Instagram – as you probably know – stores a ton of personal data about you as a user. From your posts, stories and messages to interests and usage stats, Instagram collects it all to personalize ads and recommendations in their app.
But did you know you can actually access almost all of that Instagram data yourself? Being able to download a copy can be useful for:
- Backing up your Instagram memories
- Analyzing your usage over time
- Switching to alternative platforms
- And more based on your needs
So if you want to know exactly what Instagram knows about you (which is a bit creepy now that I think about it!), let‘s get into how you can download all your Instagram data. I‘ll overview what‘s included, walk through the step-by-step process on mobile and desktop, and cover any questions you might have along the way.
Overview: Your Instagram Data Vault
When you request your personal data from Instagram (or any tech platform), you trigger a process where their systems bundle up everything they have stored about you into one file.
In Instagram‘s case, that includes:
- Your profile info
- Handle, bio, website, profile/cover photos
- All your shared posts
- Feed posts, stories, highlights, reels
- Engagement on posts
- Likes, comments, views, saves, shares
- Archived, deleted and hidden posts
- Your media library
- Uploaded photos and videos
- Contacts and follows
- Followers, following, close friends
- Messages
- Chats, group messages
- Activity logs
- Searches, views, clicks
- And more!
It‘s pretty insane how much data Instagram sucks up from daily usage that we don‘t even realize.
Having access lets you analyze your usage, spot trends, back up memories, or audit Instagram‘s data practices.
So what can you actually do with an Instagram data download?
- Review memories and archives important posts
- Analyze usage and engagements over time
- Back up photos and videos from your library
- Audit inappropriate data collection
- Export data to alternative platforms
- Investigate security issues
- …Plus lots more based on your needs!
Next let‘s get into how to download all this data from Instagram quickly and easily.
Step-by-Step: Downloading Your Instagram Data
Instagram makes it simple to request your personal data. You can access the download tool right in the app and desktop site.
I‘ll cover the process on both mobile and desktop step-by-step.
On the Instagram mobile app
- Tap your profile picture
- Open the menu ⋮ and choose Settings
- Select Security then Download Data
- Enter your email to send the download link
- Check your email for the link when ready!
Things to note:
- Takes up to 48 hours to prepare
- Download link expires in 4 days
- You can request a fresh download whenever
And that‘s it! Very quick on mobile.
The advantage with desktop is easier file organization and transfers.
On the Instagram website
You can also access your data download right from Instagram‘s desktop site:
- Go to instagram.com and login
- Click your profile picture then Edit Profile
- Select Privacy and Security
- Choose Data Download, enter your email
- Check email for the download link!
Again very straightforward to submit the request on the website.
Now let‘s talk about actually accessing those files Instagram sends over.
Working With Your Downloaded Data
Once you request your download, Instagram takes about 48 hours to compile and process all your personal data (a bit creepy to think about!).
Then they email a link to a zipped folder containing all your Instagram data split into JSON files.
So how do you access and use these data files?
- Download the zip folder to your computer
- Unzip the folder to access the data files
- Use a JSON viewer to make the data readable
- Recover your photos, videos or other media
- Export file types like images and videos
- Analyze the data – engagements, usage stats, etc.
There are also specialized apps that help import, visualize and analyze Instagram data. We‘ll cover some options later.
Analyzing Your Instagram Data
Now that you have access to your personal data, what can you actually do with it? Here are some ideas:
- See overall usage statistics and trends
- Review engagements by post, follower, hashtag etc.
- Audit inappropriate data collection by Instagram
- Back up your photos and videos
- Identify changes needed in how you use Instagram
For example, you could analyze peak posting times based on when your posts get the most likes and comments each week.
Or chart your follower growth over time. Or uncovered cached images you already deleted!
Here are some top services for visualizing Instagram analytics:
| Service | Key Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
| SocialInsider | Usage graphs, best post analyics, visual data | $9+/mo |
| Iconosquare | In-depth histograms and graphs | $9+/mo |
| SocialReport | Clean data tables, CSV exports | $29+/mo |
The capabilities get pretty advanced with some developer know-how. But even reviewing your basic data can provide interesting insights!
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
Phew, that was a lot of info to cover! Let‘s recap:
- Instagram stores tons of personal data from posts, messages, clicks, views, interests and more
- You can download all that Instagram data for backups, analysis, auditing etc.
- Requesting your data download is simple on mobile and desktop
- But actually using the downloaded data files takes some work
- Specialized apps help visualize Instagram analytics
So now you‘re an expert on getting any and all data Instagram has about you!
Take some time to review what‘s in your downloaded files. You may be surprised just how much data Instagram sucks up from daily app use.
And as always, drop me a comment below if you have any other questions!
