How to get the instagram app on computer

How to Get an Instagram App for Desktop (Mac or PC) - Blog

With more than 2 billion monthly users, Instagram is undeniably one of the top social media platforms. It was created for and still mostly exists as a mobile app. But that doesn’t mean you can’t access Instagram on your computer, whether it’s a PC or Mac.

But before you start searching your app store, it’s important to note that there are various ways to get Instagram on a PC. There’s the desktop app and the online version for PC users, each with similar functionalities. The Mac version is mobile-only, leaving you with only the website as an option. In the App Store, you'll be told that the Instagram app is only available for iPhone.

The good news is, you likely have everything you need to view your Instagram feed on your desktop, whether you use a PC or Mac. Simply open your favorite web browser and go to Instagram.com. But if you visit Instagram often, the desktop app might be a better option for PC users, and there’s a better desktop option for both PC and Mac.

Here’s what you need to know about the updated desktop capabilities for Instagram, as well as what you should know about its limitations.

Related Post: A Guide to Instagram's Latest Releases and What's to Come

Why Install Instagram on Your Desktop

You probably think of Instagram as a mobile app. In fact, when it was first released in 2010, it was exclusive to Apple’s mobile operating system. Android users couldn’t even join in on the fun until 2012, when a version for those mobile devices launched.

Instagram makes sense as a mobile app. You can snap photos and upload them with minimal extra effort. Chances are, you aren’t taking photos with your desktop or laptop computer. But even Instagram recognized that desktop users wanted access, too.

Instagram is still primarily a mobile app, but you’ve long been able to get to it by opening a web browser and typing in Instagram.com. There, you’ll be able to scroll your feed, follow other users, and comment. Until recently, you could not post photos or videos from your desktop. You had to use your mobile device for that functionality.

As of late last year, though, that’s changed. Instagram finally rolled out an update that lets you post photos and videos of up to one minute in length to your feed. When you go to the web version of Instagram now, you’ll see a Plus sign on the upper-right side of your screen. Click on that and drag your photos or videos over to share them.

The desktop version of Instagram is especially beneficial to business users who need to manage multiple feeds throughout the day. Instead of having to grab a mobile device to add content, you can do everything from your desktop. Content managers may find this easier to handle since they can work while looking at their editorial calendars and Trello boards.

The Problem with the Instagram Desktop App

The biggest problem with the Instagram desktop app might just very well be that Mac users can’t download it. But the online version is easy enough to use, as long as you know how to find it.

What if you manage more than one account? Instagram lets each user have up to five accounts, which comes in handy if you run a business or manage marketing operations for multiple clients. But keeping track of those multiple accounts can be tricky. On the mobile app, you probably already know that you have to switch accounts to move between them.

As with the mobile app, you can easily move between accounts on the desktop by clicking on your profile picture in the upper-right corner. Simply click on the account you want to switch to, and switch back when you’re finished. This works fine unless you’re trying to drag the same photos or videos into multiple accounts. At that point, all that toggling between accounts can be cumbersome.

The good news is, the one issue that was once the biggest downside of the web version has been fixed. You can now easily post photos and videos to your Instagram feed directly from your desktop. This provides a bigger incentive than ever to use a desktop version.

Related Post: How to Manage Multiple Instagram Accounts on Desktop

How to Get Instagram on Your PC

If you own a PC, you have options. You can download the Instagram app by going to the Microsoft Store and typing Instagram into the search box. Click Get and, once installed, click Launch to open it. If you’d prefer not to download the app, you can simply go to Instagram.com in your web browser. You can even set it as a bookmark and have it in your bookmarks toolbar in Google Chrome. This means you can always get to it with a click.

Another option is to set the website up as a shortcut. Google Chrome makes this easy. When you’re on Instagram, click the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner. Choose Tools-More tools-Create shortcut. Name your shortcut, and you’re done. You can then right-click on the shortcut and choose Pin to taskbar if you want it docked at the bottom where you can easily get to it.

