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Complete Social Media Forensics: Download and Analyze Instagram Data in Magnet AXIOM

In today’s digital age, Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms, hosting billions of photos, videos, chats, stories, and user activities. However, this also makes it a prime source of digital evidence in cybercrime investigations, fraud detection, online harassment cases, and other criminal activities.

Forensic investigators need a systematic and reliable approach to collect, process, and analyze Instagram data without compromising its integrity.
 This is where Magnet AXIOM, one of the most powerful digital forensic tools, comes into play. AXIOM allows investigators to seamlessly download, import and analyze from Instagram data in a forensically sound manner.

In this article, we’ll guide you step-by-step on how to download Instagram data and perform an in-depth forensic analysis using Magnet AXIOM.

Why Use Magnet AXIOM for Instagram Forensics

Magnet AXIOM is widely used in the field of digital forensics because of its ability to extract, organize, and analyze large datasets efficiently. Here’s why it’s a preferred choice for Instagram investigations:

  • Supports Multiple Evidence Types – Analyzes chats, images, videos, contacts, login history, and more.
  • Powerful Search & Filtering – Quickly locate critical artifacts using filters and keyword searches.
  • Metadata Extraction – Retrieves timestamps, geolocation data, and other hidden details.
  • Cross-Platform Analysis – Supports data from Android, iOS, and downloaded archives.

 

Step 1: Downloading Instagram Data

Before starting the forensic analysis, we need to legally acquire Instagram data. Instagram allows users to request and download a complete data archive, which includes messages, photos, videos, comments, and account activity.

Steps to Download Instagram Data:

  1. Login to Instagram using a web browser or application.
  2. Go to Settings → Privacy and Security → see more in the account center → Your Information and Permissions → Export your Information → Create export → Choose a profile to export Information

3. Export to Device or Export to External Service (Backblaze B2, Blogger, Daybook, Dropbox, Fabric, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Photos, Koofr, Photobucket, WordPress.com/Jetpack) → Select any one from these (In this we are selecting Export to Device)

4. Confirm your export (Customize Information, Date range, Format, Media Quality)

5. Start Export → Creating export files (It will take time) → Download Your Data.

 

Customize Information

Instagram activity

    • Avatars Store
    • Checkout
    • Comments
    • Events
    • Fundraisers
    • Gifts
    • Likes
    • Meta Spark
    • Monetization
    • Saved
  • Story interactions
  • Subscriptions
  • Other activity
  • Quicksnaps
  • Threads
  • Media
  • Edits
  • Reports
  • Shared access
  • AI
  • Messages
  • Personal information
    • Autofill information
    • Loyalty accounts
    • Personal information
    • Device information
    • Information about you
  • Connections
    • Contacts
    • Followers and following
  • Security and login information
    • Login and profile creation
  • Apps and websites off of Instagram
    • Apps and websites
  • Logged information
    • Link history
    • Past Instagram insights
    • Policy updates and permissions
    • Recent searches
  • Preferences
    • Your topics
    • Settings
  • Ads information
    • Instagram ads and businesses
    • Advertising
    • Ads and topics
Data format selection (HTML vs JSON)
  • If you select HTML format, you only get a visual browsing export – mainly posts, profile info, and media.
  • JSON format is recommended for forensic purposes, as it contains structured artifacts, including DMs when available.

Note: Here we downloaded both (HTML & JSON) data for analysis.

 

Step 2: Importing Data into Magnet AXIOM

Once you’ve downloaded the Instagram data archive, the next step is to import it into Magnet AXIOM for processing.

Steps to Import:

  1. Open Magnet AXIOM Process.
  2. Select New Case and provide basic details like case name, investigator name, and reference number.
  3. Click Add Evidence Source → Select Instagram Data (ZIP/Extracted Folder).
  4. Choose the extracted Instagram data folder and click Next.
  5. AXIOM will automatically detect and parse available artifacts.

Step 3: Analyzing Instagram HTML Data in Magnet AXIOM

After the data is processed, Magnet AXIOM Examine provides a powerful interface to analyze all Instagram artifacts. You can investigate:

You see the evidence categories Magnet AXIOM extracted from the Instagram ZIP file:

  • All Evidence: 1,013 items → The total number of artifacts recovered.
  • Refined Results (16) → Contains Social Media URLs related to Instagram.
  • Web Related (19) → Shows WebKit Browser Web History (Carved), meaning Magnet AXIOM recovered web browsing data related to Instagram.
  • Media (962) → Includes:
    • Pictures (533) – Images from Instagram.
    • Videos (414) – Video posts or reels.
    • Audio (15) – Any voice notes or sound clips.
  • Documents (15) → Likely includes JSON/HTML files containing profile details, followers/following lists, and settings.
  • Operating System (1) → Minimal OS-level data extracted.

 

During our Instagram data analysis in Magnet AXIOM, we observed that the Media section contained a large collection of old images and videos, including items from 5–6 years ago. This happens because Instagram retains all photos and videos that have not been manually deleted by the account owner. Rest data can be ignored in this analysis.

