How To Download Instagram Story Posts for Memory-Keeping

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Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | Aug 16, 2024

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Instagram Stories are awesome to watch if you want to see casual, candid life updates from friends and family. However, the thing is, these vertical photo and video posts disappear forever after 24 hours. So, how do you see Stories you have loved again? Here’s one tip that will let you watch Stories over and over: download Instagram Story posts straight to your device.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll teach you how to save Instagram Stories, whether they are yours or another user’s. Strap in because we’re about to show you all our tricks for getting a copy of your fave Story content. Let’s get started!

Someone in a crowd holding up their mobile phone to record a video of an onstage performance.

Reasons You Might Want To Do an Instagram Story Download

Social Pilot reports that a whopping 70% of users watch Story content daily. So, there are many reasons why someone might try to download video Stories from Instagram to their personal device. These include:

  •  Keeping copies of photos and videos for memory-keeping after they expire, especially for Stories tied to sentimental moments and milestones
  • Gathering cool content you stumble upon on the app to use as inspo when you craft your own Story posts
  • Analyzing the Story content of your brand’s top competitors
  •  Watching videos even when you’re not connected to the internet

Can you relate to any of the motivations above? If so, keep reading to learn exactly how you can do an IG Story download.

Three friends in matching outfits smiling and laughing while watching a video together on one of their phones.

Save Someone’s Post: How To Download a Story Video From Instagram to Your Device

Want to keep a copy of someone else’s Stories on your camera roll to watch again and again later? Here are two of our tricks for how to download a Story video from Instagram.

1. Use a Trusted Third-Party Instagram Story Downloader

The easiest way to save someone’s Story content is by using a third-party Instagram Story downloader. These handy tools allow you to download someone else’s Stories straight to your device. This gives you a chance to access their posts even after they expire when they hit the 24-hour mark.

What’s awesome about these Story downloader tools is that they’re absolutely anonymous. They don’t typically ask you for your Instagram username and password. All they need is the handle of the user whose Stories you want or perhaps a Story link. Then, they get the download links for you, no questions asked.

Just make sure that you choose a trustworthy third-party IG Story downloader for the task. One that we highly recommend is the downloader tool on SaveFrom.Net. Using this tool is super simple. Here’s how:

1. On the website, enter the username of the user whose Stories you want to download. Alternatively, you can paste their profile link.

2. Click Download.

3. Go through the video and photo Stories on the list that appears. Click Download photo or Download video under the ones you want to save. This will prompt a download to start on your device.

2. Screen Record Somebody’s Story Content

Feeling iffy about using a third-party downloader to save someone’s Stories? You can always do something simpler and screen-record their Story content. This allows you to keep a copy of their content without ever leaving the Instagram app.

And you don’t have to worry about them finding out you screen-recorded their Story. Instagram doesn’t notify users when other people do that.

Note, however, that this method is far from perfect. It can be difficult to catch the exact videos or photos you want to capture in your screen recording. Then, you’ll have to trim your final recording. Plus, your recording will include their username, the direct message field at the bottom, and the like and share buttons. But if you don’t mind the clutter, this method is perfect.

A flashing red neon sign that says “RECORDING.”

How To Download Instagram Stories From Your Own Account

While you must be resourceful and use third-party tools to download other people’s Stories, it’s much easier for your own. Instagram has a couple of in-app features that let users keep a copy of their Story content.

Do you love your masterpiece Story and want to save it on your phone? Here’s how to download Instagram Stories from your own page straight to your device.

Manually Save Them: How To Download Instagram Story With Audio

Instagram allows users to manually save their own Story content. What’s fantastic about downloading your Stories straight from Instagram is that they maintain their quality, from visual to audio quality. So, here’s how to download Instagram Stories with audio quality intact using the app’s built-in feature:

1. Open the Instagram app and open your current Story.

2. Click the three dots at the bottom of the screen labeled More.

Path Social’s screenshot of an IG Story with a pin box and arrow highlighting the “More” button.

3. Tap Save.

Path Social’s screenshot of an IG Story’s options menu with a pink box highlighting the “Save” button.

