Posting to Instagram from your computer is a corking choice if you don't take your phone on hand or demand to access company assets on your laptop. Or you might simply prefer to use a wider screen.

For these reasons and others, yous might be wondering, "Can I post to Instagram from my figurer?" We have some good news.

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Why post on Instagram from your computer?

Instagram is a popular social media network for sharing photos that'southward nearly unremarkably accessed through a mobile app. It offers a spider web version that makes it easy to post assets you may only have on your laptop and not your phone.

For example, let's say you're a social media manager for a prominent brand. The concluding thing you want to practise is accept an absentminded mishap where y'all accidentally post make content to your personal Instagram business relationship (or, worse, vice versa) just because you're logged into both on your phone.

Alternatively, information technology might exist easier to upload visitor posts and videos via your desktop, rather than having your smartphone open up at work.

Plus, your company's files might be more than easily accessible via desktop than mobile. For instance, if y'all use Photoshop to edit company photos, it's likely easier to click "Upload" from your desktop when you're done editing, rather than sending that aforementioned photo or video to your personal phone.

Perhaps you lot simply prefer the larger screen of desktop. Or, perchance you don't have access to a smartphone so you can't download the app on your phone.

So in that location are plenty of good reasons to use Instagram on your computer instead. Hither'due south how.

While the social platform is primarily meant to be consumed in-app, information technology offers a about identical experience if y'all access information technology on your computer.

On Instagram's web version, y'all can:

  • Watch and reply to other people's Stories
  • Search for hashtags and other users
  • Browse your feed
  • Comment and like posts
  • Reply to direct letters (DMs)
  • View your notifications
  • Access the Explore tab
  • Post photos and videos to your profile

In other words — Yes, you can postal service to Instagram from your PC or Mac desktop instead of on your mobile device'due south app or browser.

Now, let'southward explore how y'all tin can post images and videos from your desktop computer.

Whether you're on a Mac or a PC, you can postal service from your desktop computer. Instagram's web version allows yous to upload an Instagram mail the same way you lot would via mobile, regardless of the platform you utilise. Below, we'll discuss how to practice information technology on:

  • Chrome
  • Safari

Once nosotros discuss how you tin can post photos, we'll also talk over how to upload a video to Instagram from your desktop.

i. Open up up your Chrome browser.

The starting time thing you'll desire to do is open Google Chrome. If yous're on Windows, you can do and so by clicking the Windows icon in your job bar. And so, search through the applications you've already installed on your calculator until you find Chrome.

2. Navigate to Instagram's website.

how to post on instagram on desktop: access instagram on chrome

Side by side, navigate to https://www.instagram.com by typing it into the navigation bar. Log in using your Facebook credentials or past inputting your electronic mail, phone number, or username. If you've logged into Instagram's web version before, it might include an pick to "Continue as [username]," and you lot'll be able to automatically log in.

3. Click the "+" button next to the DM symbol.

how to post on instagram on desktop: click the plus buttonInstagram's web version has a top navigation bar that mirrors the navigation bar on the mobile app. It includes a search bar, a home symbol, a DM symbol, a plus sign, a heart, and a circle with your profile picture show. Click the plus sign next to the DM symbol.

four. Click "Select from computer" to upload your media.

how to post on instagram on desktop: select a file

A popup box will appear with a bluish button that says "Select from estimator." Browse until you discover the file you'd like to upload.

v. Crop the prototype, zoom in, or add more than media if needed.

how to post on instagram on desktop: crop the image

Instagram gives y'all several options for editing the epitome prior to publication. You lot tin alter the aspect ratio, zoom in, or add together more media to the same post.

The zoom-in option is correct side by side to the attribute ratio button:

how to post on instagram on desktop: zoom into the image

You lot'll find the "add together more media" button on the lower left-hand corner.

how to post on instagram on desktop: add more media

Click the plus sign to add more images to your post, if desired.

6. Choose a filter or make adjustments.

how to post on instagram on desktop: choose a filterNext, choose a filter, just like you lot would in the app. You can too adjust brightness, dissimilarity, saturation, and other features.

how to post on instagram on desktop: make adjustments

Once y'all're washed, click Next in the top right of your screen.

7. Add a explanation, location, alt text, and tags.

how to post on instagram on desktop: add captionOn the next screen, you'll be able to add a caption, add a location, or tag people.

viii. Click Share.

