The latest articles on DEV Community by Abhishek Ruby (@abhishek_ruby). https://dev.to/abhishek_ruby https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4186011%2F64e0987f-85d5-4e70-917b-c9f46b473bc3.jpg https://dev.to/abhishek_ruby en Abhishek Ruby Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:22:28 +0000 https://dev.to/abhishek_ruby/i-built-a-bot-that-gets-instagram-reel-freebies-for-you-for-0-1a8d https://dev.to/abhishek_ruby/i-built-a-bot-that-gets-instagram-reel-freebies-for-you-for-0-1a8d <p>Every second reel in my feed ends the same way: "Follow me and comment GUIDE and I'll DM you the link."</p> <p>So I follow. I comment. I wait for the DM. Then I do it again on the next reel. Five times a day, for a list of AI tools or a Notion template.</p> <p>I wanted to skip that, so I built <strong>Askro</strong>.</p> <h2> What it does </h2> <p>You share a reel with <a href="https://instagram.com/askro.ar" rel="noopener noreferrer">@askro.ar</a> on Instagram. A few minutes later, Askro DMs you whatever the creator is giving away: the links, the guide, the prompts, even the photos. You never follow anyone and never comment.</p> <p>To try it: DM "hi" to @askro.ar, then share any reel (or paste its link). It's free, with 5 new reels per person per day while in beta.</p> <h2> How it works </h2> <p>Creators send their freebies through DM automations: you comment a word, their bot messages you. Those bots only talk to real Instagram accounts, so Askro uses one:</p> <ol> <li> <strong>A real Android phone in the cloud.</strong> Android runs in a Docker container on Oracle Cloud's free server, with the real Instagram app on it.</li> <li> <strong>It does the steps for you.</strong> It follows the creator, comments the right word, taps the bot's buttons ("Send me the link") and waits for the reply.</li> <li> <strong>It reads the reply and forwards it.</strong> Text, links behind buttons, and photos go back to you through Instagram's official messaging API.</li> <li> <strong>Results are saved per reel.</strong> If someone already asked for that reel, you get it instantly, with no extra comment on the creator's post.</li> </ol> <p>Stack: Django, Postgres, gunicorn and Caddy on Oracle's Always Free ARM server, Android in Docker, and Instagram's messaging API. Total cost so far: ₹0.</p> <h2> The bugs that taught me the most </h2> <ul> <li> <strong>Instagram blocks screenshots in DMs.</strong> Inside a chat, every screenshot came back solid black. To forward a creator's photo, Askro now uses Instagram's own "Save" option and sends the saved file.</li> <li> <strong>Some links reject old browsers.</strong> Notion bounced the phone's in-app browser to an "unsupported browser" page. Askro now watches the browser's very first request to learn the real link before the redirect.</li> <li> <strong>The word is sometimes only in the video.</strong> One creator's caption never said what to comment; the video said "comment GIT". Askro now reads the comments: whoever the creator answered with "check your DMs" used the right word.</li> <li> <strong>Plain links weren't tappable.</strong> Links sent as API text didn't always open, so every link now also arrives as a tappable button card.</li> </ul> <h2> Try it </h2> <p>DM "hi" to <a href="https://instagram.com/askro.ar" rel="noopener noreferrer">@askro.ar</a>, then share the next reel that asks you to comment for a link. If it fails, tell me in the comments. Every failure has made it better so far.</p> <p><a href="https://askro.ullagecloud.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://askro.ullagecloud.com</a></p> showdev python django sideprojects