Instagram API: view and backup direct messages from a web browser

instagram-api_direct_messages_backup.js

/*
Instagram API: view and backup direct messages from a web browser

1) Log in on Instagram web version and go to your profile page
(the home page will not work because it loads data when scrolling down and the direct messages will be displayed at the bottom of the page)

2) Modify HTTP headers with a browser addon like Header Editor (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/header-editor/)

Content-Security-Policy (response header on domain www.instagram.com): original data with https://i.instagram.com/ added to connect-src
report-uri https://www.instagram.com/security/csp_report/; default-src 'self' https://www.instagram.com; img-src https: data: blob:; font-src https: data:; media-src 'self' blob: https://www.instagram.com https://*.cdninstagram.com https://*.fbcdn.net; manifest-src 'self' https://www.instagram.com; script-src 'self' https://instagram.com https://www.instagram.com https://*.www.instagram.com https://*.cdninstagram.com wss://www.instagram.com https://*.facebook.com https://*.fbcdn.net https://*.facebook.net 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval' blob:; style-src 'self' https://*.www.instagram.com https://www.instagram.com 'unsafe-inline'; connect-src 'self' https://instagram.com https://www.instagram.com https://i.instagram.com https://*.www.instagram.com https://graph.instagram.com https://*.graph.instagram.com https://*.cdninstagram.com https://api.instagram.com wss://www.instagram.com wss://edge-chat.instagram.com https://*.facebook.com https://*.fbcdn.net https://*.facebook.net chrome-extension://boadgeojelhgndaghljhdicfkmllpafd blob:; worker-src 'self' blob: https://www.instagram.com; frame-src 'self' https://instagram.com https://www.instagram.com https://staticxx.facebook.com https://www.facebook.com https://web.facebook.com https://connect.facebook.net https://m.facebook.com; object-src 'none'; upgrade-insecure-requests

User-Agent (request header on domain i.instagram.com)
Instagram 85.0.0.21.100 Android (23/6.0.1; 538dpi; 1440x2560; LGE; LG-E425f; vee3e; en_US)

3) Run the following JavaScript code in the web console of your browser or in a tool like Firefox scratchpad.
The function InstagramDMthreads should be used first, then you have to comment the call to it and uncoment the call to InstagramDMmessages,
which takes a thread ID as parameter (found with the previous function InstagramDMthreads).
A textarea will appear to the bottom of the page so you can copy-paste to backup data (if you don't see it, you have to close the web console or scroll down).

If you want to send direct messages without using Android / iOS and the official proprietary app, you can use open source desktop apps like IG:dm, do cURL requests to the API or use my web browser script instagram-api_send_message.js.
*/

/* Usage */
//InstagramDMthreads();
//InstagramDMmessages("XXX"); // parameter needs to be a string since it is too big for an integer

/* CONFIG */
var backup = true; // if backup is set to false, only the last threads and messages are displayed, in browser console instead of textarea (number can be configured in limit variable)
var limit = 100; // 20 threads and messages by default, per API request
/* END CONFIG */

var start;
var data;
var usernames;

// backup will return: thread ID, date + time + timezone, userid, username, last message
function InstagramDMthreads()
{
	initVariables(); // clear variables to allow reusing functions several time
	
	var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
	xhr.open("GET", "https://i.instagram.com/api/v1/direct_v2/inbox/" + "?limit=" + limit);
	xhr.withCredentials = true;
	xhr.addEventListener("load", function() {
		var response = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
		if (backup) {
			scrollInbox(response);
		}
		else {
			parseInbox(response);
			console.log(data);
		}
	});
	xhr.send();
}

