Most platforms let account holders download their data from settings. Instagram and Facebook use Meta's Accounts Center, TikTok uses Download your data, Snapchat uses My Data, and YouTube uses Google Takeout. The files can show when use began, how often it happened, and at what hours. Before anything else, don't delete the account or clear its history.

If you're looking into the social media lawsuits, you've probably wondered how anyone would show how much your child actually used these apps. Your memory of late nights and lost weekends matters, but the platforms keep their own records, and every major app lets the account holder download a copy.

This guide walks through how to request that data from each platform, what to avoid before you start, and how the files fit into a claim.

Why does account data matter in a social media claim?

The lawsuits claim that features like infinite scroll, autoplay, streaks, and algorithmic recommendations were designed to keep young users on the apps longer, and that this compulsive use contributed to mental health harm. That makes the pattern of use central to each case: when it started, how it grew, and whether it ran late into the night.

Account data can help show that pattern with timestamps rather than estimates. Login history, watch history, search history, and activity logs are the kinds of records attorneys look at when they evaluate a claim. None of it has to be perfect or complete. It just helps fill in the picture.

What should you avoid before you start?

The most important step is the one you don't take: don't delete anything. That includes the account itself, the app's watch or search history, and old messages. A deleted account can take its records with it.

If your child already asked a platform to delete an account, there may still be time. Instagram waits 30 days before permanently deleting an account, and logging back in during that window typically cancels the request. Other platforms have similar grace periods, so check quickly if this applies to you.

It also helps to leave the account settings as they are. Turning off history tracking, switching accounts to private, or cleaning up old posts can all change what the records show.

Should your child be part of this?

If your child is a teenager, doing this together usually goes better than doing it around them. You will likely need their login, and some platforms notify the account holder when a download is requested. Snapchat, for example, emails the account owner whenever a data export is requested.

The downloaded files can include private messages and photos. It helps to tell your child plainly that the goal is to document how much they used the apps, not to read through their conversations. If your child is now an adult, they will need to request the data from their own accounts.

How to download Instagram and Facebook data

Meta handles both apps through one settings area called Accounts Center. Meta has relabeled this option over time, so look for "Download your information" or "Export your information."

1. Open Instagram or Facebook and go to your child's profile. 2. Open the menu, then tap Accounts Center. 3. Tap Your information and permissions, then the download or export option. 4. Select the account, and choose to download it to your device. 5. Choose all available information, and set the date range to all time if asked. 6. Submit the request. Meta sends an email when the file is ready.

Download the file as soon as the email arrives. Meta keeps the download link active for only a few days.

How to download TikTok data

1. Open TikTok and tap Profile at the bottom. 2. Tap the menu at the top, then Settings and privacy, then Account. 3. Tap Download your data. 4. Select all the data categories and choose a file format. TXT is easier to read; JSON is more complete. Either one works. 5. Tap Request data.

TikTok can take a few days to prepare the file and will notify you in the app. Return to the same screen to download it. The link expires after about four days.

How to download Snapchat data

Snapchat calls its download tool My Data. You can reach it from the app or by signing in at accounts.snapchat.com.

1. In the app, tap the profile icon in the top left, then the settings gear. 2. Scroll down and tap My Data. 3. Turn on every category, and choose the widest date range offered. 4. Confirm the email address and submit.

Snapchat emails a link when the export is ready, and the link works for about a week. Completed exports are also listed under See exports on the My Data page.

How to download YouTube history

YouTube data comes through Google Takeout, Google's tool for exporting account data.

1. Go to takeout.google.com and sign in with your child's Google account. 2. Click Deselect all, then scroll down and check YouTube and YouTube Music. 3. Click Next step, then Create export.

Google emails a download link when the export is finished. The export includes watch history and search history only if history was turned on, and it shows what was watched and when, not how long each video played. Even so, the timestamps can show how often and how late your child was watching.

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What if you can't get into the account?

Start with the platform's normal password reset or account recovery steps. Don't try to guess your way in repeatedly or use outside tools that promise to unlock accounts, since that can get the account locked or flagged.

If you still can't get in, tell the attorney reviewing your claim. Platforms keep records that account holders can't download, and attorneys handling these cases can seek records from the companies through the litigation itself. A lost password does not end a claim.

If your child has died, please don't take this on alone. Platforms handle these accounts through separate processes, and asking a platform to remove an account can permanently delete its data. Speaking with an attorney before contacting the platform helps protect the records.

What other records show daily use?

Phones keep their own usage reports. Screen Time on iPhone and Digital Wellbeing on Android show daily totals by app, but they typically keep only recent weeks of history. Taking screenshots now preserves what is there before it rolls off.

The attorney handling a claim will explain which other records matter, such as medical and school records, and how to gather them.

How should you store the files?

Keep the downloaded files exactly as they arrived. Save the original zip file, and if you want to look inside, open a copy rather than the original. Don't rename, edit, or reorganize the files.

Store them somewhere private, like a password protected computer or a personal cloud folder. Don't post them, email them around, or share them with anyone other than the attorney handling your claim. Keep the platform emails confirming the download, too, since they record when the request was made.

If you're filing for your own teenage use

Everything above applies to your own accounts. If you're an adult whose heavy use started before 18, you can request your data from each platform yourself, and older accounts may still hold history from your teenage years. Our guide to filing a social media claim for your own teenage use explains how these claims work.

Do you need this data before a case review?

No. The free case review asks a few questions about use and its effects, and you can complete it without any downloaded files. If your situation fits, the attorney handling your claim will tell you which records to gather and when.

Requesting the downloads early still helps, because links expire, phone reports roll over, and accounts can be deleted. Having the files ready means less to chase down later.

If your child is in crisis right now, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day.

Will the platform know you downloaded the data?
Usually, yes. Platforms typically notify the account holder when a data download is requested, and Snapchat emails the account owner directly. This is one reason to involve your child rather than requesting it quietly.
Does a data download include deleted messages?
Usually not. Downloads generally reflect what is still on the account, so messages or posts that were already deleted may not appear. Attorneys can seek other records from the companies through the litigation itself.
How long does a data download take?
It ranges from a few minutes to several days, depending on the platform and how much data the account holds. Download links also expire, often within a few days to a week, so save the file once it arrives.
Are screenshots enough instead of a full download?
Screenshots of screen time reports and activity pages help, but the official download carries timestamps and covers far more history. If you can, do both.

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Sources: Instagram Help Center, Downloading a copy of your information. TikTok Support, Requesting your data. Snapchat Support, Download My Data. Google Takeout, YouTube and YouTube Music export.

Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Injury Advocate Group is an advertising service, not a law firm. Litigation status changes; eligibility can only be confirmed through a case review with an attorney.