The archive is only half the job. This series walks the app itself, in the order the questions actually come up: get the export right, open it, find things, compare, ask, look back, and keep control of what you now hold.
01 Getting It Right
Did I download the right thing?
02 When It Won't Open
Why did it reject my file?
03 Finding Things
How do I find who I am looking for?
04 Comparing
What changed between then and now?
05 Asking Questions
What can this tell me?
06 Looking Back
What did that year look like?
07 Staying In Control
How do I keep, export or erase this?
Every post in this series uses data you already downloaded from Meta’s Download Your Information tool. Nothing asks you to upload anything, and nothing here is affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with Instagram or Meta.