But all of these options come with one simple problem. If you manage multiple Instagram accounts, toggling back and forth takes time and extra effort. For that, Shift can be a far better option. Thanks to the Shift + Instagram integration, you can set up separate icons for each of your Instagram accounts and keep them all logged in at the same time. You can also set up icons for each of your logins on your other favorite apps to operate alongside your Instagram logins.

Whether you’re managing content for multiple clients or you’re merely trying to operate personal and business accounts together, Shift can make it easier. You can quickly upload content to each account or check your notifications with just one click. This not only speeds things up, but it also can reduce confusion and possibly help keep you from making mistakes.

How to Get Instagram on Your Mac

There may not be a desktop app for Mac, but you can still take advantage of Shift’s solution. Shift is available for both Windows and Mac and lets you set up an icon for Instagram, along with your other favorite apps. This is likely the best option if you have more than one Instagram account since you can move between them easily.

Another option is to use the web version of Instagram. You can even set up a shortcut to make it easy to get to as needed throughout the day. For Chrome, follow these steps:

Click on the vertical dots in the upper-right corner of your browser
Choose More tools and Create shortcut
Name your shortcut
Your new shortcut will save into a Chrome Apps folder, at which point you can drag it to your desktop or to your dock at the bottom of the screen

If Safari is your Mac browser of choice, follow these steps to save Instagram as a desktop shortcut:

Highlight the Instagram.com URL
Shrink your browser window slightly until part of your desktop is visible
Drag the highlighted URL to your desktop

One final option that some Mac users find worthwhile is to install an Android emulator on your Mac. You can then interact with Instagram as you would on an Android device. If you have other Android apps you want to access this way, it could be a solution. Otherwise, Shift is likely a better option that makes life easier across all your most-used apps.

Managing Instagram Notifications on Desktop

What if you want a desktop alert every time there’s activity on your Instagram account? On your mobile devices, you can manage your settings, and the same applies to your PC, as long as you’ve downloaded the app. Simply go to Start-Settings-System and select Notifications to expand it. You’ll then find Instagram on the list. Toggle to turn notifications on or off.

But Mac users, or PC users who prefer to use the web version of Instagram, are stuck with notifications in the app only. This isn’t much help if you don’t hang out on Instagram all day. Fortunately, Chrome has a feature that will notify you of new activities on websites you choose, based on your preferences. To manage your Chrome notifications:

Click on the vertical dots and go to Settings
Click on the icon in the upper-left corner and choose Security and privacy-Site settings-Notifications
Scroll down to Instagram on the list
Click on the vertical dots next to Instagram and choose Allow
If you want to stop notifications, come back to this list, scroll down to Instagram, and right-click on the vertical dots to choose Remove

If you opted for Shift to manage your Instagram desktop accounts, notifications are much easier. In fact, you can manage alerts for all your favorite apps in one place. Best of all, Shift gives you control over three types of alerts for all your connected apps:

Badges: These are the numbers you see next to your icons when you’re in an app like Instagram. You’ll also see these badges on the Shift icon when you’ve docked it or set it as a shortcut.
Desktop notifications: This refers to the small boxes that pop up on your screen to alert you that you have new activity on one of your accounts.
Notification sounds: You’ll need to allow this on your device, too, but these audible alerts can help if you don’t happen to be looking at your screen when an alert comes through.

You manage these notifications by clicking on Options in the bottom-right corner of your Shift desktop. Then choose Settings-Apps-Installed Apps to manage badges and sounds. To change desktop notifications, go to Options-Settings-General-Functionality. With the latter, you can easily turn all notifications off or on with one click.

Related Post: How to Combine All of Your Messaging Apps in One Place

Instagram for Desktop Fact and Fiction

Q: Can I schedule my Instagram posts in advance?
A: Fact and fiction. Instagram doesn’t have this feature built in, but there are third-party apps that will let you prepare posts in advance and have them deploy at a predetermined time. Later and SocialBee can both help you schedule posts for Instagram, as well as other social media platforms.

Q: Can I rely solely on the desktop app for all my Instagram activities?
A: Fiction. Chances are, you’ll still find the mobile app easier to use. The web version also still has limited photo-editing capabilities. You can zoom in and out on the photo, but you won’t have the filters and cropping features you get with your mobile device.

