Short answer
Open the image, then long-press and Save (mobile) or right-click and Save image as (desktop); for the largest version on desktop, open the image in a new tab and change the name parameter in its address to 'orig'.
Key takeaways
- Mobile: open the image and long-press or use the share/download icon.
- Desktop: 'name=orig' in the image URL gets the largest stored version.
- Your own images come in bulk with your data archive.
Saving a photo from X is easy. Saving it at the best quality takes one extra step on desktop.
How do I save an image on my phone?
Tap the image to open it, then long-press it (or tap the share or more icon) and choose Save.
- iPhone: open the image, long-press, tap Save to Photos, or use the share icon.
- Android: open the image, tap the three-dot menu or long-press, choose Save or Download.
How do I save an image on a computer?
Right-click the open image and choose Save image as; for full size, open it in a new tab and set name=orig.
- Click the image so it opens large.
- Right-click and choose Open image in new tab.
- In the address bar you'll see something like
…?format=jpg&name=smallorname=large. - Change it to
name=origand press Enter. - Right-click, Save image as.
How do I get all my own images?
Download your X archive; every image you posted is in the data/media folders.
Settings and privacy > Your account > Download an archive of your data. It takes a day or more to prepare.
Can I reuse images I download?
Only with permission, unless it's your own or clearly licensed for reuse.
Credit isn't the same as permission. For mockups, use your own images or royalty-free ones; our generator works with any image on your device without uploading it.
What about GIFs and multi-image posts?
GIFs on X are stored as short videos, and multi-image posts are saved one image at a time.
To keep a GIF, use X's download option if you have it (it saves as a video file), or a downloader that converts it. For posts with several images, open each image and save it separately; the name=orig trick works for every image in the post.
Do downloaded images keep their metadata?
No. X strips location and camera details (EXIF data) from uploaded photos.
That's good for privacy, and it means you can't use a downloaded image to find where it was taken. For checking whether an image is genuine, reverse image search on Google or Bing is more useful.
Questions people ask
Why are downloaded images smaller than the original?
X resizes and compresses uploads. 'name=orig' gives the largest version X kept, which may still be smaller than what was uploaded (X caps images at 4096 pixels on the long side).
Can I download all images from someone's profile?
Not with X's own tools. Bulk downloaders exist but rely on scraping or the paid API, and reusing others' images needs permission.
Is it legal to save images from X?
Saving for personal viewing is common practice. Reposting, selling or using them commercially requires the creator's permission.