Insta360 App: How to Download/Export Photos and Videos to a Phone's Local Album

Insta360 App: How to Download/Export Photos and Videos to a Phone's Local Album

Applicable Models:  X6, Luna Ultra, ONE X, X2, X3, X4, X5, Ace, Ace Pro, Ace Pro 2, GO 3, GO 3S, GO Ultra, ONE R, and ONE RS

You can download photos and videos from the camera to the Insta360 app for offline viewing and editing. Exporting photos and videos saves them from the Insta360 app to your phone's local album for long-term storage and sharing.

---

How to download/export single media

Download media to the Insta360 app

Method 1 (From the Album page): Open the Insta360 app > tap "Album" at the bottom to enter the "Album" page > tap and hold the video or photo you want to download to the Insta360 app > tap "Download (App)".

Method 2 (From the Player page): Open the Insta360 app > tap "Album" at the bottom > play the video or photo you want to download to enter the player page > tap the Settings (⚙️) icon in the top left corner > tap "Download" > select "Download entire clip / Download selected segment".

You can check the download progress via the Transfer icon in the top right. Once completed, the cached media can be found on the "Downloaded" page within Album of the Insta360 app.

Please note: Only videos (shot in the Video Mode) with the in-camera stabilization applied for wide-angle cameras will be simultaneously saved to the Insta360 Download folder in your phone's album.

Save media to a phone's album

Method 1 (From the Album page): Open the Insta360 app > tap "Album" at the bottom to enter the "Album" page > tap and hold the media you want to export > tap "Export to Phone" > select "Save settings" > change the settings as needed, and tap "Export to Phone".

Method 2 (From the Player page): Open the Insta360 app > tap "Album" at the bottom > play the video or photo you want to download to enter the player page > Tap the Export button in the top right corner > select "Save settings" > change the settings as needed, and tap "Export to Phone".

Method 3 (From the Edit page): Open the Insta360 app, tap "Edit" at the bottom > "Create a Video" > select the media you want to edit, and tap "Next" to enter the Edit page > tap the Export button in the top right corner > select "Save settings" > change the settings as needed, and tap "Export to Phone".

Please note:

• If you download/export media from the Album page or the Player page:
  • For flat videos, you can change the resolution and bitrate upon export, but not the frame rate; for 360 videos, you can only change the resolution to 1080P or 4K.
  • You cannot export edited 360 videos from the Record / Editor / Auto Edit pages. You can only export unedited 360 videos or edited flat videos.
• If you download/export media from the Edit page:
  • You can only export flat videos.
  • You can turn on the Remove Grain feature
• When exporting 360 media, you can choose to export it as flat media or 360 media and select the export platform. However, whether the 360 effect is displayed depends on whether the target system and platform support viewing 360 media.
  • For example: If you export media to the Photos app on an iPhone, the iOS system does not support viewing 360 media, so even if you select the 360 format during export, the media will appear as flat media after export.

How to batch process multiple media (export, favorite, or delete)

Open the Insta360 app > tap "Album" at the bottom to enter the Album page > tap the Check icon in the top-right corner > select multiple media you want to process > tap "Delete" / "Favorite" / "Export to Phone" / "Download" (to the Insta360 app) at the bottom to process the clips in batch.

Please note:

• The following media types do not support batch export: 360 videos, media captured with Flow Series, 6K Widescreen (Cinematic mode) media, and 8K media.
• There is no limit on the number of media files you can export in a batch. The default settings for batch export are 1080p resolution, 30 fps, and 25Mbps (bitrate).

How to check the storage location of downloaded media

Android / HUAWEI (HarmonyOS)

You can locate the Insta360 app’s raw media folder by opening your phone’s File Manager / Files > selecting Internal Storage or Phone Storage (do not select SD Card) > finding and entering the Android folder > tapping “data” > “com.arashivision.insta360akiko” > “files” > “Insta360OneR” > “galleryOriginal”.

Please note: Some Android phones support external SD cards, but you cannot change the default storage location for app files to the external SD card.

iOS

Open the Photos app on your iPhone (the native album) > swipe down from the top of the Photos page to bring up the search bar and album list > In the album list, find and tap the "Insta360Download" album to view all the media downloaded from the Insta360 app to your phone.

FAQ

I. Media Storage Location

1. Why do some media download options include the suffix "App", while others do not?

If the media is intended for post-production stabilization, the "Download" option will be suffixed with "App"; tapping it will download the media to the Insta360 app only.

For media with in-camera image stabilization applied, the "Download" option will not be suffixed with "App". When you tap it, the media will be downloaded to both your phone's album and the Insta360 app.

