SaveJet Desktop — Help & Documentation

01What is SaveJet Desktop?

The website at savejet.app downloads one post at a time. SaveJet Desktop is the same tool packaged as an app that runs on your own computer, built for bulk work — point it at a whole profile or hashtag and it saves everything in original quality, organized in a Library.

📦

Bulk downloads

Whole profiles & hashtags in one go — not just single posts.

💻

Runs on your PC

No browser tab limits. Windows 10/11 and macOS 11+.

🔑

Session sign-in

🔄

Auto-updates

New versions install silently in the background. No reinstalling.

02Download

Pick your platform. The links always serve the latest version:

Windows — Installer (recommended): SaveJetDesktopProSetup.exe — installs per-user in seconds, no admin needed.
Windows — Portable (no install): SaveJetDesktopProPortable.exe — a single file you can run from anywhere, even a USB stick.
macOS — Disk image: SaveJetDesktopPro.dmg — Apple Silicon & Intel.

Or grab them from the downloads page.

03Install on Windows

SaveJet is a free app and isn't code-signed yet, so Windows shows a one-time warning the first time you run it. This is normal for new free software — here's how to get past it:

Open the downloaded SaveJetDesktopProSetup.exe. Windows SmartScreen shows “Windows protected your PC.” Click More info.

Windows SmartScreen dialog 'Windows protected your PC' with the 'More info' link to click — Step 1 — click **More info** (top-left of the dialog).

The dialog expands to show the app name and publisher. Click Run anyway.

Expanded SmartScreen dialog showing SaveJetDesktopProSetup.exe and a 'Run anyway' button — Step 2 — click **Run anyway**. You only do this once.

The app installs to your user folder in a few seconds and opens. After this first time, every automatic update installs silently — no SmartScreen prompt again.

Is it safe? Yes. The warning means “unrecognized,” not “unsafe” — it appears for any new app without a paid code-signing certificate (~$300/yr). SaveJet installs only for your user (no admin), and only ever downloads public Instagram content.

04Install on Mac

The Mac build is unsigned too (free path), so macOS Gatekeeper asks you to confirm the first launch:

Open SaveJetDesktopPro.dmg and drag SaveJet Instagram Downloader into your Applications folder.

The first time, macOS says “cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer.” Instead of double-clicking, right-click (or Control-click) the app → Open → Open.

That's it — macOS remembers your choice, so from then on it opens normally with a double-click.

On macOS Ventura/Sonoma you can also approve it under System Settings → Privacy & Security → “Open Anyway,” if the right-click step doesn't appear.

05Using SaveJet Desktop

The app has four tabs in the left sidebar — Download, Tasks, Library and Account — plus built-in Help & tutorials.

1. Get your Instagram session ID

SaveJet signs in with a session ID — your password never leaves your computer. To find it, open instagram.com while logged in, then open your browser's developer tools:

Press F12 (or right-click → Inspect) and open the Application tab.
In the left panel: Storage → Cookies → https://www.instagram.com.
Find the sessionid row and copy its full Value.

Browser DevTools Application tab showing the Instagram sessionid cookie value to copy — Copy the `sessionid` cookie value under **Application → Cookies → instagram.com**.

Use a spare / throwaway Instagram account, not your main one, and never share your session ID — it's a temporary key to that account.

2. Sign in (Account 🔑)

Open the Account tab, paste the session ID, and connect. The sidebar shows a green dot and your username once the session is valid.

SaveJet Account tab with the session ID field, before signing in — Account tab — paste your `sessionid` and connect.

SaveJet Account tab connected, showing the signed-in username and a green status dot — Connected — a green dot and your username confirm you're signed in.

3. Download a whole profile or hashtag (⬇️)

On the Download tab, paste a profile @username or a #hashtag and start. SaveJet grabs the entire set — all photos, videos and reels — in original quality into a folder on your computer.

SaveJet Desktop is built for bulk — whole profiles and whole hashtags. For a single post, reel, or story, use the SaveJet web app instead; it's quicker for one-offs, and the desktop app will point you there if you paste a single-post link.

Download tab — enter a profile or #hashtag, choose a folder, and start.

4. Watch progress (Tasks 📊)

The Tasks tab lists every running and finished job with a live activity log; the sidebar badge shows how many are active.

SaveJet Tasks tab with a download in progress — A download in progress, with its live activity log.

SaveJet Tasks tab showing completed downloads — Finished jobs are marked complete.

5. Find your files (Library 🗂️)

Everything you've downloaded is organized in the Library tab — browse, preview, and open the folder on your computer.

SaveJet Library tab listing downloaded items — Library — every profile and hashtag you've saved, ready to open.

Stuck anywhere? The Help & tutorials button at the bottom of the sidebar (❔) opens step-by-step guides inside the app.

06Automatic updates

SaveJet keeps itself up to date. On launch it checks for a newer version; if one exists it downloads in the background and installs silently when you close the app — so your next open is already the new version. You can also click “Restart now” on the update banner to apply it instantly.

Because updates are downloaded and installed by the app itself, they don't trigger the Windows SmartScreen prompt — that only ever appears on the very first manual install.

07Troubleshooting & FAQ

Windows says “Windows protected your PC”

Expected for a new, unsigned free app. Click More info → Run anyway (see Install on Windows). It appears only on the first manual install.

Mac says the app “cannot be opened — unidentified developer”

Right-click (or Control-click) the app → Open → Open, just once (see Install on Mac).

My antivirus flagged the installer

Apps bundled with PyInstaller (which SaveJet uses) are sometimes false-flagged by heuristics. The download comes straight from our official GitHub releases. If you're unsure, scan the file on VirusTotal before running.

Where are my downloads saved?

In the folder you pick when starting a download; you can always reopen them from the Library tab.

Do I need an account or password?

No password — you sign in with an Instagram session ID on the Account tab. It stays on your machine. SaveJet only downloads public content.

Installer vs. Portable — which do I pick?

The Installer adds a Start-menu shortcut and enables silent auto-updates — best for most people. The Portable build is a single file that runs without installing, handy for a USB stick or a locked-down PC.

SaveJet Desktop — Help & Setup