Instagram’s data download feature allows any user on the platform to download specific information about their account. The platform does this to give its users the utmost transparency about the type of information it collects.

To access your Instagram data, all you have to do is send the platform a download request. Then, Instagram takes some time to extract that data from their servers. Finally, they send a download link to your email address, allowing you to save and sift through the files.

But what kind of information are users privy to when downloading their data on Instagram? Here are just some of them that you can look through once you have your data files:

• Content you’ve uploaded onto your feed and on Threads
• Your Instagram search history
• Comments you’ve left on other people’s posts
• Posts you’ve saved and liked
• Data on monetization programs you’ve made money from
• Direct messages and chats you’ve had with other users
• Fundraisers you’ve donated money to
• Interactions on Instagram Stories stickers
• Your full list of followers and people you’re following
• Autofill information the app keeps for easier log-in for your account
• Personal information you provided when you signed up for Instagram
• Your contacts that you’ve integrated with the platform

Downloading these bits of information is super important if you want to know exactly what Instagram knows about you. Plus, looking through them gives you a better idea of how your content performs and how you personally use Instagram. Having a firm grasp of these will allow you to make better decisions for your content and social media habits.

How To Download IG Data Step by Step

Ready to see all your social media activity and personal information stored on the Instagram servers? Here’s a detailed tutorial on how to download data on IG on your mobile app:

1. On the Instagram home screen, tap the profile icon on the bottom-right of the screen.
2. Tap the three horizontal lines at the top of your profile.
3. Click on Accounts Center.
4. Under “Account Settings,” tap Your information and permissions.
5. Choose Download your information.
6. Tap Download or transfer information.
7. Select whether you want to download all your information or just some of it.
8. If you select the latter, tick the boxes on the next page to choose which information you want to download. Then, hit Next.
9. Choose between downloading the file through a link via email or transferring it to another destination, like Google Drive.
10. If you choose to download the file, double-check your email address. This is where you’ll be notified that the download link is ready. If it’s all good, tap Create files.
11. Wait for Instagram’s email to arrive. If it doesn’t appear in your inbox, check the spam folder.
12. When you have the email, click the link and wait for the ZIP file to download on your device.
13. Unzip the files and go through all the data inside!

Alternative Ways To Download Your Instagram History

Don’t have access to the Accounts Center right now? Here are a few other alternatives for how to download data from IG.

Use Third-Party Websites To Download Your Content

Save copies of your photos and videos using third-party apps that let you download them straight to your device! There are plenty of reputable photo downloaders and even Reels downloaders online. Just choose one that you trust.

The process of downloading content from these tools is pretty simple. Just copy the URL of the post you want to download from the app or your browser’s address bar. Paste it into the third-party tool, and download away!

Download Your Instagram Stories Straight From the Archive

Want to save your Story content, too? Download it directly from the Instagram Story archive on your profile! In your archive, you can scroll back to your Stories from years ago. Then, just hit the “Save” button to download them to your device.

Use Browser Extensions and Tools To See Follower Data

If it’s your follower list that you want to download, try using a third-party IG follower export tool. These come in the form of browser extensions, apps, and websites. These tools can extract a comprehensive list of your followers and other valuable information about your fanbase. It’s awesome for gathering insights on your top fans, unfollowers, ghost followers, and more!

Screenshot Photos and Screen-Record Reels

When all else fails, manually taking screenshots and screen recordings of photos and videos on Instagram isn’t a bad option. Just crop the photos and trim the video recordings, et voila! Now, you have copies of your original pictures and videos on Instagram saved directly to your device.

Use Your Data To Improve and Boost Your IG Presence Moving Forward!

Now that you can access your Instagram data, you can use it to boost your growth on the platform. Discover topics you’re passionate about when scrolling through the app. Hash out what topics you and your fans discuss over DM. Do an audit of your online behaviors. Then, use those valuable insights to create better content and build healthier social media habits.

Although it’s good to know how to download IG data, you can’t rely on it for all your Instagram growth. Sure, you get cool bits of information from it. But it doesn’t directly provide rich, actionable insights on how to grow your page. For that, you’ll need the help of a reputable growth service like Path Social.

We promote your content to the right people to boost your engagement and get you more followers. We’ve done it for thousands of influencers, like Terrell Conyers, who we helped grow by over 29,000 fans. Launch yourself into Instagram superstardom and get more followers with Path Social!

Frequently Asked Questions