How to Download Instagram Stories

Instagram has no built-in download button for other people's Stories, and Stories disappear after 24 hours. Here is how to save Instagram Stories — photos and videos — in full quality in 2026, including a way to do it anonymously.

Can you download Stories inside the Instagram app?

Only your own. Instagram lets you save or share Stories you posted yourself, but there is no native option to download someone else's Story. For that, you need another method.

Method 1 — Screen recording

Use your phone's built-in screen recorder, open the Story, then trim the clip afterwards.

• Pros: works for video, no extra tools.
• Cons: lower quality, manual trimming, on-screen UI in the recording — and if you open the Story with your own account, you appear in the owner's viewer list.

Method 2 — Screenshot (photos only)

For photo Stories, a screenshot is the quickest option. It does not work for video, the quality is limited, and the same viewer-list caveat applies. Instagram does not notify users when you screenshot a Story.

Method 3 — A Story downloader (HD and anonymous)

A dedicated tool fetches the original media file, so you get full quality with no screen-recording artifacts. The StoryRelay bot pulls public Stories in HD and lets you download them without logging in — and because it uses its own accounts, you never show up in the viewer list. See the anonymous Instagram Story viewer, or how to view Stories anonymously.

Is it legal to download Instagram Stories?

Saving publicly shared content for personal use is generally fine. Respect copyright — do not repost someone else's content as your own — and never use a tool that asks for your Instagram password. StoryRelay only works with public profiles and never needs your login.