# How to Download Your Instagram Data

To download your Instagram data, open Settings, then Accounts Center (some accounts now see Meta Account), then Your information and permissions, then Export your information, and create an export to your device.

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**16 October 2026** Published

**3 min** Read

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**To download your Instagram data, open Settings, then Accounts Center (some accounts now see Meta Account), then Your information and permissions, then Export your information, and create an export to your device.** You choose the categories, a date range, HTML or JSON, and the media quality. Instagram emails you when it’s ready, and the file stays available for 4 days.

The export includes your posts, messages, comments, likes, saved items, followers and following lists, and search history. This hub covers how to request it, what’s inside, and the guides for each part of your data. Every other Instagram guide starts from [how to search on Instagram](/blog/instagram-search/how-to-search-on-instagram/).

## How Do You Export Your Instagram Data?

**You export your data from the Export your information tool in Accounts Center.** Instagram documents the path on its help page for exporting your information ([Instagram Help Center](https://help.instagram.com/181231772500920)). Listed below are the 7 steps.

1.  **Tap** your profile picture, then the menu (three lines).
2.  **Tap** **Accounts Center** at the top of Settings, or **Meta Account** if that’s what you see.
3.  **Tap** **Your information and permissions**.
4.  **Tap** **Export your information**, then **Create export**.
5.  **Choose** your Instagram profile and **Export to device**.
6.  **Pick** the information to include, a date range, a format and the media quality.
7.  **Tap** **Start export** and confirm your password if asked.

## Should You Choose HTML or JSON?

**Choose HTML to read your data in a browser, and JSON to analyse it in a spreadsheet or with code.** HTML opens as linked pages, starting from an index file. JSON keeps the structure, such as timestamps and usernames in separate fields, which makes it easy to compare follower lists or count your activity.

## How Long Does an Instagram Data Export Take?

**Small exports are often ready within hours, but large ones can take days; once ready, you have 4 days to download it from the Available downloads section before it expires** (Instagram Help Center). Choosing a shorter date range or fewer categories speeds it up. The full answer is in [how long does an Instagram data export take](/blog/instagram-data/export-time/).

## What’s Included in Your Instagram Data?

**Your export holds your own content and activity, grouped into folders by category.** The table lists the parts people look for most.

| Category | What you’ll find | Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Your content | Posts, reels, stories, profile photos | How to find archived posts, old stories and highlights |
| Messages | Your direct message history | How to find messages on Instagram |
| Likes and comments | Posts you liked, comments you made | How to find posts you liked and comments you made |
| Saved items | Your saved posts and collections | How to find saved posts and reels on Instagram |
| Connections | Followers and following lists | How to see who unfollowed you on Instagram |
| Searches | Your search history | How to clear Instagram search history |

Instagram notes that some information you’ve deleted may be kept temporarily for safety and security purposes but won’t appear in your download (Instagram Help Center). That’s why the export rarely brings back deleted messages; see [how to find deleted messages on Instagram](/blog/instagram-data/deleted-messages/). TikTok has its own export, covered in [how to download your TikTok data](/blog/tiktok-data/download-your-data/).

## More Guides to Your Instagram Data

**Each part of your data has its own guide.** Listed below are the rest.

-   [How to find recently deleted posts and stories on Instagram](/blog/instagram-data/recently-deleted/)
-   [How to see your Instagram watch history](/blog/instagram-data/watch-history/)
-   [How to see and reset your Instagram algorithm](/blog/instagram-data/your-algorithm/)
-   [What data does Instagram collect about you](/blog/instagram-data/what-data-instagram-collects/)
-   [How much mobile data does Instagram use](/blog/instagram-data/mobile-data-usage/)

## How Do Apps Access Your Instagram Data?

**Third-party apps can only access a professional account’s data through Meta’s official API with permission; personal accounts lost official API access when Meta shut down the Basic Display API on December 4, 2024.** What the official API allows is covered in [Instagram API in 2026](/blog/instagram-api/instagram-api-guide/). Public profiles and posts are different: anyone can see them, which is why a private account is the main way to limit what others can collect.

## Questions people ask

### Does the Instagram data download include messages?

Yes, if you include messages in the categories you select.

### Can you download someone else's Instagram data?

No, the export only covers your own account.

### Why didn't I get my Instagram data email?

Check Available downloads in Export your information; the file appears there even if the email doesn't arrive.

### Can you download your Instagram data on a computer?

Yes, through Accounts Center on instagram.com in a browser.

## More on your Instagram data

-   [How Long Does an Instagram Data Export Take? What makes Instagram data exports slow, how to speed them up, where to download them within 4 days, and what to do if one never arrives.](/blog/instagram-data/export-time/)
-   [How to Find Deleted Messages on Instagram What can and can't be recovered after deleting or unsending Instagram messages, and how to avoid losing messages again.](/blog/instagram-data/deleted-messages/)
-   [How to See Posts You Liked and Comments on Instagram Find posts you liked and comments you made in Your activity, unlike in bulk, and get older history from your data download.](/blog/instagram-data/liked-posts/)
-   [How to Find Saved Posts and Reels on Instagram Find your saved Instagram posts and reels, organise them into collections, and see why saved posts sometimes disappear.](/blog/instagram-data/saved-posts/)
-   [Find Archived Posts and Old Stories on Instagram Find your Instagram archive, old stories and highlights, unarchive posts, add stories to highlights, and fix an empty archive.](/blog/instagram-data/archived-posts/)
-   [How to See Your Instagram Watch History Find reels you watched in Instagram's Watch history, use likes, saves and your data download as backups, and keep reels you want.](/blog/instagram-data/watch-history/)
-   [What Data Does Instagram Collect About You? What Meta's Privacy Policy says Instagram collects, what it's used for, how to see your data, and the settings that limit collection.](/blog/instagram-data/what-data-instagram-collects/)
-   [How Much Mobile Data Does Instagram Use? Why Instagram uses so much mobile data, how to check your real usage, and the settings and habits that cut it.](/blog/instagram-data/mobile-data-usage/)
-   [How to Find Messages on Instagram (Hidden Requests) Find Instagram DMs, message requests and hidden requests, search your chats, and see why a message seems to have vanished.](/blog/instagram-data/find-messages/)
-   [Find Recently Deleted Posts and Stories on Instagram Restore deleted Instagram posts, reels and stories from Recently deleted, with the 30-day and 24-hour limits explained.](/blog/instagram-data/recently-deleted/)
-   [How to See and Reset Your Instagram Algorithm Use Your Algorithm to see and edit the topics shaping your feed, or reset suggested content to start fresh across Feed, Reels and Explore.](/blog/instagram-data/your-algorithm/)

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