Best Ways to Download Instagram Photos Without Ads
Okay, so here’s the matter weve all been there. Scrolling through Instagram at 1 AM, half-asleep, and BAM that one absolute photo. Could be a stunning sunset, a quote you actually like, or your friends trip pic that just hits right. And of course, you want to keep it. But ugh, you attempt a site or an app and… ads. Pop-ups. sketchy redirects. Some of them even start auto-playing music? Like, why.
So yeah, lets repair that. Ive been psychotherapy ways (read: obsessively Googling at 2 AM) to download Instagram photos without drowning in ads or malware threats. Here’s what I found. Some of its weird, some genius, a few probably a tiny illegal just kidding (sort of). Either way, it works. Buckle up.

The “Inspect Element” Trick No Tools, No Ads
This one’s my OG method. Super nerdy but weirdly satisfying.

Open Instagram upon desktop (not the app, not your phone).

Go to the publicize you want.

Right-click and prefer Inspect or hit Ctrl+Shift+I (Windows) / Cmd+Option+I (Mac).

Dig on the tag that looks considering it has the full-resolution pic.

Copy the URL. glue it in a new tab.

Right-click > Save image as

Done.
No ads. No sketchy sites. Just code and glory. Feels kinda once hacking. But without, yknow, the hacking.

Use DustySave A everyday Tool Nobodys Talking nearly (Yet)
Okay so, this one… barely anyone knows. Not even well-liked yet. It’s called DustySave (totally not sponsored, I swear).
Weird name, but here’s the kicker its ad-free because its technically not public. Some dev on Reddit mentioned it months ago. The interface is bearing in mind 90s-level ugly but zero ads, clean download, and works on Stories too.
Go to: dustysave.me (if its still up). glue the URL of the post, click download, done. If the sites down (it was once), just keep checking.
This is in the same way as my backup scheme once whatever else feels gross.

Use Telegram Bots Yeah, Really
Never thought Id tell this, but Telegram might be the MVP here.
There are bots later @InstaSave_Bot (or one of the 18 clones of it) thatll fetch the photo for you. No ads, no waiting for a million redirects.
Heres how I use it:

Open Telegram.

Search for one of these bots.

Paste the Instagram link.

Boom it replies similar to the image.

Pro tip: create a Telegram folder for media saves. Keeps all tidy.
Little reprimand though: some bots randomly die or stop working. It’s gone feeding a stray cat works until it doesn’t.

Screenshots But Upgraded
Yeah, yeah, I know. Just screenshot it. But what if you want quality?
Heres the move: screenshot it, after that upscale using LetsEnhance.io or Remini. Sounds extra, but trust me, works in imitation of magic. I afterward grabbed a blurry report state and turned it into printable commercial air (dont question why).
Is this overkill? Maybe. But its fun.

Developer Mode upon Android If You in the manner of Tinkering
Warning: this ones nerd-level.
On Android, you can go deep. Like, deep deep.

Enable developer mode.

Use an app like InsTake Cache Viewer (Google it).

Browse Instagram, and the app will sniff the photo cache.

You can then keep anything, even stuff you viewed hours ago.

Kinda creepy? A bit. But effective. Just dont use it to snoop.

Use Shortcuts on iPhone If Youre That nice of Person
Apple fans, youre not left out. The Shortcuts app (yep, the one preinstalled) can attain this.
You gotta install a custom Shortcut search for Instagram Media Downloader iOS Shortcut.
Itll do its stuff going on in your portion sheet. Tap it after copying the Insta URL, and boom: media downloaded into Photos.
Annoying part? iOS might question for access later 17 times. But hey, no ads.

Story Time: That One become old I Clicked the wrong Link
Okay, quick story. I following used this shady-looking downloader (not naming names, but it rhymed behind Insta-Grammer Saver). Clicked the download button and it redirected me to a casino. A literal slot robot game started auto-playing in substitute tab.
I panicked, closed everything, cleared my cookies, felt later I needed to sage my laptop. Moral of the story: if it looks sketchy, it probably is.
Thats how to see private instagram I found my golden list of ad-free methods. Trauma-driven innovation, I guess?

Use Browser Extensions following Caution
Theres one called Downloader for Instagram (yeah, tacky name, I know). Works on Chrome, and you can bulk download too. But heres the concern dont blindly install random extensions. Some are just click-farms in disguise.
Check reviews. Check permissions. If it’s asking to edit your entire browsing history, maybe skip it.
But if you locate a sound one? Game changer.

Hidden Trick: Archive Page Snapshots
Bet you didnt see this coming. Wayback machine (archive.org) sometimes saves Instagram declare snapshots. Not often, but occasionally.
Why is this cool? If the indigenous proclaim gets deleted, it might yet alive there. Saved. Immortal.
No ads. No spam. Just… retro-cool internet preservation.
Try it: search the Insta URL upon archive.org and see if everything pops up. If it does, right-click the image and save.
Boom. Internet archaeology.

Why Not Just ask the Person?
I know. Wild thought, right? But for real if its a friend, an artist, a photographer… sometimes just DMing them like, Hey, love your post, mind if I keep a copy? works wonders.
I did this bearing in mind a small travel blogger once. Not abandoned did she say yes, she emailed me a full-res version. Made a additional pal too.
Not the fastest method, but the most human.

Okay, But Are These Legal?
Ah. The gray area. Technically, downloading photos without admission can breach Instagrams terms. But like… everyone does it.
Just dont use the images for profit, or repost them pretending theyre yours. Thats not cool. save for personal use, set as wallpaper, print for your diary every good.
But yeah. Im not a lawyer. Just a weary insomniac gone too many bookmarked tools.

Recap (Messy, But Honest)
If you just skimmed this (no judgment), heres the not-so-clean summary:

Use examine Element if you once feeling smart.

DustySave is a lowkey goldmine.

Telegram bots slap.

Screenshots arent lame upscale em.

Android users can go full hacker mode.

iOS users can Shortcuts their quirk out.

Dont trust shady downloaders.

Browser extensions = ham it up past caution.

Ask nicely. It works.

Archive.org is the strange backup method.

Dont be a jerk taking into account the photos.

There. Real, messy, human. Hopefully helpful.
So adjacent epoch you look that absolute pic and wanna save it without 12 pop-ups, youll know exactly what to do.
Maybe even grin even though put it on it.