Keep the files. Keep the context.

Request an Instagram account export from Accounts Center, choose the right format and media quality, and store the result safely.

Set up a repeatable folder system for Instagram photos, Reels, Stories, captions, and account exports.

Prepare camera files, drafts, editor projects, and account access before changing phones.

Unzip an Instagram account export, browse the HTML version, inspect JSON safely, and locate the media folders.

Understand what the Instagram Stories Archive saves, what can change in archived stories, and how to protect important originals.

Keep editable masters, published exports, captions, and permission records for Instagram Reels without relying on the profile copy.

Understand the difference between a camera original, an editor export, and the processed copy delivered through Instagram.

Export account information, preserve original media, and record business dependencies before requesting Instagram account deletion.

Spot requests for passwords, cookies, authentication codes, extensions, and other unnecessary access when saving your own content.

Understand why credit is not the same as permission and what to record before reposting another creator's work.