Manual method
- In the Threads iPhone app, open your profile, then the menu at the top right.
- Open Meta Account > Your information and permissions > Export your information > Create export.
- Select the profile, tap Next, then Export to device. Choose the information, date range, format, notification email and media quality.
- Tap Start export. When notified, download every package and inspect posts, replies and media. Do not assume an Instagram export includes your Threads history.
The official iPhone instructions document this route. Meta is moving accounts from Accounts Center to Meta Account, so labels can differ during the rollout. The help page says this request is not available on computers.
What you get: Meta provides Download Your Information for preserving Threads content. The available categories and controls depend on the account interface. A content download does not guarantee deleted posts, every interaction, or an offline copy of linked external media. Provider instructions. Supporting reference 1. Supporting reference 2.
Size and waiting time
Planning example: 0.5 GB; light/heavy scenarios: 0.01–10 GB. These are estimates, not a measured population average or fixed limits. Mostly posts, replies and interaction records, with a modest collection of uploaded pictures; frequent video posting raises the total.
Preparation: Meta says it may take up to 30 days to email the download link. Follow the readiness and expiry shown for your request.
Network transfer of 0.5 GB: about 10 min at 10 Mbps, 2 min at 50 Mbps, or 57 sec at 100 Mbps. This assumes 70% sustained throughput and excludes preparation, manual work and extraction. These are download estimates; online backup takes additional time at your upload speed. Transfer calculations and large-file examples.
Store and check your archive
An encrypted folder on your computer is suitable for this small report; keep a second copy on an external drive. Allow roughly 1.5 GB of working space for the example, including an original, an extracted working copy and room to check it. Very compressed packages can need more. A USB key is useful for a spare copy, but should not be the only one. An encrypted online copy protects against losing the local devices.
Keep the original in threads/YYYY-MM-DD/original/. Record the account alias, selected scope, date range and missing items. Open old and recent records and sample attachments offline, then compare file sizes or checksums after copying. Keep the source account until you have checked the result. Storage and recovery instructions.
Sources and review
Public documentation was reviewed on 27 October 2026. No signed-in export or restoration was performed. Account options and availability can change; follow the current provider instructions.