Request your Instagram messages
- Open your profile menuIn the Instagram app, go to your profile and tap the menu icon (three lines) in the top-right corner. On the web, open More, then Settings.
- Go to Accounts CenterTap Accounts Center, then Your information and permissions.
- Open Download your informationTap Download your information, then Download or transfer information.
- Choose your Instagram accountIf several accounts are connected, select the Instagram account you want.
- Select MessagesChoose Some of your information (or specific types) and tick Messages. Add other categories only if you need them.
- Choose Download to deviceSelect Download to device.
- Set date range and formatChoose All time for full history, then pick JSON for importing into apps or HTML for reading, and set media quality.
- Create files and downloadTap Create files. When Instagram notifies you, return to the same screen and download the ZIP before it expires.
How long it takes
Instagram prepares the download in the background. A messages-only request with low media quality is often ready faster than a full account download, but large histories can still take a long time. You will get a notification, and often an email, when it is ready. The file is available for a limited number of days, so download it promptly.
Encrypted chats and missing conversations
Meta has been introducing end-to-end encryption to Instagram direct messages. If some conversations are encrypted, they may not be included in the standard Accounts Center download. Check the app’s privacy settings for encrypted chats and look for a message storage or download option for that history.
Conversations you deleted, and messages that were unsent, are not included. If you narrowed the date range, older chats will be missing too.
What is inside the download
The ZIP is organised into folders. Direct messages are usually inside a messages folder with an inbox subfolder, and each conversation has its own folder containing files such as message_1.json or message_1.html.
- Text messages with sender names and timestamps, from both you and the other person.
- Shared posts and reels, usually as links or short placeholders.
- Reactions, likes and some system messages.
- Photos, videos and voice messages in subfolders if you included media.
If emoji or accented characters look scrambled when you open a JSON file in a text editor, it is a known encoding quirk in Meta downloads. The data is intact; apps designed for these files decode it properly.
Instagram download troubleshooting
| Problem | What to try |
|---|---|
| Cannot find Download your information | Open Accounts Center from the profile menu; the tool lives there rather than in Instagram’s own settings |
| Request seems stuck | Wait for the notification; avoid making several requests at once |
| Download link expired | Create a new request |
| Conversation missing | It may be encrypted, deleted, or outside the date range you selected |
Keep it private
Your DMs include other people’s messages and possibly photos. Store the ZIP on a device you control and delete copies from downloads folders, email or shared drives once you have moved it.
Using Instagram messages with Memory Clone
Memory Clone imports Instagram ZIP, JSON and HTML downloads locally on Windows. Because Instagram includes both sides of each conversation, it helps the clone learn how a person writes to each specific friend. Read building an AI from Instagram and Discord messages for more.
Frequently asked questions
Can I export a single Instagram chat?
Instagram has no per-chat export button. Download your messages through Accounts Center, then open the folder for the conversation you want.
Does the other person get notified when I download my data?
Instagram does not notify the people in your conversations when you download your own information.
Can I download Instagram messages on a computer?
Yes. Open Instagram in a web browser, go to Settings and Accounts Center, and follow the same Download your information steps.
Should I choose JSON or HTML?
Choose JSON if you will import the messages into an app, HTML if you mainly want to read them. Memory Clone accepts both.
This guide is general information written by the Memory Clone team and reviewed on 2 October 2026. App menus change over time, so labels may differ slightly on your device. Memory Clone creates an AI simulation based on the material you provide; it is not the person.