4. Choose Save photo/video if you want to save just that specific post. If you want the entire Story, tap Save Story to download a video compilation of all your current Story posts. These downloads will show up on your camera roll.

Path Social’s screenshot of an IG Story’s “Save” options asking whether to save the photo or the whole Story.

By the way, this method isn’t just limited to active Stories on their profile. You can also do it for Stories in your IG archive and any Highlight Story on your page.

Turn on the ‘Save Story to Camera Roll’ Feature on IG

Another easy way to save all your Story content to your camera roll is turning on automatic Story downloads. This prompts Instagram to automatically download every Story you post straight to your phone. Here’s how you can turn on this setting, step by step:

1. On the Instagram app, go to your profile.

2. Click the three horizontal lines (aka the hamburger menu) at the top of the screen.

3. Scroll to the “Your app and media” section and tap Archiving and downloading.

Path Social’s screenshot of an IG account’s personal settings with a pink box highlighting “Archiving and downloading.”

4. Switch on the toggle for Save Story to Camera Roll.

Path Social’s screenshot of an IG’s archiving settings highlighting the toggle for saving Stories to the camera roll.

And that’s it—easy peasy! Now, every time you publish a Story, it goes straight to your device gallery, too.

How To Download Private Instagram Stories: Is It Possible?

Wondering how to download private Instagram Stories from someone with a locked profile? Well, sorry to disappoint, but it’s not possible to do that.

Instagram takes user privacy very seriously. When an account is in private mode, there’s no way to fetch data on their current Story content. So, it’s impossible for even the best Story downloader tools to pull up those posts and let you download them.

Sure, this is super frustrating, but that’s just how private accounts on Instagram were designed. It’s important to respect other people’s decisions to keep their accounts locked so strangers won’t have access to their content.

If All Else Fails, Just Ask the Original Poster for a Copy of Their Stories

Sure, this is a little embarrassing. But asking the Story’s original poster for a copy of their content is a no-brainer if you desperately need it.

Some users might even appreciate the straightforwardness. It tells them you’re not sneaking around behind their backs using downloader tools to save their content without their permission. So, don’t be shy. Slide into their direct messages and ask if they’re willing to share a copy of their Story posts with you.

Just make sure to thoroughly and honestly explain why you need that piece of content. Introduce yourself politely first. Then, disclose whether you’re using it for a project, as inspo for your own posts, or just because it’s entertaining. Fingers crossed, they’re generous enough to share their post with you!

Two women smiling while looking at something on a phone together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I save my entire Instagram Story?

Yes, you can save your entire Story all at once without downloading each photo and video individually. To do that, select the Save Story option when the app asks how you want to save your content. Instagram collates all your currently active Story content into one video, which then appears in your camera roll.

Is an Instagram Story saver safe?

Yes, Story downloader tools are generally quite safe. Many of them only ask for the username of the person whose Stories you want to download. Since they don’t ask you for your Instagram login credentials, they’re low-risk when it comes to hacks and Instagram suspensions.

Just make sure to do thorough research about the Story downloader you choose. It should be reputable and have tons of reviews from other people to prove that it’s safe and legit.

Will people find out if I download their Story using a third-party app?

No. When you download someone’s Story, there’s no way for them to know. The third-party app you use is in charge of fetching the data from their page. That means there’s no way to trace anything back to you. So, relax—they won’t think you’re an Instagram stalker!

Focus on Your Own IG Stories and Grow Your Page With Path Social!

There are many ways to save Stories to your device. You can download your own Stories straight from Instagram. Meanwhile, handy third-party Story downloader tools will be your best friend for saving other people’s content.

It can be quite addicting to download Instagram Story content from other people’s pages. But don’t allow yourself to get caught up in that. It’s more important to focus on your own Story content and make sure it reaches the right audience. Path Social can be your secret weapon for that.

Over the years, Path Social has developed proprietary targeting tools to promote your page to your niche target audience. We ensure your brand’s feed and Story content reaches the right people every time. As a result, you’ll get engaged fans that fall under your target market. Boost your Instagram presence and gain more followers today with Path Social!