How to view Insta360 photos on a PC, Mac or in a browser

What Insta360 photo files are

The X4, X3, ONE X2, ONE RS 1-Inch 360 and ONE R store still photos as .insp files (and optionally .dng raw). An .insp is a JPEG container holding the two unstitched fisheye images plus gyro and lens data; the camera does not stitch stills in-camera. Rename an .insp to .jpg and a normal image viewer will open it, but you will see two circles, not a panorama. To view it as a 360° photo it has to be stitched into an equirectangular image first.

• Insta360 X4: 72 MP stills, stitched output 11968×5984.
• Insta360 X3: 72 MP stills, stitched output 11968×5984.
• Insta360 ONE X2 / ONE X: 18.4 MP stills, stitched output 6080×3040.
• Insta360 ONE RS 1-Inch 360: 21 MP stills, stitched output 6528×3264.

Export a stitched JPEG with Insta360 Studio (Windows and Mac)

1. Copy the .insp files from the camera's microSD card (the DCIM folder) or connect the camera by USB.
2. Install Insta360 Studio, the free desktop app, from insta360.com/download. No account is required.
3. Open the .insp file. Studio stitches it and shows the panorama; use the Horizon Lock / level option if the shot was tilted, and pick Optical Flow or Dynamic stitching for the cleanest seam.
4. Choose Export → Image, keep the format as JPEG and the resolution at the maximum, and save.
5. Open the exported JPEG in the free 360° viewer: drag it onto the page or press Choose a 360° photo.

Full-size X3 and X4 photos are 11968 pixels wide, which is more than most phone and laptop GPUs can hold as a single texture. The viewer downscales on the fly, so they open fine; for the sharpest result on a desktop GPU, keep the full-size file.

Export from the Insta360 phone app

1. In the Insta360 app, open the photo from the Album and let it download from the camera.
2. Tap Export (the share icon) and choose 360 Photo (not a reframed flat photo). The app saves a stitched equirectangular JPEG to your camera roll.
3. Open free360viewer.com on the phone, tap Choose a 360° photo and pick the exported file. Turn on Gyro to look around by moving the phone, or press VR for Cardboard mode.
4. To get it onto a computer, AirDrop, email or sync the exported JPEG; it is a standard image file.

Viewing without any Insta360 software

Once a photo is a stitched JPEG it needs no Insta360 software at all. The free viewer opens it in Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox on Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS, with drag look-around, zoom, autorotate, fullscreen and screenshots. Nothing is uploaded: the file is decoded in your browser and never leaves the machine, which matters for unreleased listings and client work.

On a VR headset the same page shows the photo at full scale. To share, host the JPEG somewhere public (a free Orbix360 account does this and adds virtual-tour hotspots) and use Share & embed for a link or an iframe. Export video turns it into a clip for Instagram or X.

Troubleshooting

• Two circles instead of a panorama: the file is still an .insp (or an .insp renamed to .jpg). Export it from Studio or the app.
• Seam or ghosting where the lenses meet: re-export with Optical Flow stitching and keep subjects at least 1 m from the camera.
• Horizon tilted: enable the horizon-levelling option in Studio, or use FlowState / gyro stabilisation data when exporting.
• Photo looks stretched in Windows Photos: that is normal for an equirectangular image; use a 360° viewer.
• Facebook does not show it as 360°: Studio writes the XMP 360° metadata on export; editing in another app may strip it.

Frequently asked questions

Try it now

Everything above works in the viewer on this site: pick a 360° photo, look around, step into VR, export a video or grab an embed code. Photos never leave your browser.