How do I download Twitter/X photos with gallery-dl?

Run: gallery-dl --cookies-from-browser chrome "https://x.com/username/media". Make sure you're logged in to Twitter/X in Chrome first.

Why does gallery-dl say Twitter login required?

Twitter/X requires authentication for all API access since 2023. Pass your browser cookies with --cookies-from-browser chrome.

gallery-dl Twitter cookies keep expiring — why?

Twitter/X cookies expire more frequently than most sites. If downloads stop working, re-run with --cookies-from-browser to refresh the session.

Windows 11/10 · Login required · Full-resolution media

gallery-dl Twitter/X on Windows — Download Photos & Videos

Q: Does gallery-dl work with Twitter/X in 2026?

Yes. gallery-dl supports Twitter/X timelines, media tabs, and individual tweets. Login via browser cookies is required since Twitter restricted the API in 2023.

gallery-dl downloads full-resolution images and videos from Twitter/X timelines, media tabs, likes, and individual tweets. Cookie authentication is required since Twitter restricted API access.

Important — cookies expire frequently: Twitter/X cookies expire more often than other sites. If gallery-dl suddenly stops downloading, just re-run the command with --cookies-from-browser chrome to refresh the session.

Commands

gallery-dl Twitter/X commands for Windows

Download all media from a user's media tab

gallery-dl --cookies-from-browser chrome "https://x.com/username/media"

Download a single tweet's media

gallery-dl --cookies-from-browser chrome "https://x.com/username/status/TWEET_ID"

Download user timeline (including text tweets with media)

gallery-dl --cookies-from-browser chrome "https://x.com/username"

Download likes tab

gallery-dl --cookies-from-browser chrome "https://x.com/username/likes"

Download with custom output folder

gallery-dl --cookies-from-browser chrome -d "C:\Images\Twitter" "https://x.com/username/media"

Download with cookies.txt (for scheduled tasks)

gallery-dl --cookies "C:\Tools\gallery-dl\twitter-cookies.txt" "https://x.com/username/media"

Config for Twitter/X

Recommended Twitter/X config for gallery-dl on Windows

config.json — Twitter section

{
  "extractor": {
    "twitter": {
      "cookies": "C:/Tools/gallery-dl/twitter-cookies.txt",
      "videos": true,
      "retweets": false,
      "quoted": true,
      "filename": "{author[name]}_{tweet_id}_{num}.{extension}",
      "sleep-request": 1.0
    }
  }
}

videos: true
Download video files too (not just images)

retweets: false
Skip retweets — only download original posts

quoted: true
Include media from quoted tweets

sleep-request: 1.0
Pause between requests to avoid rate limits

FAQ

gallery-dl Twitter/X — frequently asked questions

Does gallery-dl work with Twitter/X in 2026?

Yes. The gallery-dl Twitter/X extractor is actively maintained. Since Twitter restricted API access in 2023, login via cookies is required. Keep gallery-dl updated (gallery-dl -U) to get the latest extractor fixes.

gallery-dl Twitter says "authentication required" with cookies

Twitter/X cookies expire frequently — sometimes within days. Log out and back in to x.com in your browser, close the browser completely, then re-run the command with --cookies-from-browser chrome.

gallery-dl downloads low-resolution Twitter images

By default gallery-dl appends ?format=jpg&name=orig to request original resolution. If you're still getting low-res images, update gallery-dl with gallery-dl -U — the extractor may have been updated to handle new URL formats.

How do I download only images and skip videos?

Add an image filter: gallery-dl --image-filter "extension in ('jpg','png','webp','gif')" --cookies-from-browser chrome "URL". Or set "videos": false in your config.json Twitter section.

Can gallery-dl download from private/protected Twitter accounts?

Yes, if you follow the account and are logged in. Pass your browser cookies — gallery-dl will access the timeline using your authenticated session.