1. Why can't I find/see the downloaded media in my phone's album?

If the media don't appear in your album after downloading, this is mainly related to the stabilization type and the download method. Please follow the instructions below to troubleshoot the issue:

• Media with in-camera stabilization applied: After being downloaded via the Insta360 app, the media will be saved to both the Insta360 app and your phone’s album. Both copies are the same file; deleting one will automatically delete the other.
• Photos and videos with post-production stabilization applied: After being downloaded via the Insta360 app, the media will be saved to the Insta360 app only and will not be automatically synced to your phone's album, so you won't find it there. To download media from the Insta360 app's Album to your phone's album, please follow the step described in “Save media to a phone's album” about.

Please note: Media downloaded to your phone's album are sorted by shooting time, and the display varies by phone model.

• iOS: In the Photos app, tap the Up/Down Arrows in the bottom left corner, select "Sort by Recently Added", check in "Recents", or check in the "Insta360Download" folder.
• Android: Check the "All Items / Recents / All Photos" folder or look for downloaded media files in the "Insta360Download" folder.

1. What's the difference between "Download" and "Export to Phone"? / What's the difference between "Download" and "Export"?

• Tapping "Download": Media with in-camera stabilization applied is saved to both the phone's album and the Insta360 app's Album, while media with post-production stabilization applied is only downloaded to the Insta360 app's Album and are not exported to your phone's album.
• Tapping "Export to Phone": Media is directly exported to the phone's system album.

1. After exporting media from the Insta360 app, does the media file timestamp reflect the actual shooting time or the export time?

When you select "Export" or "Export to Phone" in the Insta360 app, the media file timestamp defaults to the export time. If you need to display the actual shooting time, you can use the "Download" option (only available for media with in-camera stabilization applied). In this case, the media will be saved directly to your phone's system album as the original file, and the timestamp will reflect the actual shooting time.

5. Why can't I access the original media folder of the Insta360 app on Android phones?

• Open the "File Manager" app on your phone and search the device storage for keywords such as "VID", "DCIM", or "insv" to check if you can find the video files.
• Connect your phone to a computer, enter the MTP mode, and search for "VID", "insv", or similar keywords on the computer to check if you can open the corresponding folders.

If you still cannot access the folder using the above methods, it means your phone's system strictly restricts access to that directory. We recommend exporting media from the Insta360 app for use, or connecting the camera to a computer to obtain the original media files.

II. Export Quality and Image Quality

1. Why does the exported media from the Album page not show the edits (such as Stats, music, etc.) that I made?

In Insta360 app v2.0.0 or later, the editing page has been optimized. Many editing features from the former player page (such as adding Stats, music, effects, etc.) have been migrated to the Quick Editing or Advanced Editing pages. The export feature on the Album page (including batch export) only supports saving editing data from the player page. Currently, it can only retain video trimming. Any other edits made on the Quick Editing or Advanced Editing pages cannot be saved via export from the Album page. As a result, exported videos may appear without any editing effects.

1. Why can't I export 4K video from the editing pages after updating the Insta360 app to v2.0.0 or later?

This is due to limitations of your phone's RAM. iOS devices with RAM up to 4GB and Android devices with RAM up to 6GB do not support direct 4K video export. If you need to export 4K videos, please navigate to the bottom of the "Me" page and enable "Performance Mode" before exporting (the app may crash during export).

Please note: iOS devices with RAM up to 4GB include: iPhone 8 / iPhone 8 Plus; iPhone X / XS / XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone SE (2020), iPhone 11 / 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13.

III. Background Downloads and Notifications

1. How can I keep the Insta360 app downloading in the background for an extended period?

• Android: Go to "System Settings" > "App Management" or "Battery Management", find the Insta360 app, and grant the permission required to allow the app to run in the background.
• iOS: Make sure your Insta360 app is updated to v1.52.0 or later.

1. How can I check download progress notifications on iOS devices?

Follow these steps to ensure you can receive download progress notifications:

• Check if your Insta360 app version is updated to v1.52.0 or later.
• Check if your system is updated to iOS 16.1 or later.
• Use the Dynamic Island: If your device supports the Dynamic Island, download progress will also be displayed there in real time.

IV. Device Change and Reinstallation after Uninstallation

1. If I download media to the Insta360 app on one device and log in with the same account on another device, will I be able to see the downloaded media?

Media downloaded locally in the Insta360 app is stored only in the local storage of the current device and will not be synced across devices. To access the media on different devices, you can use the Insta360+ Cloud Service. After you upload media to the cloud, you can access the media from any device logged in with the same account.

1. Will all downloaded media be lost if I uninstall and reinstall the Insta360 app?

• 360 media and media with post-production stabilization applied: When downloaded, these media files are stored in the app's sandbox (virtual environment). Uninstalling the Insta360 app will automatically delete all files in the sandbox, and these files cannot be recovered after reinstalling the app.
• Media with in-camera stabilization applied: When downloaded, these media files are stored directly in the phone's system album. Uninstalling the Insta360 app will not delete these files from the system album. After the app is reinstalled, it can read the corresponding media files from the system album normally. If you delete, modify, or move the downloaded media within the phone's system album, the Insta360 app will not be able to load or display them properly.