How to Save Instagram Photos: Collections, Downloads and Exports

Three different kinds of "saving"

People mean different things when they ask how to save an Instagram photo, and Instagram handles each one differently:

How to save a post to your Saved folder

On iPhone and Android

1. Find the post in your feed or on a profile.
2. Tap Save (the bookmark icon) below the post.
3. For a reel, tap Options (three dots) and then tap Save.

The post is added to a private section of your profile. The account that shared it isn't notified.

On a computer

On instagram.com, click the Save bookmark icon below a post. Saved posts sync across the app and the website because they're tied to your account, not your device.

How to organize saved photos into collections

Collections work like folders: one for recipes, one for outfit ideas, one for photography inspiration.

Save straight into a collection

1. Press and hold Save below a post.
2. Pick an existing collection, or tap New collection to create one.

Create a collection from your Saved folder

1. Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right.
2. Tap Menu in the top right.
3. Below How you use Instagram, tap Saved.
4. Tap New collection in the top right.
5. Name the collection and tap Next.
6. Tap the saved posts you want to include, then tap Save.

You can rename a collection, remove posts from it or delete it later. Instagram also offers collaborative collections that friends can add to, which is handy for group trip planning. If you're collecting ideas for your own shoots, our guide to taking better Instagram photos pairs well with a dedicated collection.

How to download photos you've posted

Turn on Save original photos

This setting copies every photo you post from the app into your phone's library, including your filters and edits.

1. Tap Profile, then Menu in the top right.
2. Below Your app and media, tap Archiving and downloading.
3. Turn on Save original photos (on some versions it's called Save original posts).

It only applies to photos you post after switching it on. Instagram notes that on Android there may be a delay before photos show up in the Instagram album.

Export a copy of all your posts

To get photos you shared years ago, request an export of your information. It's a password-protected process that only you can access.

1. Go to your profile, tap Menu, then tap Meta Account or Accounts Center (Instagram is gradually moving people to Meta Account, so you'll see one or the other).
2. Tap Your information and permissions.
3. Tap Export your information, then Create export.
4. Select your Instagram profile and tap Next.
5. Choose Export to device.
6. Pick the information to include, a date range, the format (HTML is easiest to browse; JSON suits developers) and the media quality.
7. Tap Start export.

On a computer, click More in the bottom left, click Settings, then follow the same path from Meta Account.

Instagram says an export can take up to 30 days to be ready. When it is, you'll get an email and an Instagram notification, and you have 4 days to download it from Available downloads before it expires. For Stories specifically, see our guide to downloading your Instagram Stories.

Saving other people's photos: what's actually possible

Feed photos: Instagram has no download button for photos posted by other accounts. The official way to keep one is the Save icon, which only bookmarks the post inside Instagram.

Reels: Reels from public accounts can be downloaded, but only if the creator hasn't turned downloads off, and never from private accounts. Downloaded reels include an Instagram watermark and the creator's username, and Instagram states they aren't allowed to be used for commercial purposes.

Photos sent to you in chats: these follow different rules, especially disappearing media. Our guide to saving media from Instagram DMs explains the limits.

Screenshots and copyright

You can physically screenshot a photo on your screen, but the photographer or account owner still owns the copyright. A screenshot for private reference, like a haircut to show your stylist, is very different from reposting the image as your own.

Before you share someone else's photo:

• Ask permission. A quick DM is usually enough, and many creators are happy to say yes when credited.
• Credit clearly. Tag the account in the image and name them in the caption.
• Prefer built-in sharing. Sharing a post to your Story or in a chat keeps the original creator attached.
• Understand fair use limits. Instagram's copyright guidance explains that commercial use, copying the whole work and replacing the original's market all weigh against fair use. If you're unsure, don't repost.

This matters for art and illustration accounts in particular, where reposts without credit take views away from the artist. If you've found an uncredited image and want to trace its creator, try a reverse image search.

Troubleshooting

• No Saved option in the menu. Update the app; older versions put Saved in a different place in the menu.
• A saved post is gone. The owner may have deleted it, archived it or made their account private.
• Save original photos is on but nothing appears. It only works for photos posted from the app after the setting was enabled. Also check that Instagram has permission to access your photo library in your phone's settings.
• No export email. Check spam, confirm the notification email you chose during export, and look in Available downloads directly, since links expire after 4 days.