Q: Can people see where I live by my Instagram posts?
A: Fiction. While Instagram can tag your location in your posts, this feature is off by default. You can easily turn it on, but it isn’t recommended.

Q: Will Instagram penalize me for posting too often or using the same hashtags?
A: Fiction. Instagram has debunked the shadowbanning theory that’s been bouncing around for a while. The platform doesn’t hide posts from users who post too often or use the same hashtags, so post away.

Q: Does Instagram hide business posts?
Fiction: A rumor has long circulated among professional users that Instagram hides marketing posts to encourage businesses to pay for ads. This came about soon after Instagram switched from showing all of the latest posts in chronological order. The new order seemed random, but there’s a reason for the switch. Instagram shows users posts based on their interests. This comes from previous interactions on the platform. That means if your followers haven’t previously interacted with your posts, or posts similar to yours, they likely won’t see yours, either.

Manage Your Desktop Instagram Account with Ease

While you likely always have your smartphone handy, being able to interact with Instagram on your desktop can save time. Although the Instagram desktop app and website have more functionality than before, Shift is the easiest way to run Instagram, especially if you have more than one account. Visit Shift’s integrations page to take a look at all the apps you can use with Shift and download the app for free.

Download Instagram for Windows - Free

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The social media source of selfies and influencers has been a mainstay on mobile phones since 2010. In 2016 they released an app on PC for those that wanted to trade thumb swipes for mouse wheels. It delivers much of the same experience. You decide which Instagram accounts to follow and are treated to a scrolling deluge of photos, captions, and comments. You can like the photos, leave a comment, or send to another friend on Instagram. You can also watch Instagram Stories, which are videos that people upload for all of their followers to see. The strongest use case for the Windows platform is that you can use a keyboard for writing, so any Direct Message (DM for short) power users will have an easier time. It seems more of a supplement to Instagram though, as you cannot upload photos with a standard PC. You need a touch screen PC for that. So for every day browsing it gets the job done but leaves a little to be desired in the functionality category.

Show your lifestyle to the world

Instagram still plays best on phones and but the PC version lets you scratch the IG itch almost as well.

Instagram for Windows is available for download from the Microsoft store. You can either go to the website or the store app directly on your Windows PC. After 80 megabytes of downloading and installation you’re prompted to sign up. It took a minute to find the login option for current users and the designers should have made it clearer.

Once you’re up and running, the interface will be immediately familiar. It looks the same as it does on the mobile app. The top rung of the app has a camera icon where you can take a snapshot from your webcam, a refresh icon to update your feed, and the DM icon that looks like paper plane. Here is where the PC version shows a strength. If you work in the social media field and have to do a lot of DM writing – perhaps you’re selling a product or doing other sorts of outreach – a keyboard is an infinitely better tool for writing than a mobile phone touchscreen.

The bottom rung of the interface has the same four icons of a home button, the magnifying glass search button, the heart button, and finally your profile.

Home: Brings you to the main Instagram feed where each new scroll introduces a new post on which you can like (therefore feeding some algorithm-suggestions about future content you might enjoy), leave a comment, direct message to someone else, or make the post a bookmark. -Search: You can search for people, tags, and places. Unfortunately the Windows UI does not work too well here and the search still brings up every result in a single list format. Great for phones, not for monitors. -Heart: Shows you which posts were liked by people you follow and which of your posts received a like. -Profile: See how others see your profile and it’s where you can make any profile changes to your account.

Drawbacks to Instagram for Windows have to do with its optimization. Or rather, it’s lack of creativity for the port. First, you can’t post photos to your Instagram account if you’re using a standard PC with a mouse and keyboard. You’ll need a touchscreen system to post photos. The developers who ported the mobile app to the desktop version also seemed to not add a single feature; just subtract. It ought to have a multi-tiled interface that lets you see multiple photos in a tiled format as PC monitors are wider than they are tall. Something along the lines of 4x4 that expand or contract based on how you resize the app. They could also have combined some of the separate features together given a much bigger screen than the mobile phone. Simply put, it feels like the developers copy and pasted Instagram mobile onto the PC and then went to lunch. Forever. The best use case for IG on Windows is for the Direct Message power users, as you can type faster than you can text, but it’s a stretch for a good enough reason to move beyond the mobile app.

