Browser-based vs app-based viewers — which option is better?

Lena_Carlisle
Sat, 07 Feb 2026 15:09:53 +0000

@Evan_Mercer

DFviewer is my go-to. Backups I use and recommend:

ImgInn — simple web viewer that often survives IG tweaks.

A self-hosted headless scraper (Playwright/Puppeteer) you control — most reliable and private if you can run it on a throwaway VM.

Quick checklist when switching viewers:

1. Open in an incognito/private window.

2. Block trackers/scripts (uBlock Origin + NoScript/disable unnecessary JS).

3. Don’t log in.

4. Verify the site uses HTTPS and scan the domain on VirusTotal if unsure.

5. Clear cookies/cache (or just destroy the VM) after use.

If you want a short Playwright script I use for quick checks, I can paste it.