Review: Saver for Instagram PRO (UWP)

Score:
88%

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As the name implies, the core feature here is being able to 'save', i.e. download media to your phone. So you see a lovely image and you'd like to share it (with attribution) on another platform or put it to some use (wallpaper, perhaps). This is all done very well, though you do get a few creation options too, with a basic media posting dialog and with the ability to 'like' the posts of others. But it's really all about the downloading.

Browsing your Instagram timeline is business as usual, with posts and like counts, except that there's a prominent pink download icon screen-right. Talking of 'right', see above for a likely looking chap in his boat!

Tapping this icon downloads the original images from the post, both images and video, as here. You can customise where the downloaded media ends up, along with an optional toast notification of completion (though Instagram media are generally short and small enough not to need this). Interestingly, Windows 10 Photos picks up saved images, but not videos (by default) - so you'd have to fiddle with save locations if you needed this functionality.

Saver's hamburger navigation menu. Cleanly implemented and the application's main functions are obvious. Note the pink 'post' icon near the top right - tap this to fire off a quick Instagram post of your own. It's all a bit basic, but then that's not the stated focus of the app, so...

'Explore' thrusts you into the wider world of Instagram top rated images, whichi s quite cool given that you now have an application that can really explore - and download - them; (right) tapping through to a post gives a larger and clearer 'Download' control, plus the ability to read (though not add to) comments.

You can also browse your own profile and previously posted media (from all devices), which is handy; (right) one important extra is that you're not limited to viewing images at screen resolution, you can multi-touch zoom in and admire detail (at least as much as Instagram stores in the first place) - this is unusual in Instagram clients.

All very slick and reliable, this seems impeccably implemented - what Saver claims to do it does very well and with no issues. It should be noted that Saver for Instagram PRO is a commercial application, currently a couple of pounds in the UK Microsoft Store - there's no trial or free version. Which is partly why I bought it to review it here for you. It's a high quality bit of code though and I like to think that sale proceeds go towards the developer fixing bugs and creating new titles - good programmers are always worth supporting.

The application is skewed so far towards media 'saving' that if you're a heavy Instagram user then you'll also need to buy Winsta, since the applications are more complementary than duplicating each other. Of course, what one really wants is the features of both this and Winsta all in the one application. And this is up to the developers to compare notes, I suspect!

Reviewed by Steve Litchfield at 7:37 UTC, September 2nd 2019