Thinking about deleting or deactivating your Instagram account? Before you do, make sure you’ve saved everything you care about. Instagram stores your photos, videos, Reels, Stories, DMs, and more — and once the account is deleted, most of it is gone forever.

This guide covers every method to backup your Instagram content, from official data exports to individual media downloads.

What Gets Deleted When You Delete Instagram?

When you permanently delete your Instagram account:

  • All your photos and videos are removed from Instagram’s servers
  • Your Reels are deleted
  • Your Stories (including Highlights) are deleted
  • Your comments and likes on other posts are removed
  • Your followers and following list is deleted
  • Your DMs are deleted from Instagram’s side
  • Your username becomes available to others after a period

Instagram gives you 30 days to change your mind after initiating deletion. After 30 days, the account and all its data is permanently removed.

Method 1: Instagram’s Official Data Download (Most Complete)

The best way to backup everything at once is using Instagram’s official data export. This downloads a complete archive of your account.

How to Request Your Data

On the Instagram App:

  1. Go to your profile → tap the three-line menu (☰)
  2. Go to Settings and privacy → Account → Download your data
  3. Enter your email address
  4. Choose Download to Device
  5. Select the data range: All time (recommended)
  6. Tap Request Download

On Instagram Website (instagram.com):

  1. Click your profile photo → Settings
  2. Go to Privacy and Security → Data Download
  3. Click Request Download

What You’ll Receive

Instagram sends a download link to your email, usually within 24–72 hours (sometimes longer for large accounts).

The download is a ZIP file containing:

your_instagram_data/
├── media/
│   ├── posts/        ← your original photo/video files
│   ├── reels/        ← your Reels
│   ├── stories/      ← your archived Stories
│   └── profile/      ← your profile photo
├── messages/         ← all DMs (as HTML files)
├── comments/         ← your comments
├── followers/        ← your followers list
├── following/        ← accounts you follow
└── profile_info/     ← bio, contact info, etc.

This is the most complete backup — it includes everything.

Method 2: Download Specific Posts with ReelClick

If you only want to save specific Reels or videos (not your entire account), use ReelClick’s tools:

This is useful for saving content from accounts you follow before you lose access to Instagram.

Method 3: Deactivate Instead of Delete

If you’re not 100% sure about permanently deleting, consider temporarily deactivating instead.

Deactivation vs. Deletion:

  Deactivation Deletion
Your profile Hidden Removed
Your content Preserved Deleted after 30 days
Can you reactivate? Yes, any time No (within 30 days only)
Followers Preserved Lost

To deactivate:

  1. Go to Settings → Account → Deactivate account
  2. Select a reason → enter your password
  3. Tap Deactivate

Your account is hidden but not deleted. Reactivate anytime by logging back in.

Method 4: Save Story Highlights Before Deleting

Story Highlights are often overlooked in backups. They don’t appear in the standard data export as cleanly organized files. Here’s how to save them:

  1. Go to each Highlight on your profile
  2. Tap to view the Stories inside
  3. For each Story: tap ⋯ → Save

Or use ReelClick’s Story Downloader to save them to your device quickly.

Checklist: Before You Delete

Use this checklist to make sure you haven’t missed anything:

  • Requested and received official Instagram data export
  • Saved all profile photos (they’re in the data export)
  • Downloaded Reels you want to keep
  • Saved Story Highlights
  • Exported your followers/following list (it’s in the data ZIP as JSON)
  • Saved any DMs or conversations you want to keep
  • Informed people you’re leaving (optional)
  • Disconnected any apps that used “Login with Instagram”
  • Updated any accounts that used Instagram for signup

What About Your Bio, Captions, and Comments?

The official Instagram data export includes:

  • Your bio (in profile_info)
  • All post captions (in media/posts)
  • Your comments on other people’s posts
  • Your saved posts list (links only, not the media itself)

After Downloading Your Data

Once you have your backup:

  1. Verify the ZIP file — open it and check that your photos and videos are intact
  2. Organize the media — the files are named with timestamps, which you can rename or sort
  3. Store it safely — copy to an external hard drive or cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox)

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Instagram take to send my data?
Usually 24–72 hours, but it can take up to a week for large accounts with years of content.

Are the photos in original quality?
Yes. The official export includes the original files as uploaded (at the time they were uploaded).

Can I recover a deleted account?
Only within 30 days of deletion. After that, the account cannot be recovered.

Will deleting Instagram delete my Facebook too?
No. Instagram and Facebook are separate accounts even if they’re linked.

Conclusion

Backing up your Instagram is straightforward — use the official data download for a complete archive, and use ReelClick for individual pieces of content you want to save quickly.

Don’t leave without your content. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Download Instagram Content → — use ReelClick to save individual posts before you leave.