 

Step 4: Analyzing Instagram JSON Data in Magnet AXIOM

After the data is processed, Magnet AXIOM Examine provides a powerful interface to analyze all Instagram artifacts. You can investigate:

You see the evidence categories Magnet AXIOM extracted from the Instagram ZIP file:

  • All evidence (123183 items) → Total number of artifacts recovered from the Instagram JSON export.
  • Refined results (15093) → Includes extracted social media URLs, device identifiers, and user IDs.
  • Social networking (107128) → Most critical category – includes Instagram messages, comments, media, and account history.
  • Media (961) → Contains 532 pictures, 414 videos, and 15 audio files.
  • Operating System (1) → Minimal OS-level info relevant to this dataset.
Key Instagram Artifacts Recovered

The Social Networking section is the most important here. Magnet AXIOM successfully extracted the following:

  • Instagram Direct Messages (52,663 items): Complete conversation threads including sender, receiver, timestamps, and attachments.
  • Instagram Comments (1,046 items): Comments made on posts and replies from other users.
  • Instagram Account History (133 items): Includes account creation date, username changes, login IPs, and linked accounts.
  • Instagram Media (623 items): Photos, videos, stories, and their timestamps.
  • Social Media URLs (9,562 items): Links to profiles, followers, following lists, blocked profiles, etc.
  • Identifiers – People (5,435 items): Parsed Instagram usernames, user IDs, and related metadata.

Instagram Account History Analysis (Magnet AXIOM)

  • 133 Instagram Account History artifacts have been extracted.
  • These artifacts contain:
    • Logins
    • Logouts
    • Device information
    • IP addresses
    • Timestamps

 IP Address Evidence

  • Multiple IP addresses are recorded, meaning the account was accessed from different locations and possibly different networks.
  • These IPs can be used for geolocation analysis to identify:
    • The user’s approximate location.
    • Suspicious or unexpected logins.
    • Possible account compromise.

 

Instagram Comments (1046 artifacts)

For every comment, AXIOM provides detailed metadata, which includes:

  • Sender User Name → The Instagram username of the person who posted the comment.

  • Original Post Author → The username of the account where the comment was posted.

  • Comment Content → The actual text of the comment.

  • Comment Created Date/Time → In this screenshot, the highlighted comment was created on 29th August 2025 at 10:18:11 AM (UTC).

 

Instagram Media (623 Artifacts)

From the EVIDENCE panel, AXIOM detected the following:

  • Stories → Temporary posts uploaded by the user, later extracted even if they’re no longer visible on Instagram.
  • Reels → Short videos posted by the user or viewed by them.
  • Posts → Standard image/video uploads with captions and hashtags.

For every story, post, or reel, AXIOM provides:

  • Type → Story / Reel / Post
  • Caption → User-provided description or hashtags (e.g., #mathura, #sundernursery).
  • Title → In some cases, AXIOM parses the internal file title if available.
  • Upload Time → Can be correlated with the Instagram JSON file timestamps.
  • Preview → Right-side panel shows a video or image preview if the media file is supported.
  • File Location → Direct link to the ZIP package where the media is stored.

Instagram Direct Messages (52,663 Artifacts)

The screenshot shows the EVIDENCE panel where Magnet AXIOM has parsed all Instagram DMs from the user’s data package.

Key Fields Extracted:

  • Sender → The account initiating the message.
  • Participants → All involved users in the chat.
  • Message → Full text content or media indicators.
  • Message Sent Date/Time → Timestamp in UTC format.
  • Media Owner → Username associated with attached media.
  • Sharing Summary → Caption or short description, often linked with a post.
  • Sharing URL → Direct Instagram post/video/reel links.
  • Likers → Indicates if a message was liked (if available).

 

Group Chats & Multi-User Threads
  • Several conversations involve 3 or more participants.
  • Magnet AXIOM displays group chats, highlighting interactions between multiple accounts.
Media Evidence
  • Many messages show “You sent an attachment” → Indicates images, videos, or voice notes.
  • The Media Owner column shows usernames linked with attached files.
  • Associated Sharing URLs point to Instagram-hosted content (e.g., reels, stories).
Conclusion

Instagram has become a key source of digital evidence in modern investigations, and using Magnet AXIOM makes the process faster, more accurate, and forensically sound. From downloading data to analyzing artifacts and generating detailed reports, AXIOM provides investigators with a complete end-to-end solution. At Xpert Forensics, we specialize in digital forensic investigations and training, equipping professionals and organizations with the skills and tools needed to uncover the truth behind cyber incidents. Leveraging advanced tools like Magnet AXIOM and Cellebrite UFED, we ensure that no piece of evidence goes unnoticed, enabling investigators to recover, analyze, and present critical findings effectively and professionally.

 

How Xpert Forensics Can Help

At Xpert Forensics, we specialize in providing end-to-end digital forensic solutions, including Instagram data extraction, processing, and in-depth analysis using advanced tools like Magnet AXIOM. Our team of certified forensic experts ensures that every step of the investigation — from data acquisition to evidence reporting — is handled with accuracy, integrity, and legal compliance. Whether you are dealing with cybercrime investigations, corporate fraud, online harassment cases, or evidence recovery, we deliver actionable insights by analyzing chats, media, login history, and deleted data. With our expertise and hands-on experience, we empower law enforcement agencies, corporates, and individuals to uncover the truth effectively and present court-ready forensic reports that stand up to legal scrutiny.

✉️ Feel free to connect with us today. | Email: service@xpertforensics.in

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