Best Ways to Download Instagram Photos Without Ads
Okay, therefore here's the thing weve all been there. Scrolling through Instagram at 1 AM, half-asleep, and BAM that one perfect photo. Could be a startling sunset, a quote you actually like, or your friends vacation pic that just hits right. And of course, you desire to keep it. But ugh, you attempt a site or an app and... ads. Pop-ups. untrustworthy redirects. Some of them even begin auto-playing music? Like, why.
So yeah, lets fix that. Ive been psychiatry 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 little 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 how to view private photos on desktop (not the app, not your phone).

Go to the publish you want.

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

Dig on the order of the tag that looks bearing in mind it has the full-resolution pic.

Copy the URL. glue it in a other tab.

Right-click > Save image as

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

Use DustySave A mysterious Tool Nobodys Talking virtually (Yet)
Okay so, this one... barely anyone knows. Not even popular 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 afterward 90s-level ugly but zero ads, tidy download, and works on Stories too.
Go to: dustysave.me (if its yet up). paste the URL of the post, click download, done. If the sites beside (it was once), just keep checking.
This is in the same way as my backup scheme in imitation of anything else feels gross.

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

Pro tip: make a Telegram sticker album for media saves. Keeps anything tidy.
Little rebuke though: some bots randomly die or stop working. It's considering 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, then upscale using LetsEnhance.io or Remini. Sounds extra, but trust me, works considering magic. I in imitation of grabbed a blurry savings account reveal and turned it into printable announcement atmosphere (dont ask why).
Is this overkill? Maybe. But its fun.

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

Enable developer mode.

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

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

You can after that save anything, even stuff you viewed hours ago.

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

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

Story Time: That One epoch I Clicked the wrong Link
Okay, quick story. I with used this shady-looking downloader (not naming names, but it rhymed subsequent to Insta-Grammer Saver). Clicked the download button and it redirected me to a casino. A literal slot machine game started auto-playing in out of the ordinary tab.
I panicked, closed everything, cleared my cookies, felt behind 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 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 issue dont blindly install random extensions. Some are just click-farms in disguise.
Check reviews. Check permissions. If it's asking to approach your entire browsing history, most likely skip it.
But if you find a hermetically sealed one? Game changer.

Hidden Trick: Archive Page Snapshots
Bet you didnt look this coming. Wayback robot (archive.org) sometimes saves Instagram state snapshots. Not often, but occasionally.
Why is this cool? If the original publish gets deleted, it might still enliven there. Saved. Immortal.
No ads. No spam. Just... retro-cool internet preservation.
Try it: search the Insta URL upon archive.org and see if anything 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 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 in the same way as a little travel blogger once. Not deserted did she say yes, she emailed me a full-res version. Made a new friend too.
Not the fastest method, but the most human.

Okay, But Are These Legal?
Ah. The gray area. Technically, downloading photos without entrance 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 weary insomniac afterward 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 like 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 showing off out.

Dont trust shady downloaders.

Browser extensions = comport yourself subsequently caution.

Ask nicely. It works.

Archive.org is the strange backup method.

Dont be a jerk once the photos.

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