Many people love saving Instagram posts. It is a great way to keep your favorite moments, artfully captured in photos and videos. However, when you want to save an Instagram story directly to your device or gallery, there may be an issue. You cannot download Instagram stories on your mobile devices (iOS and Android), tablets, or PCs by directly accessing the Instagram app.
Instead, these stories need to be downloaded through third-party means. If you’re unsure how to do it, this guide is for you! We will go through each step, literally, on how to save an Instagram story.
Quick Tips For Saving Instagram Stories
- Taking a Screenshot or Screen-Recording
- Saving Stories using Third-Party Apps or Websites
- Share and Save Story
- Archive Stories in your Instagram App
- Save Stories in ‘Highlights’
Let’s examine each of these methods in detail and discuss how to put them to use.
1. Taking a Screenshot or Screen-Recording
You can save Instagram stories to your device directly by taking a screenshot or screen-recording of the story on Instagram. Most phones can take a screenshot, but not all can screen-record without the help of a third-party app. This method might reduce the resolution or quality of your photos or videos but not in all cases and devices.
In addition, most iPhones come with a screen-recording feature but only high-grade androids come with this feature. However, if you do not know how to take a screenshot or screen-record on your device, check out the tips below.
SCREENSHOTS
- For Android Users: Click on the lower volume button and power button simultaneously and release quickly
- For iPhone Users: Click on the upper volume button and power button simultaneously, or click on the power button and home button then release quickly
- For PC Users: Click on the windows key and print screen key simultaneously and release immediately
- For Mac Users: Press and hold these three keys together: Shift, Command, and 3. If you see a thumbnail in the corner of your screen, click to edit the screenshot. Or wait for the screenshot to save to your desktop
SCREEN-RECORDING
- For iPhone or iPad Users: Go to settings on your phone, then control center, then tap the add button next to screen recording. Then open the control center and hold the grey record button while tapping the microphone. Tap start recording and wait for the three-second countdown.
- To stop recording, open the control center again and tap the red record button or tap the red status bar at the top of your screen. Note: This applies to iOS 14 or later only.
- For Android Users: This feature varies based on the type of Android you are using. In most Android phones, all you have to do is swipe down from the top of your screen and find the screen recording icon. Then you click on it and stop it once you are done.
2. Saving Stories using Third-Party Apps or Websites
You can save Instagram stories to your device using a variety of third-party apps and websites. They mostly require you to paste a link to the story or a username for the account whose story you want to view. We will discuss how to use one of those sites as a case study.
Using Toolzu to Save Instagram Stories to Your Device
- Go to Toolzu and paste the username of the account you want to download stories from. It will bring up the stories posted on that account, and you can download them. Note: It does not work on private accounts.
Check out these top free websites you can use to download Instagram images on your device!
3. Share and Save Story
By using this option, you can share Instagram Stories and effectively save them in your account. Follow the following steps to accomplish this
- View your active story after sharing it on your account
- Click on the 3 dots at the bottom of the story and tap “Save”
4. Archive Stories in your Instagram App
This is a fantastic choice that is available in the Instagram app’s settings. It enables you to turn on the Archive feature, which automatically saves all Instagram stories you publish.
To active this option follows the steps below:
- Open the Instagram app. Go to your account and click on the hamburger icon at the top-left corner
- Click on the “Archive icon” then click on the three dots at the top-left corner
- Select “Settings”
- Activate the “Save Story to Archive” (Android) or “Save to Camera Roll” options under “Saving” (iOS)
All done. Now that Instagram stories are saved in the archive section, you can easily download them into your phone’s library after posting them.
To access this section and view the saved stories, follow the steps below:
- Log into Instagram and select “Profile.”
- Select “Archive”
- The Archive screen will appear, displaying all of the stories organized by date.
Your Instagram account will now always have a copy of your Instagram stories.
The ability to reuse or repost Instagram stories in the future to create Instagram Stories Highlights is one of the biggest advantages of saving them in the archive.
5. Save Stories in ‘Highlights’
Instagram Stories have been upgraded to allow users to create Highlight sections on their Instagram profiles using the stories that have already ended.
The sections function like Pinterest boards and are viewable by others.
With Instagram Stories Highlights, you can make themed highlights where you can save and share content that you believe is deserving of attention.
The benefits of having highlights for businesses are the following:
- Simple access to categorized posts and stories
- Highlight particular products or collections.
- Showcase reviews from clients
- Include a highlight in the section of your FAQs about your company.
Example of Highlights in use.
How to save an Instagram story in Highlights
- Click on the saved stories in your Archive or the active story to view them.
- At the bottom of the story screen, select the Highlight icon.
- Either select a Highlight category or click “Add new.”
All done. Now, on your Instagram profile page, below your information, your story will be listed in the Highlight section.
Save Instagram Story FAQ
Simply tap the top-right three-dot icon and select Save to download the stories to your camera roll. This will allow you to save your own videos from your Stories. The process is the same as with photographs.
Use a third-party app like Toolzu to save other people’s stories. Simply visit their website, type in the username of the user from whom you want to download stories, and click Download to use this app. To allow their system to generate the most recent live stories, kindly wait up to 30 seconds.
Yes. You can enable a setting in Archive to have all of your stories continuously archived in your account.
Final Thoughts: How to Save Instagram Stories To Your Phone, Tablet, Or PC
In the end, learning how to save Instagram stories can be incredibly useful, whether you do it through an app or a video recorder. This is a useful trick for anyone who has ever wanted a copy of an Instagram story but has been frustrated by its inability to download them.
Luckily, the steps are laid out for you in simple terms so that even those that are not tech-savvy can follow along. The trick is something that everyone should have in their toolkit, so if you haven’t tried it out yet, be sure to give it a shot the next time you come across an Instagram story you would like to save.
