Posting to Instagram from your computer is a keen choice if you lot don't have your phone on mitt or demand to access company assets on your laptop. Or you might only prefer to use a wider screen.

For these reasons and others, you might be wondering, "Can I post to Instagram from my computer?" 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 most commonly accessed through a mobile app. It offers a web version that makes information technology easy to post assets you lot may just have on your laptop and not your telephone.

For instance, let's say yous're a social media manager for a prominent make. The last thing you desire to do is have an absentminded mishap where you lot accidentally mail service brand content to your personal Instagram account (or, worse, vice versa) simply considering you're logged into both on your phone.

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

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

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

So there are plenty of good reasons to employ Instagram on your computer instead. Here's how.

While the social platform is primarily meant to be consumed in-app, it offers a about identical experience if you access it on your reckoner.

On Instagram's web version, you can:

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

In other words — Yes, yous tin can mail service to Instagram from your PC or Mac desktop instead of on your mobile device's app or browser.

Now, let's explore how yous can post images and videos from your desktop reckoner.

Whether y'all're on a Mac or a PC, you can post from your desktop computer. Instagram's spider web version allows you to upload an Instagram post the same way you would via mobile, regardless of the platform you use. Below, we'll discuss how to do it on:

  • Chrome
  • Safari

Once we discuss how you tin can postal service photos, we'll also discuss how to upload a video to Instagram from your desktop.

ane. Open up up your Chrome browser.

The offset affair you'll want to practise is open up Google Chrome. If y'all're on Windows, you can exercise and then past clicking the Windows icon in your task bar. Then, search through the applications you've already installed on your figurer until you notice Chrome.

2. Navigate to Instagram's website.

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

Next, navigate to https://www.instagram.com past typing it into the navigation bar. Log in using your Facebook credentials or past inputting your e-mail, phone number, or username. If you've logged into Instagram'southward web version before, it might include an option to "Continue as [username]," and you'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 acme navigation bar that mirrors the navigation bar on the mobile app. It includes a search bar, a dwelling symbol, a DM symbol, a plus sign, a heart, and a circumvolve with your contour picture. Click the plus sign adjacent to the DM symbol.

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

how to post on instagram on desktop: select a file

A popup box volition announced with a blue button that says "Select from computer." Browse until you observe the file you'd like to upload.

5. Ingather the image, zoom in, or add more media if needed.

how to post on instagram on desktop: crop the image

Instagram gives you several options for editing the paradigm prior to publication. You can change the aspect ratio, zoom in, or add more media to the same post.

The zoom-in pick is right next to the aspect ratio button:

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

You'll detect the "add 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 mail, if desired.

6. Choose a filter or make adjustments.

how to post on instagram on desktop: choose a filterNext, cull a filter, merely like you lot would in the app. Y'all can also adjust brightness, dissimilarity, saturation, and other features.

how to post on instagram on desktop: make adjustments

One time you're done, click Adjacent in the top right of your screen.

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

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

8. Click Share.

When you're gear up, click Share in the top right of your screen.

Washed! You've now posted on Instagram using Chrome.

1. Open up your Safari browser.

The starting time matter you lot'll want to practise is open up Safari. To do so, open upwardly Launchpad and observe Safari in your list of applications. Alternatively, if you accept it pinned in your task bar, you can open up it from there.

2. Navigate to Instagram's website.

how to post on instagram on desktop: access instagram on safariNext, navigate to https://world wide web.instagram.com past typing information technology into Safari's navigation bar. If you visit the site ofttimes enough, Safari may also take a shortcut in your "New tab" folio.

Once you get 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 one click.

3. Follow steps 3 to 8 from the instructions above.

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

Desire to upload a video instead?

How to Post a Video to Instagram Using a Desktop Estimator

You can upload videos to Instagram from your desktop — which makes it easy to share professionally-shot videos that may not exist readily available on your phone. That means you can share marketing videos and shoots you received from a freelancer or your in-house videographer.

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

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

One time you're there, log in using your credentials.

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

Just like you would if you were posting a photograph, click the + push in the meridian navigation bar of your Instagram feed.

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

how to post on instagram on desktop: select a file

Select your video file from the estimator. We recommend uploading an MP4 file to avoid compatibility issues.

If your video is less than 10 minutes long, your file size should be no bigger than 650 MB. For videos between 10 minutes and hour (which is the maximum length), you should aim for a file size smaller than 3.6GB. Read more about Instagram's video requirements here.

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

how to post video to instagram on desktop: resize videoInstagram gives y'all 2 options for adjusting your video: Changing the aspect ratio and adding more media. For photos, Instagram also allows you lot to zoom into the film. The option isn't available for videos.

If you're uploading a horizontal video, we recommend using a 16:9 attribute ratio then that it'south not cut off. If you're worried near the aesthetics of your feed, stick to a 1:1 ratio. That way, there isn't any white space when visitors visit your profile.

five. Choose a cover photo, trim the video, and toggle sound options.

how to post video to instagram on desktop: choose cover

Next, you tin choose a encompass photo (the epitome users will see before they click "Play"). Y'all accept the option of uploading a custom cover photo for the video, and you can also trim the video and turn the sound off if desired.

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

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

7. Click Share.

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

Alternative Means to Post to Instagram from Your Computer

You don't accept to admission Instagram's web version to post on Instagram. If you find the web version to exist likewise lacking for your 24-hour interval-to-day tasks, especially if you're a social media manager, you lot can use a third-party service that offers social media scheduling software.

HubSpot's social media management tool is one of the best options you can use to schedule Instagram posts from your desktop — no need to access the Instagram app or website itself.

Here'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 great do good of using this method is that yous can schedule posts well in advance. You don't take to access Instagram every time you lot want to add together new media to your profile.

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

Using Instagram Like the Pro You lot Are

Now that you don't have to worry well-nigh transferring photos to your mobile device or juggling your piece of work's social media account on your own device, you'll be able to grow on Instagram efficiently and effectively. From there, the heaven is the limit for creating posts and growing your audience in a scalable fashion.

Editor'southward 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 15 2021