How to Get Metadata for Instagram Photos

PixelPeeper.io can reverse-engineer edits from photos, but it needs JPGs with metadata. Instagram strips metadata from files, but there are work-arounds you can try.

Photos downloaded directly from Instagram won‘t work with PixelPeeper, because they don‘t contain metadata. Instagram strips it to save up on bandwidth (metadata makes files bigger).

There are also privacy concerns: photos taken on phones can contain the exact location they were taken at. If they didn‘t remove it, you can only imagine what stalkers could use it for.

So, there‘s no way to get metadata directly from Instagram, but if the author has a website, there‘s a chance they upload the same photos there as well — and you have a much bigger chance finding original photos with metadata on their website.

Use Google Image Search

Another trick is to use Google Image Search to find different versions of the photo you want to check.

When you're on instagram (website, not the app), download the photo (the link is hidden in the source code), or take a screenshot of it and save it on your desktop.

Next, go to Google Image Search, click on "Search by Image" icon and upload the file.

Click on "Search by Image" and Google will show you different websites where this (or similar) photo is published. Follow the links and check the images you find on PixelPeeper.

More workarounds

For more details, tips and tricks, see: How to Find Photos with Metadata