How to Download Instagram Stories (2026 Guide)

Instagram Stories vanish after 24 hours. That's the whole point of the feature, and it's also the reason people frantically search for ways to save them. Maybe someone posted a limited-time discount code in their Story. Maybe your friend shared a travel itinerary you need to screenshot piece by piece. Or maybe you just want to keep a memory that someone else posted before it's gone forever.

Whatever the reason, Instagram doesn't give you a "Download" button on Stories. They want that ephemeral pressure to keep you checking the app constantly. But there are real ways to save them. I've tested pretty much everything over the years, so here's what actually works in 2026.

The fast way: use GetIGVideo

If the Story is from a public account, the quickest approach is using GetIGVideo. The whole thing takes under 15 seconds.

1. Get the Story link. Open the Story in the Instagram app. Tap the three dots in the top right corner and select "Copy Link." If you're on the web version, you can grab the URL directly from your browser's address bar.
2. Paste it into GetIGVideo. Head over to getigvideo.com and paste the link into the input field. Tap the download button.
3. Download. You'll see a preview with a download button. Tap it and the file saves to your device. Video Stories save as MP4 files, and photo Stories save as JPG or PNG.

No login, no app to install, no watermarks. You get the file in whatever quality Instagram has stored it at. For video Stories, that's typically 720p. For photo Stories, it's usually 1080x1920 resolution.

You can also use our dedicated Instagram Story downloader page or the Story download tool if you want a page specifically built for this.

Instagram's built-in save: what it actually does

Instagram added an "Archive" feature for your own Stories back in 2017. If you have it turned on (it's on by default), every Story you post gets automatically saved to your archive after 24 hours. You can find these under your profile by tapping the hamburger menu and going to Archive.

This only works for your own Stories, though. For other people's Stories, you're out of luck. There's no bookmark button, no save option, nothing built in. Instagram really committed to the disappearing act here.

For your own Stories, you can download them from the Archive: open the archived Story, tap the three dots, and choose "Save Photo" or "Save Video." It's surprisingly buried in the menus, but it works.

Stories vs. Highlights: an important difference

Highlights are Stories that the account owner has pinned to their profile permanently. They sit in those little circles below the bio. Because Highlights don't expire, they're actually easier to download since you don't have the 24-hour countdown ticking.

The process is the same. Copy the Highlight link (tap the three dots while viewing it), paste into GetIGVideo, and download. If you need to grab multiple clips from a Highlight reel, you'll need to do each one separately since Highlights are just collections of individual Stories strung together.

We also have an Instagram Story saver that handles both regular Stories and Highlights.

Screen recording: the backup plan

If all else fails, screen recording works. Every modern phone has this built in.

On iPhone: Open Control Center (swipe down from the top right on iPhones with Face ID, or swipe up from the bottom on older models). Tap the screen recording button (the circle icon). You get a 3-second countdown, then it starts recording everything on screen. Navigate to the Story and let it play. When it's done, stop the recording from the red bar at the top.

On Android: Pull down the notification shade and look for "Screen Record" in the quick settings tiles. If you don't see it, you might need to edit your tiles to add it. Start the recording, then open the Story. Most Android phones from Samsung, Pixel, and OnePlus all handle this natively now.

Screen recording has some clear downsides, though. The quality is noticeably worse because you're recording a video that's already been compressed, then compressing it again. You also capture the entire Instagram interface: the username, the progress bar, any stickers, and the reply box at the bottom. And you have to watch the entire Story in real time. No skipping. For a 15-second Story that's fine, but for a series of 8 Stories it gets tedious fast.

Public vs. private accounts

This is the single biggest limitation with any Story download method. If the account is set to private, the Story content isn't accessible from outside the Instagram app. No online tool can reach it. GetIGVideo can only download from public accounts because that's how Instagram's content delivery works.

For private accounts, your only realistic options are:

• Screen record while viewing the Story in the app.
• Use Instagram's screenshot function. Yes, you can screenshot Stories from private accounts you follow. Instagram used to notify users about Story screenshots during a brief test period in 2018, but they dropped that feature. As of 2026, there's no notification when you screenshot a Story.

Device-specific tips

iPhone (Safari)

When you download a Story through Safari, the file goes to your Downloads folder in the Files app. To get it into your Camera Roll, open Files, find the file, tap the share icon, and select "Save Video" or "Save Image." This extra step catches a lot of people off guard. Starting with iOS 17, there's a small download arrow in the address bar that makes finding your recent download a bit faster.

Android (Chrome)

Chrome on Android is more straightforward. Downloaded files go straight to the Downloads folder and usually show up in your gallery app within a few seconds. If the video doesn't appear in your gallery, open the Files or My Files app and look in the Downloads folder directly.

Desktop

On a computer, you can view public Stories through instagram.com without the app. Right-click the download link on GetIGVideo and choose "Save Link As" to pick a specific folder. Works identically on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.

Things that don't work

Let me save you some time on approaches that seem promising but aren't:

• Instagram's "Send To" button lets you share a Story to someone via DM. It doesn't download anything. Once the Story expires, the DM just shows "Story unavailable."
• Browser "Save Image As" doesn't work on instagram.com for Stories. Instagram uses a complex JavaScript player that prevents right-click saving.
• Sketchy Chrome extensions that promise to download Stories often stop working after a week because Instagram changes their frontend code regularly. Some of these extensions also request permissions they shouldn't need, like access to all your browsing data.

Frequently asked questions

Will someone know if I download their Story?

No. Instagram shows Story viewers a list of who watched their Story, but there's no indication of whether someone downloaded or screenshotted it. Using an external tool like GetIGVideo doesn't register a view either since it doesn't access the Story through your Instagram account.

Can I download a Story that's already expired?

Only if it's been added to a Highlight. Once a regular Story expires after 24 hours, it's gone from public access. The original poster can still find it in their archive, but nobody else can reach it.

What about Stories with music?

Stories with music download with the audio included. The music is baked into the video file, so you'll get the full audio track in the MP4. If you only want the audio, you'd need to convert the MP4 to MP3 using a separate tool afterward.

Is it legal to download Stories?

Downloading publicly available content for personal use is generally fine. Don't repost someone's content as your own. Don't use it commercially without permission. If you want to share a Story, tag or credit the original creator.