If you've just unzipped your Instagram data download and thought "what am I even looking at?" — you're not doing anything wrong. The export genuinely isn't built for humans to read. This guide explains what's in it, why it looks like code, and the easiest way to turn it back into something you can actually browse.
What's actually inside the Instagram data download
When you use Instagram's "Download your information" feature, you get a .zip file. Unzip it and you'll find a nest of folders — things like your_instagram_activity, media, messages — each stuffed with files. Your actual photos and videos are in there, buried in subfolders usually named by date. And the information about your posts (captions, dates, likes) is stored separately in either HTML or JSON files.
That separation is the whole problem. Your photo is in one folder; its caption and date are in a code file somewhere else. Opening either on its own doesn't give you anything that looks like Instagram.
Why your Instagram data looks like code
The export is designed to be complete and machine-readable, not pretty. If you open one of the JSON files, you'll see something like this:
A typical post in the JSON export:
"media": [{
"uri": "media/posts/202307/3421_n.jpg",
"creation_timestamp": 1689012345,
"title": "Santorini sunset \ud83c\udf05"
}],
"creation_timestamp": 1689012345
}
So your caption ("Santorini sunset") is buried in quotes next to a creation_timestamp of 1689012345 — which is a Unix timestamp, not a date any normal person reads. Your photo isn't even here; there's just a file path pointing to it. Multiply that across hundreds of posts and you can see why scrolling these files feels nothing like scrolling your profile.
The HTML version is a little friendlier — you can open those files in a web browser — but they're still cluttered with metadata, broken-looking layouts, and timestamps everywhere, and the images often don't display properly because of how the folders are linked.
When you request your data, Instagram offers both formats. HTML is marginally more readable in a browser; JSON is raw data. They contain the same information, so it doesn't matter much which you choose — a good viewer reads either. If your account is suspended, you're often only offered HTML, which is fine.
The easy way: view your export as a proper gallery
You don't need to be technical or wrestle with these files. This is the exact problem I built Rescued to solve after my own account was suspended and I couldn't bear looking at my memories as lines of code.
You drop your .zip in and it does the tedious work for you — matches each photo to its caption and date, converts those Unix timestamps into real dates, and lays everything out as a clean, scrollable gallery of your posts, stories and reels. The way it was meant to look.
Rescued reads your export entirely in your own browser. Your files never leave your device — there's no server, no account, no upload. For something as personal as your whole account history, that mattered to me, and it might matter to you too.
Turn your messy export into your memories
Drop your Instagram .zip in and browse your posts, stories and reels the way they're supposed to look. Free, private, nothing uploaded.
Open RescuedPrefer to dig through the files yourself?
If you'd rather explore the raw export manually, here's how to make sense of it:
- Unzip the file firstEverything is compressed inside the .zip. Extract it fully before trying to open anything, or the folders won't link up correctly.
- Find your media folderLook for a "media" folder — your actual photos and videos live in dated subfolders inside it. This is where your images physically are.
- Open the HTML files in a browserIf you chose the HTML export, double-click those files to open them in Chrome or Safari. They'll be cluttered, but it's the most readable raw option.
- Convert timestamps if you're in the JSONThose long numbers (like 1689012345) are Unix timestamps. You can paste one into any online "Unix timestamp converter" to get the real date.
It works, but it's slow and joyless — which is exactly why a viewer that does it all at once tends to be worth it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I open my Instagram data export?
Unzip the .zip file first, then either open the HTML files in a browser or use a viewer that reads the whole export. Rescued turns the entire zip into a browsable gallery so you don't have to dig through folders.
Why does my Instagram data look like code?
The export is built to be machine-readable, not human-friendly. JSON files are raw structured data, and even the HTML files are cluttered with metadata and timestamps, so they don't resemble your actual profile.
Can I see my captions and dates from the export?
Yes, they're in there — but stored separately from your photos and written next to raw timestamps. A viewer like Rescued matches each caption and date back to the right photo and shows them normally.
Is it safe to open my Instagram data in an online viewer?
Only if it doesn't upload your data. Rescued processes everything locally in your browser and never sends your files anywhere, so your photos stay on your device.
See your account the way it's meant to look
Stop scrolling through code. Drop your export in and get your posts, stories and reels back as a real gallery.
Open Rescued — it's freeJust got suspended and haven't downloaded your data yet? Read our full recovery guide for how to request your export and get your memories out.