This is a sponsored article and was made possible by Qoob Stories. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence even when a post is sponsored.
Overview of Features
I recently had the opportunity to test out Qoob Stories myself. I’d never tried out an Instagram download tool and wasn’t really sure what to expect. Now it will be hard to go back to the Instagram app. Qoob Stories is a desktop application designed for Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu. It’s nice to see Linux support. Think of it as the much better desktop version of Instagram that’s easy to customize to your needs. The tool has several main features:
Download photos, videos, highlights, and stories from your own Instagram account, public accounts, and private accounts you followDownload your entire account for backup purposesView accounts without adsWatch public Instagram stories anonymouslySet up new content to download automatically
Much like on Instagram, you subscribe to accounts, hashtags, or locations you want to download. You then customize your subscriptions to download the type of content you want and the time period. It can be a one-time download or an on-going subscription to download new content based on a set refresh rate.
Getting Set Up
Getting set up on Qoob Stories is easier than setting up an Instagram account. Simply download the version of the app you need and install it. Once installed, open the downloader and enter your Instagram login credentials. This is only to provide access to Instagram and give you access to private accounts you follow. I had the tool up and running in less than five minutes. That includes learning how the basic functions worked. I even had one subscription downloaded. If you want something that’s simple to use, it doesn’t get much easier than this. I really am impressed at how easy this tool is to use.
Using Qoob Stories
The interface is straightforward. When you first open it, you have a search box, download button, profile icon, and a blank list where your subscriptions will be. To get started, just enter an Instagram username, location, or hashtag. When you start typing, you’ll see suggestions, much like you do on Instagram. Select the right option for you. When you select something, the Download button turns dark blue. You can press Download to instantly start downloading everything from the account,or customize what you download. Personally, I love the fact that you don’t have to download everything and then pick through the results. If you’re just searching for a specific time period, choose your date range. You can then choose whether to download photos, videos, Stories, highlights, tagged posts, a certain type of post, or any combination. Obviously, the more you’re downloading, the longer the initial download takes. When you’re ready, just press Download and let the magic begin. For older accounts with thousands of posts, be patient. It could take a little while for everything to download. You’ll get a notification when the download is complete. For one account with over 1,300 posts, the download took around three minutes. That includes video and Stories posts. I did notice that individual accounts seemed to download faster than hashtags. All your subscriptions show up just below the search box. Click the menu to the right of any subscription to jump to your computer’s download folder to view your files. Each subscription is given its own folder to make it easy to find what you’re looking for. Obviously, you can delete anything you don’t want to keep. This is ideal for keeping copies of your own content, photos shared by family, or anything else.
Viewing Instagram without Ads
Not as interested in the downloading part as the potential of viewing Instagram without ads? Sometimes,you just need a break from seeing an ad every few posts. Qoob Stories gives you this option with any subscriptions you add. Want to view your friend’s account without ads getting in the way? Add it to your subscriptions using the Download feature. Then click the name of the account, hashtag, or location. This brings up everything in a separate window for you to view. You can also click the menu to the right of any subscription and select “View on Instagram” to go directly to Instagram. It’s a great way to keep track of your favorite accounts without the ads. You can always delete anything you don’t want to keep on your computer.
Continue Downloading New Posts
If you want to continue downloading new posts, leave the date range open in your download options. You can choose a start date, but leave the end date open. Then, based on the preferences in your account, your subscriptions will auto-update. The default is every 12 hours.
A Few Hiccups
Overall, I was thoroughly impressed throughout my review period. However, I did run into one glitch. Randomly, Qoob Stories would close for no reason. It only seemed to happen when I clicked the search box. It happened several times throughout my review week. While I loved the features, I would like to see the possibility to preview a search result before downloading anything. For now, you can always check it out on Instagram first and then download in Qoob Stories. That’s just a small thing, but a feature I think would make this tool even more incredible.
Final Thoughts
Whether you want to back up your Instagram posts (we’ve all heard the horror stories of hacked or randomly deleted accounts), download posts from favorite accounts, or just view Instagram without ads, Qoob Stories makes this possible. Everything’s easy to use from a barebones interface that puts the focus on downloading and viewing the results. There are three plans to choose from: Free (2 profile limit), Personal ($7/month with 10 profile limit), and Professional ($25/month, unlimited everything). The free version is ideal for backing up your account. As you can tell, each tier gives you more options. But, I love that the free version lets you try it out before subscribing to a premium plan. You can try out Qoob Stories for yourself today and make Instagram even more useful.
