Find your Instagram Session ID on desktop
Find the sessionid needed for story downloads in about one minute.
This works on a PC or Mac with Chrome, Edge, Brave, or Firefox.
Before you start
- Never enter your Instagram password into Insave.
- Use a secondary Instagram account whenever possible.
- A sessionid grants account access. Never share it with anyone.
Chrome quick path
F12 > Application > Cookies > instagram.com > sessionid > copy Value- 1
Log in to Instagram
Open instagram.com in your desktop browser and log in. Make sure your home feed is visible.
- 2
Open Developer Tools
Press F12 or Ctrl + Shift + I on Windows. On Mac, press Cmd + Option + I. You can also right-click the page and choose Inspect.
- 3
Open Cookies
In Chrome, Edge, or Brave, go to Application > Storage > Cookies > https://www.instagram.com. In Firefox, open Storage > Cookies.
- 4
Copy sessionid
Find the row named sessionid. Double-click its Value field and copy the entire value.
- 5
Paste it into Insave
Return to Insave and submit a story URL. Paste the copied value into the Session ID field and try the download again.
How is the session handled?
The session ID is saved only in this browser and sent over HTTPS for story requests. It is not stored in server logs or a database. Logging out of Instagram invalidates the session.
Troubleshooting
- If sessionid is missing, log out of Instagram and log in again.
- If the session expired, refresh Instagram and copy the latest sessionid.
- For private accounts, the account behind the session must follow that user.
- If the story is not visible on Instagram itself, Insave cannot download it.