Instagram had RSS. Then it didn't.
Narro is bringing it back.

Narro is a user-curated social media app. Add the profiles you follow on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Facebook, and LinkedIn — Narro shows their posts in order, with no algorithm, ads, or tracking.

Does Instagram have an RSS feed?

Instagram has no native RSS feed and has never offered one. The third-party API ecosystem that made Instagram-to-RSS possible between 2010 and 2013 has been closed for years; Meta's Basic Display API was retired in December 2024. Narro generates an RSS feed for any public Instagram profile, with posts in chronological order, no Instagram account required.

A short history of Instagram RSS

Instagram never offered a first-party RSS feed. What existed between 2010 and 2013 was a third-party ecosystem built on top of Instagram's open public API. When the API closed, RSS died with it.

  1. 2010

    Instagram launches

    October 2010. A public API ships alongside the app. Third parties immediately build RSS bridges on top of the open endpoints.

  2. 2012

    Facebook acquires Instagram

    April 2012, for one billion dollars. The acquisition seeds the strategic shift away from open APIs.

  3. 2013

    API tightens

    Instagram begins restricting public read endpoints. The third-party RSS bridges that worked the year before start breaking. This is the era most "Instagram killed RSS" claims point to.

  4. 2016

    The algorithmic feed

    March 2016. Instagram ends chronological-by-default for logged-in users. Following someone no longer means seeing their posts in order.

  5. 2018

    Cambridge Analytica

    April 2018. Facebook accelerates the Instagram API shutdown. Public read access for personal accounts effectively ends. Only Graph API for business accounts remains.

  6. 2024

    Basic Display API ends

    December 4, 2024. Meta deprecates the Instagram Basic Display API. The last semi-public read path closes.

  7. Today

    Narro restores RSS

    A real RSS feed for any public Instagram profile. Posts in the order they were published. No Instagram account required.

What changed in 2013

The Instagram API of 2012 was generous. A public endpoint at /users/[id]/media/recent returned the latest posts from any account in plain JSON. Third-party developers wrapped that endpoint with RSS adapters, and a small ecosystem of Instagram-to-RSS tools flourished. Feed readers, intranet dashboards, archivists, and accessibility tools all depended on it.

Beginning in 2013, Instagram tightened that surface. The endpoint required authentication. App approval became selective. Rate limits dropped. Within a few months most of the public Instagram-to-RSS tools were broken. Instagram never issued an announcement. The functionality died quietly inside a developer changelog.

That decision cost readers chronological access, third-party clients, accessibility-friendly views, and the durability of public Instagram content as a part of the open web. Following someone on Instagram became a single-app activity, and stayed that way until Narro.

Following an Instagram profile, then and now

What was possible in 2012 versus what the Instagram app gives you today. The left column is what Narro restores.

BehaviorWith NarroInstagram app today
Account required to viewNoYes
Posts in chronological orderYesNo (algorithmic since 2016)
Available in any RSS readerYesNo
Stories injectionNoYes
Suggested posts from non-followed accountsNoYes
Ads between postsNoYes

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What Narro restores, and what it cannot

Narro restores the chronological, account-free, third-party-readable experience of Instagram circa 2012. That means: every public post and Reel from any profile you add, in order, with caption and thumbnail, deliverable to Feedly, Reeder, Inoreader, NetNewsWire, Readwise Reader, or any other RSS app.

Narro does not show Stories, private accounts, or Live streams.

Put Narro where Instagram used to be.

Who actually wants an Instagram RSS feed

Specific use cases, not generic complaints.

Restaurant and small-brand drops

Bakeries, coffee roasters, neighborhood restaurants post product drops and daily specials only on Instagram. RSS turns "did I remember to check Instagram" into a feed item your reader already shows you.

Photographer and illustrator portfolios

Working creatives publish portfolios on Instagram because clients look there. RSS lets art directors and editors track talent without Stories noise, suggested Reels, or ads between portfolios.

Local news and indie journalism

Many neighborhood news accounts, city councils, and independent reporters post breaking updates on Instagram first. RSS routes those updates next to your other news sources in the same reader.

Following without re-installing the app

People who deleted Instagram on purpose still have a parent, a band, or a favorite restaurant they want to keep up with. RSS lets you keep the people without the app.

Instagram RSS in any reader

Build a Instagram feed in Narro, copy its RSS URL, and paste it into whichever reader you use. Setup is the same shape everywhere.

Instagram RSS in Feedly
Open Feedly, click "+ Add Content" in the sidebar, choose "Add a Feed," and paste the Narro RSS URL. Save it to a collection.
Instagram RSS in Reeder
Open Reeder, tap "+" on the left sidebar, choose "Add Feed," and paste the Narro RSS URL. Optionally assign a folder.
Instagram RSS in Inoreader
Open Inoreader, click "Add" or use the search bar, paste the Narro RSS URL, and select "Subscribe."
Instagram RSS in NetNewsWire
Open NetNewsWire, choose File → New Feed (or "+" on iOS), paste the Narro RSS URL, and confirm.
Instagram RSS in Readwise Reader
Open Readwise Reader, click your library, choose "Add via RSS," and paste the Narro RSS URL.
Instagram RSS in Matter
Open Matter, go to Settings → Subscriptions → Add a subscription, and paste the Narro RSS URL.

Instagram RSS, common questions

Does Instagram have an RSS feed?
No. Instagram has never offered a first-party RSS feed. The closest thing existed between 2010 and 2013, when third parties built RSS on top of Instagram's then-open public API. That API has been closed for years.
Why did Instagram remove RSS?
Instagram never offered RSS as an official feature, so there was nothing to formally remove. What changed is the underlying public API, which Instagram tightened starting in 2013 and fully deprecated by 2018 under Facebook's broader privacy reforms.
How do I follow an Instagram account in Feedly?
Add the profile to Narro, copy the generated RSS URL, and paste it into Feedly's "Add Content" field. Feedly treats it like any other feed.
How do I follow Instagram in Reeder or Inoreader?
Same flow as Feedly. Build a Narro feed with the Instagram profiles you want, copy the feed's RSS URL, and paste it into Reeder's "Add Feed" dialog or Inoreader's "Subscribe" field.
Can I follow Instagram without an account?
Yes, through Narro. Narro fetches public posts on your behalf and serves them as RSS, so you read Instagram content without ever logging in or creating an account.
Does Narro include Instagram Stories?
No. Stories are intentionally ephemeral and Narro does not surface them. The feed focuses on posts and Reels, which are the parts of Instagram designed to persist.
Does Narro include Reels?
Yes. Reels appear in the feed as video items with thumbnail, caption, and source link.
Is the Instagram feed chronological in Narro?
Yes. Newest post at the top, always. No engagement ranking, no suggested content, no ads between posts.
Will the account owner know I am following them?
No. Narro reads public profiles. There is no follow event, no notification, and your reading does not appear in the account's follower count.
Can I follow private Instagram accounts?
No. Narro only serves public profiles. Private accounts are private by design.
How often does Narro refresh an Instagram feed?
Refresh cadence depends on your plan. New posts typically appear in your reader within hours of being published.
Did Instagram ever publicly comment on RSS?
No. There is no Instagram blog post or developer note that mentions RSS. The functionality died quietly with the API.

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