To download Instagram photos, open the post, tap the three dots at the top right, tap Share and then Copy link, paste the link into Fistty’s Instagram downloader, and tap Download. Fistty saves the photo at the full size Instagram stored. For a carousel (a post you swipe through), Fistty lists every image and lets you download each one as a separate file. This works for public accounts only.
This guide covers single photos, carousels with mixed photos and videos, what size you actually get, and how to find the saved images on iPhone and Android.
Download it now with Fistty. Paste the link, tap Download. No app, no login, free.
How to download Instagram photos on Fistty
- Open the post. In the Instagram app, tap the photo so it fills the screen as a single post. For a carousel, you will see small dots under the image showing how many slides it has. You do not need to swipe through them; Fistty will fetch all of them from the one link.
- Copy the link. Tap the three dots at the top right of the post. Tap Share (on some versions it is called Share to), then tap Copy link. You can also tap the paper-plane icon under the photo and tap Copy link. Instagram shows a small “Link copied to clipboard” message.
- Open Fistty’s Instagram downloader. Switch to your browser and go to fistty.com/download-instagram-videos-and-photos. There is no app, no login, and Fistty never asks for your Instagram password.
- Paste the link. Tap and hold inside the box and tap Paste. The link looks like instagram.com/p/ followed by a short code. Tap Download.
- Pick the images you want. For a single photo, Fistty shows one preview with a Download button. For a carousel, it shows each slide in order with its own Download button. Tap Download on each image you want. If a slide is a video, it shows a video preview with quality options instead.
- Find the files. On Android, the photos land in the Downloads folder and appear in Gallery or Google Photos. On iPhone, Safari saves them to the Files app under Downloads; open each one, tap the share icon, and tap Save Image to put it in Photos.
Each carousel image downloads as its own JPG file, named with the post code and a number so they stay in order. There is no zip file to unpack and no need to screenshot each slide.
Why Instagram does not let you save photos
Instagram has a bookmark icon under every post, but it only saves the post to a collection inside the app. The image stays on Instagram’s servers, and if the account deletes the post or goes private, your saved item disappears too. There is no built-in “save to phone” option for other people’s photos.
The common workaround is a screenshot. It works, but you lose quality (the screenshot is the size of your screen, not the original image), you get the Instagram interface around the photo, and for a carousel you have to screenshot each slide. Fistty gives you the original file Instagram stored, which is sharper and cleaner, and it fetches a whole carousel in one go.
For your own posts, Instagram does let you keep the original. Go to Settings, then Archiving and downloading, and turn on Save original posts. Your future uploads will be saved to your phone automatically. Older posts are available through Settings, then Your activity, then Download your information.
What size do downloaded Instagram photos come in?
Instagram resizes every photo on upload. The stored width is 1080 pixels, so a square photo is 1080 by 1080, a portrait photo is 1080 by 1350, and a landscape photo is 1080 by 566. That is the full size Instagram keeps, and it is what Fistty downloads. No tool can give you a larger version, because Instagram never stored one.
In 2026 Instagram also offers a higher-quality upload setting for some accounts, and photos posted with it may come through slightly larger or with less compression. Fistty always fetches the largest version available for the post.
| Post shape | Stored size | Typical file size |
|---|---|---|
| Square (1:1) | 1080 x 1080 | 100 to 300 KB |
| Portrait (4:5) | 1080 x 1350 | 150 to 400 KB |
| Landscape (1.91:1) | 1080 x 566 | 80 to 250 KB |
| Carousel of 10 | Each slide at the sizes above | 1 to 4 MB total |
Photos are small compared to videos, so data use is rarely a concern. Even a 10-slide carousel is lighter than a single Reel.
Downloading carousels with mixed photos and videos
Many carousels mix photo slides and video slides. Fistty handles both from the same link. Photo slides show a Download button that saves a JPG. Video slides show a preview with quality options, usually HD and SD, and save as MP4. Download each slide you want. If you only need one slide out of ten, you can skip the rest.
