How to download your Instagram data
Updated
Instagram lets everyone download a copy of their own account data. That download contains your followers, the accounts you follow, your follow requests and, if you ask for them, your direct messages. FollowBackCheck.app reads that file in your browser to show who doesn’t follow you back. You never give us your password, and the file is processed on your device and never uploaded to our servers.
The two settings that matter: choose JSON as the format (not HTML) and All time as the date range. With HTML or a short date range the lists will be missing or incomplete.
On your phone (Instagram app)
- Open Instagram and go to your profile. Tap the menu (three lines) in the top corner.
- Tap Accounts Center. It’s near the top of the settings screen.
- Tap Your information and permissions, then Download your information.
- Tap Download or transfer information and select your Instagram account. If you have several accounts linked, pick the one you want to check.
- Choose Some of your information. Tick Followers and following (in the “Connections” group). If you want to read your DMs too, also tick Messages. Leaving everything else out keeps the file small and quick to prepare.
- Choose Download to device (not “Transfer to destination”).
- Set Date range to All time, Format to JSON, and Media quality to Low unless you want full-size photos from your chats.
- Tap Create files. Instagram may ask for your password to confirm it’s you; that goes to Instagram, not to us.
On a computer (instagram.com)
- Log in at instagram.com and click More (bottom left), then Settings.
- Click Accounts Center, then Your information and permissions → Download your information.
- Click Download or transfer information, choose your Instagram profile, then Some of your information.
- Tick Followers and following (and Messages if you want your DMs), then Next.
- Choose Download to device, set All time and JSON, and click Create files.
How long does it take?
For most accounts a followers-only download is ready within a few minutes to an hour. Large accounts, or downloads that include messages and media, can take several hours, and Instagram says it can take up to a few days. You’ll get an email and a notification when it’s ready.
To get the file, go back to Download your information in Accounts Center. Your request shows under Current activity (or “Available downloads”) with a Download button. The link only works for a few days, so grab it soon. On a phone the zip lands in your Downloads or Files app.
Check your file
Go back to the FollowBackCheck tool and drop the zip. You don’t need to unzip it. If you’d rather only
share the two files that matter, unzip it and drop
connections/followers_and_following/followers_1.json and following.json. Very large accounts
have several followers files (followers_2.json and so on); include all of them.
Want to know what else is in there? See what’s in your Instagram download.
Common problems
“This looks like the HTML version”
You picked HTML as the format. HTML is meant for reading in a browser and is hard to process reliably, so request a new download and choose JSON. You don’t have to delete the old request.
The lists look too short
Check that the date range was All time. With “Last year” the file only includes follows from that year, so older followers would wrongly appear as not following you back.
No messages
Messages are a separate item in the list. Request a new download with Messages ticked. Chats in the newer end-to-end encrypted inbox may be missing from Instagram’s download; that’s on Instagram’s side.
Want to know who unfollowed you?
One download is a snapshot. Keep this zip, request another in a few weeks, and compare the two. See how to find out who unfollowed you.
Instagram changes these menus from time to time. If a step looks different, look for “Accounts Center” and “Download your information”; the options are the same.