function parseInbox(response)
{
	var length = response.inbox.threads.length;
	for (var i = 0; i < length; ++i) {
		// length is 0 for conversations with yourself
		var userid = response.inbox.threads[i].users.length != 0 ? response.inbox.threads[i].users[0].pk : response.viewer.pk;
		var username = response.inbox.threads[i].users.length != 0 ? response.inbox.threads[i].users[0].username : response.viewer.username;
		data[start + i] = '"""' + response.inbox.threads[i].thread_id + '"""\t'
			+ new Date(response.inbox.threads[i].last_activity_at / 1000).toString() + '\t'
			+ userid + '\t'
			+ username + '\t'
			+ '"' + getMessageText(response.inbox.threads[i].items[0]).replace(/"/g, '""') + '"';
			// allow multiline CSV string with tab separator and escape double quote string delimiter
	}
	start += length;
}

function scrollInbox(response)
{
	parseInbox(response);
	
	var cursor = response.inbox.oldest_cursor;
	
	if (cursor) {
		var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
		xhr.open("GET", "https://i.instagram.com/api/v1/direct_v2/inbox/?cursor=" + cursor + "&limit=" + limit);
		xhr.withCredentials = true;
		xhr.addEventListener("load", function() {
			var response = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
			scrollInbox(response);
		});
		xhr.send();
	}
	else {
		displayData();
	}
}

// backup will return: date + time + timezone, username, message
function InstagramDMmessages(thread)
{
	initVariables(); // clear variables to allow reusing functions several time
	
	var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
	xhr.open("GET", "https://i.instagram.com/api/v1/direct_v2/threads/" + thread + "/" + "?limit=" + limit);
	xhr.withCredentials = true;
	xhr.addEventListener("load", function() {
		var response = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
		
		var xhr2 = new XMLHttpRequest();
		xhr2.open("GET", "https://i.instagram.com/api/v1/users/" + response.thread.viewer_id + "/info/");
		xhr2.withCredentials = true;
		xhr2.addEventListener("load", function() {
			var response2 = JSON.parse(xhr2.responseText);
			
			usernames[response.thread.viewer_id] = response2.user.username;
			usernames[response.thread.users[0].pk] = response.thread.users[0].username;
			
			if (backup) {
				scrollThread(thread, response);
			}
			else {
				parseThread(thread, response);
				console.log(data);
			}
		});
		xhr2.send();
	});
	xhr.send();
}

function parseThread(thread, response)
{
	var length = response.thread.items.length;
	for (var i = 0; i < length; ++i) {
		data[start + i] = new Date(response.thread.items[i].timestamp  / 1000).toString() + '\t'
			+ usernames[response.thread.items[i].user_id] + '\t'
			+ '"' + getMessageText(response.thread.items[i]).replace(/"/g, '""') + '"';
	}
	start += length;
}

function scrollThread(thread, response)
{
	parseThread(thread, response);
	
	if (response.thread.prev_cursor != "MINCURSOR") {
		var cursor = response.thread.oldest_cursor;
		
		var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
		xhr.open("GET", "https://i.instagram.com/api/v1/direct_v2/threads/" + thread + "/?cursor=" + cursor + "&limit=" + limit);
		xhr.withCredentials = true;
		xhr.addEventListener("load", function() {
			var response = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
			scrollThread(thread, response);
		});
		xhr.send();
	}
	else {
		displayData();
	}
}

function getMessageText(item)
{
	var type = item.item_type;
	var text;
	
	switch (type) {
		case "text":
			text = item.text;
			break;
		case "link": // used if the message contains a link
			text = item.link.text;
			break;
		case "action_log": // used when someone likes a message
			text = item.action_log.description;
			break;
		case "like": // used when someone sends a like
			text = item.like;
			break;
		case "media":
			if (item.media.media_type == 1) {
				text = item.media.image_versions2.candidates[0].url;
			}
			else { // media_type is 1 for images and 2 for videos
				text = item.media.video_versions[0].url;
			}
			break;
		case "animated_media": // for GIF files
			text = item.animated_media.images.fixed_height.url;
			break;
		case "voice_media": // for audio recordings
			text = item.voice_media.media.audio.audio_src;
			break;
	}
	
	return text;
}

function initVariables()
{
	start = 0;
	data = [];
	usernames = [];
}

function displayData()
{
	var box = document.createElement("textarea");
	box.value = data.join("\n");
	document.body.appendChild(box);
}