Carousels on Instagram can now hold up to 20 slides. Fistty lists them all in the original order. If a very long carousel seems to be missing slides, scroll down on the Fistty results page; the list continues below the first screen.
If you want the video slides as audio only, for example a song clip inside a carousel, our guide on converting Instagram Reels to MP3 works the same way for carousel videos.
Public accounts only
Fistty can download photos from any public Instagram account. A private account only shows posts to approved followers who are logged in, and no online tool can reach those photos, even if you follow the account yourself. Fistty does not take your login and never sees your follower status.
If you need a photo from a private account, the honest route is to ask the person to send it to you. On Instagram, they can open the post, tap the three dots, and tap Share to, then send it as a message, or simply share the original file from their gallery. Our guide on private Instagram videos explains the limits in more detail; the same rules apply to photos.
Saving Instagram photos on iPhone vs Android
iPhone
Safari downloads go to the Files app. After you tap Download, a blue arrow appears at the top of Safari. Tap it, tap the file, then tap the share icon at the bottom and Save Image. For a carousel of several images, you can select them all in Files (tap Select, tap each one, then the share icon) and save them to Photos in one step. If you prefer downloads to go straight to Photos, open an image in Safari’s preview and tap and hold it, then tap Add to Photos.
Android
Chrome and most other browsers save to the Downloads folder, and the Gallery app picks them up within seconds. On Samsung, open Gallery and look in the Downloads album. On Infinix, Tecno, and itel phones, the images appear in the Photos or Gallery app under Downloads. If they do not show up, open the Files app, tap Downloads, and open the image from there; this forces the gallery to refresh.
Troubleshooting
- “Post not found”. The account is private, the post was deleted, or the link is wrong. Copy it again from the Share menu.
- Only one image shows for a carousel. Make sure you copied the post link (instagram.com/p/…) and not a link to a single slide shared from Stories. Open the full post and copy again.
- The image looks small. Instagram stores photos at 1080 pixels wide. That is the full size. Check the file properties; it should be around 1080 wide.
- The download opens in the browser instead of saving. Tap and hold the image and choose Download image or Save image.
- Link from the Instagram website does not work. Remove anything after the question mark in the link and try again.
Using downloaded Instagram photos
Saving a photo for your own wallpaper, a mood board, or offline viewing is normal personal use. Reposting someone’s photo as your own, or using it for a business, is a different matter. Photographers and creators own their images, and Instagram removes reposts on request. If you share a photo you downloaded, credit the original account and ask first when the use is commercial. Fistty’s DMCA page explains how takedown requests are handled.
Related guides
- How to Download Instagram Profile Pictures in Full Size
- How to Download Private Instagram Videos (What’s Actually Possible)
- How to Download Instagram Stories
- How to Download Instagram Reels
- How to Download TikTok Slideshows and Photo Posts
- How to Download Pinterest Videos and Pins
Ready to try it? Fistty works in any browser on any phone or PC.
Frequently asked questions
How do I download a photo from Instagram?
Tap the three dots on the post, tap Share, then Copy link. Paste the link into Fistty's Instagram downloader and tap Download. The photo saves to your phone in full size.
Can you download all the photos in an Instagram carousel at once?
Yes. Paste the post link on Fistty and it lists every slide with its own Download button. Each image saves as a separate file in the original order.
What size are downloaded Instagram photos?
Instagram stores photos at 1080 pixels wide, so a square photo is 1080 by 1080 and a portrait photo is 1080 by 1350. Fistty gives you that full stored size.
Can I download photos from a private Instagram account?
No. Private accounts only show posts to approved, logged-in followers, and no online tool can fetch them. Ask the person to send you the photo.
Does Instagram notify someone when you download their photo?
No. Instagram does not track downloads made through an outside tool, and it does not send notifications for screenshots of posts either.
Where do downloaded Instagram photos go on my phone?
On Android they go to the Downloads folder and appear in Gallery. On iPhone they go to the Files app, and you can tap Save Image to move them to Photos.