When y'all're fix, click Share in the height right of your screen.

Washed! You've at present posted on Instagram using Chrome.

1. Open your Safari browser.

The commencement thing you'll want to practise is open up Safari. To practise and then, open up up Launchpad and observe Safari in your listing of applications. Alternatively, if y'all take it pinned in your job bar, you tin can open it from there.

ii. Navigate to Instagram'south website.

how to post on instagram on desktop: access instagram on safariNext, navigate to https://www.instagram.com by typing information technology into Safari's navigation bar. If you visit the site often plenty, Safari may also have a shortcut in your "New tab" folio.

One time you become there, login with your preferred credentials. If you've already used the spider web version in the past, Instagram will allow you to log in with ane click.

3. Follow steps 3 to viii from the instructions in a higher place.

Once you are able to view Instagram from your Safari browser, you can upload an Instagram post the same way you lot would on Chrome — by clicking the "+" button, adding a filter or editing the photo, adding a location and explanation, and clicking "Share" when y'all're ready for your post to go live.

Want to upload a video instead?

How to Post a Video to Instagram Using a Desktop Computer

You can upload videos to Instagram from your desktop — which makes it easy to share professionally-shot videos that may non be readily available on your telephone. That means you tin share marketing videos and shoots you lot received from a freelancer or your in-house videographer.

Here's how to postal service a video to Instagram on any web browser.

1. Head to the Instagram website on your preferred browser.

In one case you're in that location, log in using your credentials.

ii. Click the "+" push button next to the DM symbol.

Merely like yous would if you were posting a photo, click the + button in the superlative navigation bar of your Instagram feed.

iii. Click "Select from computer" to upload your media.

how to post on instagram on desktop: select a file

Select your video file from the computer. Nosotros recommend uploading an MP4 file to avoid compatibility bug.

If your video is less than 10 minutes long, your file size should be no bigger than 650 MB. For videos between ten minutes and hr (which is the maximum length), you should aim for a file size smaller than iii.6GB. Read more about Instagram'southward video requirements hither.

iv. Resize your video and add more media if desired.

how to post video to instagram on desktop: resize videoInstagram gives yous two options for adjusting your video: Irresolute the aspect ratio and adding more media. For photos, Instagram also allows y'all to zoom into the picture show. The pick isn't bachelor for videos.

If you're uploading a horizontal video, we recommend using a 16:9 attribute ratio and then that it's not cut off. If you're worried most the aesthetics of your feed, stick to a 1:i ratio. That way, at that place isn't any white space when visitors visit your contour.

5. Choose a cover photo, trim the video, and toggle audio options.

how to post video to instagram on desktop: choose cover

Next, you tin choose a cover photo (the paradigm users will run across earlier they click "Play"). You lot have the choice of uploading a custom cover photo for the video, and you can too trim the video and plough the sound off if desired.

half dozen. Write a caption, tag other users, add alt text, and toggle commenting options.

how to post video to instagram on desktop: write captionIn the side by side screen, you can write a explanation for your video, tag anyone who appears in the video, add alt text, and disable commenting.

7. Click Share.

Washed! You've now posted your video on Instagram.

Alternative Means to Mail service to Instagram from Your Computer

You lot don't have to access Instagram's web version to post on Instagram. If you observe the web version to exist too defective for your solar day-to-day tasks, especially if yous're a social media manager, yous can utilize a tertiary-political party service that offers social media scheduling software.

HubSpot's social media management tool is ane of the all-time options you can apply to schedule Instagram posts from your desktop — no need to access the Instagram app or website itself.

Hither's one example of us scheduling a video post for Instagram using Social Inbox:

posting to instagram from computer using hubspot's social inbox

The corking benefit of using this method is that you can schedule posts well in advance. Y'all don't take to access Instagram every fourth dimension you desire to add new media to your profile.

If you're doing this regularly for your job, it might be worthwhile to explore all the social media scheduling tools at your disposal to choose the one best-suited for your business' needs.

Using Instagram Like the Pro You Are

Now that yous don't have to worry about transferring photos to your mobile device or juggling your work's social media business relationship on your own device, you lot'll exist able to abound on Instagram efficiently and effectively. From there, the sky is the limit for creating posts and growing your audition in a scalable style.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Originally published Nov 4, 2021 3:00:00 PM, updated November xv 2021