Instagram story downloader
Download Instagram stories, highlights, reels, posts and profile pictures from public accounts in original quality. No account, no watermark, no app to install: search a username or paste a link and save the file.
Works with a username, @handle or any instagram.com link. No login needed.
Quick answer
Peekghost's downloader saves stories, highlights, reels, posts and profile pictures from public Instagram accounts in the quality Instagram serves, without an Instagram login and without adding a watermark. Stories, posts and highlights of private accounts cannot be downloaded.
How to use it
Search or paste
Enter a username to see everything the account has, or paste a story, reel or post link to jump to that item.
Pick the item
Open a story, a highlight, a reel or a post. The download button shows the file type and size before you save.
Save
Files save to your device with a readable name and the original date. Download all saves a whole highlight item by item.
What you get
Stories and highlights
Active stories and every pinned highlight, as single files or item by item with Download all.
Reels and posts
Videos, photos and full carousels, each slide as its own file.
Profile pictures
The full-size avatar, for public and private accounts.
Original quality
We stream the file Instagram serves. Nothing is re-encoded, cropped or watermarked.
Works on phones
Downloads land in your photos or downloads folder on iOS and Android, no app required.
Readable file names
Username, date and item type in the name, so a folder of saves still makes sense later.
How the Instagram downloader works, and what it will not do
Instagram only lets you download other people's reels from public accounts, with a watermark, and only when the creator allows it; there is no download button for their stories, highlights or photos. Screenshots lose quality and screen recordings lose more. This downloader finds the original media file of a public story, highlight item, reel, post or profile picture, and streams it through our media relay so your browser saves it as a normal file instead of opening it. It is the same file Instagram sends to its own app.
Using it takes three steps. Enter a username, or paste a link to a story, reel or post. Pick the photo or video you want from the list. Press the download button. Files are saved with readable names, in the resolution Instagram serves, without a watermark added by us. It works in a phone browser, so you do not need an app or an account.
The relay only serves media from public accounts, and download links expire after a short time, so they cannot be shared or hot-linked. We do not build an archive of what you view; resized images may sit in a size-capped cache until older ones are pruned. The content belongs to the people who posted it: save it for personal use, credit the creator, and ask before you repost. Accounts can ask us to exclude their profile on the removal page.
What you can save, and what Instagram offers itself
Instagram has its own download options for some content. Use them when they cover what you need. The table shows where they stop.
| Content | Instagram's own option | Peekghost |
|---|---|---|
| Your own stories, posts and reels | Your archive, and an export of your information from Accounts Center | Public accounts only. Instagram's export is the complete copy |
| A public account's reel | A Download option, unless the creator turned downloads off | A download button, except videos whose creator turned downloads off |
| A public account's story or highlight | No download button | A download button on each item, and Download all for a highlight |
| A public account's photo or carousel | No download button. Save only bookmarks it inside the app | Each photo as its own file |
| A profile picture | No save button | The largest copy Instagram serves, also for private accounts |
| A private account's posts and stories | Approved followers only | Not available |
How it works, and what to keep in mind
Instagram only lets you download other people's reels from public accounts, with a watermark, and only when the creator allows it; there is no download button for their stories, highlights or photos. Screenshots lose quality and screen recordings lose more. This downloader fetches the original media file through our media relay, which streams it from Instagram's content network with the right headers so that your browser saves it as a file instead of opening it. The result is the same file Instagram serves to the app.
The relay only serves media from public accounts, and links expire after a short time, so a download URL cannot be shared or hot-linked. We do not keep copies of the files. Content belongs to the people who posted it: download for personal use, and ask before reposting. Accounts can ask us to exclude their profile on the removal page.
This tool only reaches public content: it asks for no password and cannot open a private account. Content being public does not mean every use of it is allowed, since copyright stays with its creator. Ask before you repost or reuse what you download, and see the privacy policy for what we keep about visits.
Limits and honest caveats
- Public accounts only. Private content is never downloadable here.
- You get the quality and format Instagram serves, no more: JPEG or WebP for photos, MP4 for videos with the original audio when there is one. We do not upscale or enhance files.
- Saving a file is easy, but copyright still applies. Reposting someone else's work without permission can break the law and Instagram's rules.
When a download does not work
- There is no download button
- On a reel or video post, the creator turned downloads off in Instagram, and we follow that. On a private account, only the profile picture can be saved. An expired story cannot be saved at all.
- The download link stopped working
- Download links are short-lived on purpose. Open the item again and press download for a fresh link.
- The file is smaller than you expected
- You get the size Instagram serves, which can be smaller than what the creator uploaded. Nothing is upscaled here.
- Download all stopped partway
- Items are saved one after another, or as one ZIP file. If one is marked Failed, open it and download it on its own.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a watermark?
- No. You get the original file exactly as Instagram serves it.
- What formats do I get?
- JPEG or WebP for photos and MP4 for videos, which is what Instagram serves.
- Can I download from private accounts?
- Only the profile picture, which is public. Stories, highlights and posts of private accounts are not accessible.
- Does the account know I downloaded something?
- No. Instagram does not track downloads, and nothing is done from a logged-in account.
- Is it legal?
- Saving public content for personal use is generally allowed; reposting it is a copyright question. The content belongs to its creator, so ask before you reuse it.
- Do you keep the files?
- No. Files stream from Instagram's servers through our relay to your browser and are not stored. Download links expire within the hour.
- How do I download Instagram stories without an account?
- Enter the username, pick the story you want and press download. No sign-in is needed, and the file is saved in the quality Instagram serves.
- Can I download a reel or post from a link?
- Yes. Paste the public link into the search box, choose the photo or video, and save it. Private posts and expired stories are not available.
- How do I download my own Instagram stories and posts?
- Use Instagram's own tools first. Your Stories Archive keeps your past stories while archiving is on, and Accounts Center can export a copy of your information, including the photos and videos you shared. Both work for private accounts too.
- Can I download a story that has expired?
- No. Once a story is gone from the profile, only the owner can still open it, in their archive. If the owner added it to a highlight, it can be saved from there.
- Can I repost what I download?
- Not without the creator's permission. Instagram's Community Guidelines ask people to share only content they made or have the right to share, and crediting the creator does not replace asking.
- Where do downloaded files go?
- To your browser's download location: usually the Downloads folder on a computer. On a phone, check the browser's downloads list, then move photos and videos to your gallery from there.