How To Download Instagram Photos from a PC

Instagram is an ideal platform for relishing stunning images and entertaining videos. But when it comes to saving photos, especially those posted by other Instagrammers, you’ll likely find that it’s not supported. However, there’s always a way where there is a will, and we have the workaround.

Read on to learn how to save Instagram photos to your PC and various devices, whether you posted them or not.

How to Download Instagram Photos on a Windows PC

There are at least two options to save Instagram photos and videos: by using the source details or via Dev Tools in Chrome. These are the steps to save an Instagram photo via the view source method. To use the Dev Tools, check out the “How to Save Your Instagram Photos and Videos Using Dev Tools” section further down.

Note: Ensure you have the creator’s permission or copyright before downloading images.

1. Go to Instagram.com and sign in to your account. Select the photo you wish to save to your PC.
   
2. Click on the three-dotted menu, then select “Go to post.”
   
3. Right-click it, then choose “View Page Source.”
   
4. Use hotkey “Ctrl + F” then type .jpg in the search box.
   
5. Find the first link, including the .jpg suffix, and copy it.
   
6. Paste the URL into the address bar of a new web page.
   
7. Now right-click the photo, then choose “Save Image As….”
   

The image will download to your PC’s local storage.

How to Download Instagram Photos on a Mac

You can save Instagram photos and videos to your Mac with the source details or use the Dev Tools in Chrome. To use the latter method, scroll down to the “How to Save Your Instagram Photos and Videos Using Dev Tools” section. Follow these steps to save a photo to your Mac using its source information.

Note: Always remember to get the creator’s permission, legal right, or copyright to download photos or images.

1. Visit Instagram.com and sign in to your account.
   
2. Choose the photo you wish to save.
   
3. Click on the menu icon, then choose “Go to post.”
   
4. Right-click on it, then select “View Page Source.”
   
5. Use hotkey “Cmd + F” then enter .jpg in the search box.
   
6. Copy the first link with the .jpg suffix.
   
7. Open a new web page and paste the URL into the address bar.
   
8. Right-click the photo, then select “Save Image As….”
   

The photo will save to your Mac’s storage.

How to Download Instagram Photos on a Chromebook

Photos and videos can be saved by getting the source details or using Dev Tools in Chrome. For steps on downloading Instagram photos and videos, scroll down to check out the “How to Save Your Instagram Photos and Videos Using Dev Tools” section. Next up, we’ll show you how to obtain the source details to download a photo to your Chromebook.

Note: Always remember to get permission or copyright before downloading photos and videos on Instagram.

1. Sign in to your Instagram.com account.
   
2. Go to the photo you want to save.
   
3. Click on the three dot icon, then select “Go to post.” Right-click the photo, then choose “View Page Source.”
   
4. Press “Ctrl + F” to access the search, then type .jpg into the box. Copy the first link with the .jpg suffix.
   
5. Paste the URL into the address bar of a new web page. Right-click the photo, then select “Save Image As….”

The image will download to your Chromebook’s local storage.

How to Save Your Instagram Photos and Videos Using Dev Tools

Here, we’ll take you through the steps to save photos and videos using Dev Tools in the Chrome browser on your PC. Remember to get the owner’s permission first.

1. Open Chrome, then visit Instagram.com. Sign in to your account and find the photo you want to save.
   
2. Right-click on it, then from the bottom of the popup, select “Inspect.”
   
3. Click on the photo, then click on the chevrons displayed in the “Dev Tools” main menu next to the “Sources” option.
4. Select “Network” in the popup menu.
   
5. Then from the second menu, choose the “Img” (images) option found between the “CSS” and “Media” options, then refresh the page. The file names of all displayed images will be listed under the “Name” section.
   
6. Click on the file names to display each image to confirm the one you wish to download.
   
7. Right-click on the image file name, then select “Open in new tab.”
   
8. Right-click on the image, then choose “Save image as….”
   

The image will save to the location you choose. To keep a video, follow these steps.

1. Open your profile and go to the video.
   
2. Click on it to open it, then refresh the page.
   
3. From “Dev tools,” click on the “Media” option found between “Img” and “Font.”
   
4. The video file name will be displayed under the “Name” section. If it isn’t, try playing the video.
   
5. Right-click the video link, then select “Open in a new tab.”
   
6. Right-click on the video and choose “Save as….”
   

The video will save on your computer.

How to Save Posts on Instagram

Another way of revisiting the fabulous posts you’ve found is by creating an Instagram collection. Here’s how to set up and use the collections feature via your mobile.

1. Sign in to your account and press the home button.
   
2. Find the post you want to save, then tap the ribbon icon beneath it.
   

This will add the post to a private section of your profile, where your saved posts are found. Your fellow Instagramers will be notified whenever you save their post.

You can create a collection to save posts by topic or theme; here’s how.

1. Long press the ribbon icon beneath the post to create the collection.
   
2. Add a name for the collection, then “Done.”
   

Now the next time you go to save something, select one of the collections you’ve previously created, or start a new collection from the “Save to” screen by tapping the plus sign.

To access your saved posts:

1. Go to your profile.
   
2. Tap on the hamburger icon in the top right.
   
3. Tap “Saved,” then choose the collection you want to see.
   

Anything saved in your collection is private.

To remove saved posts:

1. Tap the ribbon beneath the post.
   
2. Select “Remove from Collection” or “Remove” to delete it from your saved posts entirely.
   

The ribbon will change from black to white to confirm the removal.

How to Hold on to the Best of Instagram

Instagram is packed with stunning visuals and entertaining videos, and coming across impressive posts you want to keep forever is a given. However, the platform does not offer a dedicated feature to download photos and videos easily. If you want to keep specific posts, you can obtain the file source details or use Dev Tools in Chrome on your computer.

Be sure to get the permission you need before downloading other creator’s content. If you don’t want to go through the hassle, you can always create a collection of your favorite photos and videos. Not quite the same as having it saved to your personal device, but it offers a quick way to revisit your favorite posts.

What kind of Instagram posts do you enjoy the most? Tell us about some of the posts you wanted to keep in the comments section below.