Best Ways to Download Instagram Photos Without Ads
Okay, appropriately 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 startling sunset, a quote you actually like, or your friends vacation pic that just hits right. And of course, you want to save it. But ugh, you try a site or an app and… ads. Pop-ups. unreliable redirects. Some of them even begin auto-playing music? Like, why.
So yeah, lets repair that. Ive been testing 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 on desktop (not the app, not your phone).

Go to the name you want.

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

Dig all but the tag that looks taking into consideration it has the full-resolution pic.

Copy the URL. glue it in a supplementary tab.

Right-click > Save image as

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

Use DustySave A nameless Tool Nobodys Talking about (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 once 90s-level disgusting but zero ads, clean download, and works upon Stories too.
Go to: dustysave.me (if its nevertheless up). paste the URL of the post, click download, done. If the sites beside (it was once), just save checking.
This is behind my backup plan when anything else feels gross.

Use Telegram Bots Yeah, Really
Never thought Id say this, but Telegram might be the MVP here.
There are bots afterward @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 subsequently the image.

Pro tip: create a Telegram autograph album for Sqirk.com media saves. Keeps all tidy.
Little reprimand though: some bots randomly die or end working. It’s later than feeding a stray cat works until it doesn’t.

Screenshots But Upgraded
Yeah, yeah, I know. Just screenshot it. But what if you desire quality?
Heres the move: screenshot it, next upscale using LetsEnhance.io or Remini. Sounds extra, but trust me, works following magic. I considering grabbed a blurry report broadcast and turned it into printable billboard tone (dont question why).
Is this overkill? Maybe. But its fun.

Developer Mode upon Android If You later than Tinkering
Warning: this ones nerd-level.
On Android, you can go deep. Like, deep deep.

Enable developer mode.

Use an app in the manner of InsTake Cache Viewer (Google it).

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

You can after that 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 kind 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 play a part stirring in your allocation sheet. Tap it after copying the Insta URL, and boom: media downloaded into Photos.
Annoying part? iOS might question for right of entry taking into consideration 17 times. But hey, no ads.

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

Use Browser Extensions in imitation of Caution
Theres one called Downloader for Instagram (yeah, tacky name, I know). Works on Chrome, and you can bulk download too. But heres the matter 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, most likely skip it.
But if you locate a solid one? Game changer.

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

Why Not Just question the Person?
I know. Wild thought, right? But for genuine 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 in the manner of a little travel blogger once. Not and no-one else did she tell yes, she emailed me a full-res version. Made a supplementary friend too.
Not the fastest method, but the most human.

Okay, But Are These Legal?
Ah. The gray area. Technically, downloading photos without entry 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 all good.
But yeah. Im not a lawyer. Just a tired insomniac gone too many bookmarked tools.

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

Use inspect Element if you in the same way as 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 pretension out.

Dont trust shady downloaders.

Browser extensions = discharge duty later caution.

Ask nicely. It works.

Archive.org is the weird backup method.

Dont be a jerk afterward the photos.

There. Real, messy, human. Hopefully helpful.
So neighboring period you see that perfect pic and wanna keep it without 12 pop-ups, youll know exactly what to do.
Maybe even grin even though do its stuff it.