You will soon be able to download Instagram data, including all the photos that you have uploaded to the picture-focused social network, just like on Facebook.
The new Instagram tool is not yet available, with no specific date on when it will be rolled out. Meanwhile, it remains unclear why users will want to go through the process of downloading their Instagram data.
Instagram Data Download Tool In The Works
In response to a recent TechCrunch report that criticized the service for the lack of data portability, an Instagram spokesperson told author John Constine that a tool to enable the feature is actually in the works.
"We are building a new data portability tool. You'll soon be able to download a copy of what you've shared on Instagram, including your photos, videos and messages," the spokesperson said.
It is about time for Instagram to roll out something similar to the Download Your Information tool of Facebook, which the social network released in 2010. Currently, Instagram users are unable to save the images that they have posted, a feature that many would expect from an eight-year-old app.
The Instagram spokesperson did not reveal a specific launch date for the tool, but it will likely be rolled out before May 25. This is because, on that date, the GDPR privacy laws in Europe that require companies to allow users to download their own data will take effect.
Why Would You Want To Download Your Instagram Photos?
There are some details about tool that remain unknown. This includes whether users will be able to export their following and follower lists, Stories, captions, and other data, in addition to their pictures, videos, and messages.
However, the question now is why users would want to download their Instagram data in the first place. According to TechCrunch, data portability will give Instagram users the option to move to a rival image-sharing service.
The problem with that, however, is there appears to be no app that will challenge Instagram. Snapchat, for example, is too different, while Google Photos functions more like a storage service than a social network. Users might want to download copies of their Instagram pictures in their computers, but the content may be safer in the cloud than in hard drives.
The new Instagram feature, like the recently announced Nametags and Focus mode, will be a welcome addition to the service, no doubt. At least it will be in place when a rival service is created, whenever that will be.
