macOS
Homebrewverified ยท 100%
brew install instaloaderprovider-native install command
brew / rank 2414
Install instaloader with Homebrew
Download media from Instagram. Version 4.15.3 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-27.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Download media from Instagram
Project links
Commands and aliases
- instaloader
history
Project history and usage
Instaloader is a Python command-line and library tool for downloading Instagram photos, videos, captions, comments, geotags, stories, feeds, saved media, and related metadata. It is one of the more widely packaged Instagram media archiving tools in Unix-like package managers.
Project history
The GitHub repository was created in 2016, and PyPI records the first published package line in 2016. The official documentation describes Instaloader as free open-source Python software for downloading Instagram media and metadata.
The project evolved from profile downloads into a broader archival tool. The docs list support for public and private profiles, hashtags, stories, highlights, tagged posts, reels, IGTV, feed and saved targets, profile-name-change detection, resumable interrupted downloads, customizable filters, and use as a Python module.
The release stream continued through the 4.x series, with the documentation site linking to tagged releases and PyPI distributing a large release history. This matters because Instagram scraping tools often have to react to platform-side changes and authentication/rate-limit behavior.
Adoption history
Instaloader's package-manager reach is broad for a Python CLI. The input metadata records Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Nix, and Winget packages, while the official docs recommend pip and also point to AUR, standalone Windows executables, source downloads, pre-release installs, and Termux on Android.
Homebrew packages Instaloader from PyPI, and the formula records notable installation activity. The GitHub repository has a large user-facing footprint for this batch, with thousands of stars and a documentation site aimed at both CLI users and library users.
How it is used
The basic documented workflow is instaloader profile, with options for fast incremental updates and timestamp-based archive updates. Login enables private profile, stories, feed, saved, and other authenticated targets, and the docs describe reusable session-cookie storage for non-interactive runs.
The docs also cover post filtering, filename templates, metadata text and JSON files, exit codes, cron-style operation, Python API usage, and troubleshooting for rate limits and login errors, which makes the package more of an archival toolkit than a one-command downloader.
Why package nerds care
Instaloader is significant because it sits at the intersection of Python packaging, social-media scraping, local backup workflows, credential/session storage, and fast-moving upstream web behavior. It is also packaged across both language and OS package managers.
For package maintainers, it is a useful example of a CLI whose binary behavior depends on web-service policy, authentication state, rate limits, and user data layout rather than only on local dependencies.
Timeline
- 2016: GitHub repository created and Instaloader appears on PyPI.
- 2020s: Documentation covers profile, hashtag, story, feed, saved-media, metadata, cron, and Python-module workflows.
- 2024: v4.14 release line published.
- 2026: v4.15.1 release published and packaged by Homebrew.
Related projects
- Instaloader is related to PyPI, Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu/Nix/Winget packaging, AUR, Termux, Python web scraping libraries, Instagram archival scripts, and older or alternative tools such as InstaLooter.
Sources
security posture
No protected-tool coverage found yet
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for instaloader. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
local files
Configuration and credential file locations
These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.
Credential files
Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.
- Unix
~/.config/instaloader/session-YOUR-USERNAME
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
instaloader | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version4.15.3
manager updated2026-07-27
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:instaloader |
|---|---|
| Version | 4.15.3 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://instaloader.github.io/ |
| Last updated | 2026-07-27T11:05:22Z |
| Pulse | updated |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- curated configuration and credential file locations
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation