Before you start, make sure you have the Threads app installed on your phone and you are logged into the correct account. Threads uses the same Meta infrastructure as Instagram, so the data export flow goes through the same privacy center at privacycenter.instagram.com. The whole process takes just a few minutes of your time, and the rest is just waiting for Meta to prepare your files. This guide covers every single tap from your profile screen all the way to the final download confirmation.
Safety First
You never need to give your Threads password to any third-party app or website to get your data. Threads has a built-in official export tool that opens directly inside the app and takes you to Meta's official privacy center. If any website claims it can show your Threads followers or activity by asking you to log in through their platform, walk away. That is a credential risk. Everything in this guide stays within the official Threads app and Meta's privacycenter.instagram.com domain.
Step 1. Open Your Threads Profile
Tap the profile icon in the bottom-right corner of the Threads app.
Open the Threads app on your iPhone or Android phone. At the bottom of the screen, you will see five icons in the navigation bar. Tap the person icon on the far right to go to your profile page. You will land on your own profile showing your threads, replies, media, reposts, and feeds tabs.
Step 2. Tap the Menu Icon
Tap the ☰ menu icon in the top-right corner of your profile.
Once you are on your profile page, look at the top-right corner of the screen. You will see three icons there including a search icon, the Instagram icon, and the ☰ hamburger menu icon. Tap the ☰ icon. This opens the Settings panel for your Threads account.
Step 3. Tap "Account" in Settings
Scroll through the Settings menu and tap "Account".
The Settings screen shows several options: Follow and invite friends, Notifications, Saved, Liked, Archive, Privacy, Content preferences, Account, Account Status, Help, and About. Tap Account. This takes you to a deeper set of account management options.
Step 4. Tap "Export your information"
Scroll to the bottom of the Account page and tap "Export your information".
Inside the Account settings page, scroll down past Time management, Media quality, Accessibility, Deactivate or delete profile, Fediverse sharing, and Website permissions. At the very bottom under the Other account settings section, you will see Export your information with an external link icon next to it. Tap it. This will open Meta's privacy center inside a web view within the Threads app.
Step 5. Tap "Download or transfer information"
On the Download your information screen, tap the "Download or transfer information" button.
Meta's privacy center will load and you will see a screen titled Download your information. The page explains that your information includes things you have shared, your activity, and things Meta collects. There are three options on this screen: a button labeled Download or transfer information, a Current activity tab, and a Scheduled tab. There is also a View past requests option at the bottom. Tap the Download or transfer information button at the top to start a new export request.
Step 6. Choose "All available information" or "Some of your information"
On the "How much information do you want?" screen, pick the option that fits your needs.
The next screen asks: How much information do you want? You have two choices here.
All available information will create a complete copy of everything Meta has stored for your selected profile. This is the most thorough option but it may take longer to download because the file can be large.
Some of your information lets you pick specific data types rather than getting everything at once.
For most people who want to check their followers and following data, tapping All available information is the easiest choice. Tap whichever option suits your needs.
Step 7. Choose "Download to device"
On the "What do you want to do with your information?" screen, tap "Download to device".
After tapping Download or transfer information, you will see a new screen asking: What do you want to do with your information? There are two options listed. The first is Download to device, which saves your export directly to your phone. The second is Transfer to destination, which lets you send the data to a third-party service like Google Drive or Dropbox. Tap Download to device. This is the fastest and most private option.
Step 8. Set the Date Range to "All time"
On the Create files to download screen, tap "Date range" and select "All time".
After choosing how much information you want, you will land on the Create files to download screen. This screen shows your selected profile at the top, followed by several settings you can adjust. Tap the Date range row. By default it may show "Last year." Change it to All time so your export includes every follower and following relationship since you created the account, not just a recent slice.
Step 9. Set Up Your Notification Email
Tap "Notify" and enter the email address where you want to receive the download notification.
Back on the Create files to download screen, tap the Notify row. It will say "Please pick a delivery method" until you set it. On the next screen, you can either choose an email address already linked to your account or tap Add new email address to enter a different one. Type your email in the field and tap Save. This is the address where Meta will send you a notification when your files are ready to download.
Step 10. Set the Format to JSON
Tap "Format" and make sure JSON is selected, not HTML.
Back on the Create files to download screen, tap the Format row. You will see two options: JSON and HTML. Always pick JSON. This is the most important setting in the entire process. If you accidentally pick HTML, any tool that reads your Threads data will not be able to parse it and you will have to redo the whole export. Tap JSON to confirm your selection.
Step 11. Tap "Create files"
Once all settings look correct, tap the blue "Create files" button.
Go back to the Create files to download summary screen and double check everything. You should see your profile at the top, Date range set to All time, a Notify email address filled in, Format set to JSON, and Media quality set to Medium. When everything looks correct, tap the blue Create files button at the bottom. Meta will queue your export request immediately.
A note will appear at the bottom of the screen reminding you that this file may contain private information and you should keep it secure.
Step 12. Wait for the Email Notification
Meta will send you an email when your files are ready. You have four days to download them.
After tapping Create files, Meta processes your request in the background. You will receive an email at the address you entered in Step 9 when your files are ready. Meta states that you will have four days to download your files once they are ready, so do not wait too long after the email arrives. For a followers and following only export, the files are usually ready within a few minutes to a few hours. Larger full-account exports can take longer.
Step 13. Download Your Files
Open the email, tap the download link, and save the file to your device.
Once the email arrives, open it and tap the download link. This will take you back into the Threads app or the Meta privacy center, where you can download the file directly to your device. The file will be a ZIP archive. Save it to your Downloads folder or wherever you prefer on your phone.
Troubleshooting
The "Notify" row says "Please pick a delivery method" and Create files stays greyed out. You must enter an email address in the Notify field before the Create files button becomes active. Go back to Step 9 and add your email.
You accidentally chose HTML instead of JSON. The file will not work with most data analysis tools. Go back through the flow and start a new export request, this time selecting JSON in the Format step.
The email never arrived. Check your spam or junk folder first. If it has been more than 24 hours and there is nothing there either, open Threads, go back to Account settings, tap Export your information, tap Download or transfer information, and check the Current activity tab to see the status of your request. You can also start a new request if needed.
Your download link expired. Each export is only available for four days. If your link expired, go back and request a new export by following these steps again.
You have multiple Threads profiles. Make sure you are logged into the correct profile before starting. You can switch profiles from the Settings screen by tapping Switch profiles at the bottom of the Settings menu.
What to Do With Your Threads Data
Once you have the ZIP file on your device, you can open it to review your complete Threads data. The JSON files inside will contain your followers list, your following list, your posts and replies, your liked content, and other activity data depending on what you chose to export. If you are using a threads tracker tool that reads Threads or Instagram follower data, simply drop the ZIP file into that tool and it will process the data locally inside your browser without uploading anything to any external server.