Guide
How to download Instagram photos
Published · Updated
- HD MP4
- Original source quality
- No login required
- 100% free
The short answer
To download an Instagram photo, copy the post's link from the ⋯ menu, paste it into IGDownPro and press Download. You get the full-size JPG Instagram stores — typically 1080 pixels on the long edge — rather than the cropped, compressed copy a screenshot produces.
Why a screenshot is not good enough
Screenshotting is the reflex, and it is the wrong tool. A screenshot captures your screen, not the file: you get whatever resolution your display happens to be, cropped to the viewport, with the status bar, the like button and the caption baked into the pixels.
Instagram stores something better. Every photo you see in the feed is a JPG on Instagram’s CDN at up to 1080 pixels on its long edge, and that is the file a downloader requests — no interface elements, no second round of compression, no crop.
There is no in-app way to get at it. Instagram’s bookmark icon saves a reference, not a file, and that reference dies if the creator deletes the post. Saving the JPG is the only way to actually keep the image.
Step-by-step: saving an Instagram photo
Four steps, identical on phone and desktop. Single photos and carousels both work.
Open the photo post
Find the post in the Instagram app or at instagram.com. The account has to be public — private posts are not accessible to any legitimate downloader.
Copy the post link
Tap the ⋯ menu above the post and choose 'Copy link'. On desktop, click ⋯ beneath the post and choose 'Copy link', or copy the URL straight from the address bar.
Paste it into IGDownPro
Open the Instagram Photo Downloader and paste the URL into the input box. Tracking parameters such as ?igsh= are stripped automatically.
Press Download and save the JPG
Every image the post contains appears as a preview card. Click Download beneath the one you want — or use 'Download all' if it is a carousel and you want the set.
Ready to try it? Open the Instagram Photo Downloader and paste your link.
Device-specific notes
Where the file ends up differs by platform — this is the part that trips people up.
iPhone and iPad
- Paste the link into IGDownPro in Safari and press Download.
- Long-press the photo preview and choose “Add to Photos” to save it straight to your camera roll.
- Or use Safari's download arrow, then the share sheet, and choose “Save Image”.
Android
- Paste the link into IGDownPro in Chrome and press Download.
- Long-press the photo and choose “Download image”, or use the Download button on the card.
- The JPG appears in Downloads and, usually, in Google Photos.
Windows, macOS, Linux
- Paste the link into IGDownPro and click Download.
- The JPG saves to your Downloads folder at full stored resolution.
- Right-click the preview and choose “Save image as…” if you prefer to pick the folder.
What resolution you actually get
Instagram resizes on upload and does not retain the camera original, so 1080px on the long edge is the ceiling for feed photos.
| Square posts | 1080 × 1080 JPG. |
|---|---|
| Portrait posts | 1080 × 1350 JPG — the largest Instagram keeps. |
| Landscape posts | 1080 × 566 JPG, depending on the crop. |
| Format | JPG, sRGB, no added watermark. |
No tool can return more than Instagram stores. A downloader advertising “4K Instagram photos” is upscaling — interpolating pixels that were discarded at upload. IGDownPro hands back the stored file untouched, which is as good as it gets.
How to avoid the dangerous downloaders
This is a category full of hostile sites. A few rules will keep you out of trouble.
- Never enter your Instagram login. Downloading a public post requires no authentication whatsoever. A site that asks for your username and password is harvesting accounts, full stop.
- Do not install a browser extension for this. Extensions with permission to read instagram.com can read your session too. A plain website cannot.
- Be wary of .exe or .apk downloads. Saving a file needs no installed software. An installer offer is malware more often than not.
- Ignore “you must allow notifications” gates. That is an ad-spam subscription, not a technical requirement.
- Check the file you got. IGDownPro returns .mp4 video or .jpg image files. If a download arrives as .zip, .exe, .apk or .scr, delete it without opening it.
For a deeper comparison, use our nine-point Instagram downloader safety checklist.
The legal picture
This is a summary for orientation, not legal advice — if the stakes are real, ask a lawyer in your jurisdiction.
Copyright in an Instagram post belongs to whoever created it, not to Instagram and not to you. Instagram’s terms grant the platform a licence to host and display the work; they grant other users nothing beyond viewing it in the app.
Whether a download is permitted depends on the content, purpose and jurisdiction. Public visibility is not permission to reuse a work. Re-uploading, compiling, advertising with or otherwise distributing someone else's post generally requires permission from the rights-holder.
Practical guidance: ask the creator, credit them visibly, and take it down promptly if they object. If you own content that has been downloaded and reposted, our DMCA policy explains how to file a notice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I download an Instagram photo on my iPhone?
Copy the post link, open IGDownPro in Safari and paste it in. After the preview appears, long-press the image and choose 'Add to Photos' — that puts the full-size JPG straight into your camera roll, no Files detour needed.
Is downloading better than screenshotting?
Considerably. A screenshot is limited to your screen's resolution, includes the interface, and re-compresses the image. A download returns the original JPG Instagram stores, uncropped and un-recompressed.
Can I download every photo in a carousel?
Yes. Paste the carousel link and each slide appears as its own card with its own Download button, plus a 'Download all' option to save the whole album in sequence.
Will the person know I saved their photo?
IGDownPro does not use your logged-in Instagram session or interact with the post. The final image is requested by your browser from Instagram's CDN, whose normal network logging may include your IP address and browser information.
Why does my download look smaller than expected?
Because Instagram compressed it at upload. The creator may have posted a 6000px photo, but Instagram stored a 1080px version and discarded the rest. What you download is Instagram's copy, not the creator's master.
Can I download photos from a private account?
No. IGDownPro only works with content that is publicly visible. Private accounts and follower-only posts are out of scope by design, and no legitimate tool will bypass that.
Try it now
Head to the Instagram Photo Downloader and paste a link, or jump to a related tool: carousels, profile or videos.
Prefer to start from the beginning? The Instagram downloader accepts any public link — post, reel, story or profile — and works out which tool it needs.