How to Download Instagram Images and Videos Using Python

1. Installing and Setting Up the Instaloader Library

First, you need to install the `instaloader` library. `instaloader` is a powerful tool that allows you to download content via Instagram profiles, posts, and hashtags.

To install it, use the following command:

pip install instaloader

After installing the library, create an object to use it in your Python code.

import instaloader

# Create an Instaloader object
L = instaloader.Instaloader()

Now, let’s dive into how to download images from Instagram.

2. Downloading All Posts from a Specific Instagram Account

If you want to download all posts from a specific Instagram account, you can use the code below. This method only works if the account is public.

import instaloader

# Create an Instaloader object
L = instaloader.Instaloader()

# Download posts from a public Instagram profile
profile_name = 'instagram'  # Username of the account to download
L.download_profile(profile_name, profile_pic_only=False)

Running this code will download all posts from the specified account to the current directory. Setting `profile_pic_only` to `True` will download only the profile picture.

3. Downloading Individual Posts

If you only want to download a specific post, you can do so using the post’s URL or unique ID (shortcode). Refer to the code below.

import instaloader

# Create an Instaloader object
L = instaloader.Instaloader()

# Download using the URL or ID of the post
post_url_or_shortcode = 'https://www.instagram.com/p/SHORTCODE/'  # URL or SHORTCODE of the Instagram post

# Create an Instagram Post object
post = instaloader.Post.from_shortcode(L.context, post_url_or_shortcode.split('/')[-2])

# Download the post
L.download_post(post, target=post.owner_username)

This code allows you to download only the specified post, with the “SHORTCODE” part of the URL representing the unique code for that post. For example, if you want to download the URL `https://www.instagram.com/p/CfI0fsDSx5j/`, you would input that URL into the `post_url_or_shortcode` variable.

4. Important Considerations and Legal Aspects

This method only works with public Instagram accounts, and content from private accounts cannot be accessed without the owner’s approval. It’s also crucial to comply with Instagram’s terms of service and avoid making excessive data requests. Overuse could lead to account suspension, and there may be legal implications related to scraping.

Conclusion

Using Python’s `instaloader` library makes it easy to download images and videos from Instagram. We explored methods for downloading all posts from a specific account and downloading individual posts. This should only be used for personal purposes, and it is important to adhere to Instagram’s policies.

Now, start using Python to save and manage the amazing content from Instagram!