Where can you run this program?

Instagram runs on Windows but should also be a mainstay on your mobile device.

Is there a better alternative?

The mobile app is still the best way to experience Instagram. It contains all of the features of the app without any of the drawbacks found with the Windows version. Alternative social media applications are of course Facebook and Snapchat that emphasize interactions with people. If you’re solely interested in photographs and not the human element, Pinterest and Tumblr can handle that directive. And every day there seems to be a new take on social media. Vero is considered a main competitor to Instagram as it focuses on an ad-free, user-controlled approach to sharing media.

Our take

No social media presence is complete without an Instagram account. It changed the way people shared photographs and built their media persona. It’s a shame that the Windows version doesn’t build off of the Instagram impact and try to reinvent it in any way, as monitor-centric UI could enhance the Instagram experience. For better or worse, you’ll get about the same experience as you do on the mobile app. Hopefully the developers take a second look at future enhancements to the Windows app.

Should you download it?

Yes. The use case for the Windows version is heavily dependent on whether you have a phone, need a keyboard, or simply cannot go without Instagram until you get your phone back. Perhaps you’re in class or had it taken away for too much scroll time. The Windows version accomplishes the passive, viewing element, but you’ll always need a touchscreen to upload.

Instagram for PC

Instagram users often ask if the application can be installed on a PC. After all, it is not always possible to view and download photos from a mobile device. In addition, not everyone finds it convenient. Indeed, from a computer monitor or laptop screen, it will be better to see the image or listen to the broadcast in the background

There are two simple options for downloading Instagram to your computer for free: using the Windows Store and the Android emulator. Moreover, the first of them is available only for users of the “tens”. And the second is suitable for computers with any version of the operating system.

Option 1: Windows Store

There is a separate Instagram client for Windows 10. Unfortunately, it is not able to completely replace the mobile version. The fact is that with its help it will not be possible to add a new finished image. Only the functions of updating the profile picture and Stories using pictures from the webcam are available. But there are no restrictions on viewing.

Download Instagram to a computer with "ten" will be released through the Microsoft Store. This is the Windows app store, which is built into the operating system. You can open it from menu Start . Toward the end of the list of programs there is an element with the name "Shop" , click on it with LMB.

There is a search form in the upper right corner. Enter Instagram into it and click on the first item in the context menu. On the new page, find the inscription "Get" . Pressing it will start downloading and installing the application.

Alternatively, you can go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/instagram/9 in your browsernblggh5l9xt. A confirmation window will pop up, in it select "Open application ..." . After that, as in the previous case, you need to click "Get" and wait for the installation.

When the installation is complete, do not immediately close the Windows Store. Pre-activate item "Pin to ..." . Then you can open the program from the Metro block of menu "Start" . In other cases, it can be called from the full list of elements or through the search function.

Option 2: Android emulator

Downloading Instagram to a computer in this way is somewhat more difficult than in the previous case. But anyone can do it anyway. In this situation, an Android emulator will be used. It allows you to run mobile applications on a PC.

One of the best programs for this purpose is Nox App Player. It is easy to install and configure, as well as low system requirements.

Official website - https://ru.bignox.com/. From here you can download an Android emulator. When the download is complete, run the installation file. If you want to change the future location of the program, press "Set" . There are also options for creating shortcuts and autorun. To start the process, select "Install" .

In the final window, click on the inscription "Start" . It will take some time to configure Nox. Then the instruction on how to use the emulator will start. In this case, it is not needed, complete it. On your desktop, expand the directory Google . From there you need to run Play Market .

Sign in to your Google profile or create a new one. Data synchronization can be disabled. Call the search form and enter Instagram. Click on the download button and then wait for the installation.

Note: Google accounts and Instagram are not connected in any way. Any suitable account can be used to enter Play Market.

This is how you can download Instagram for your computer. Other emulators will work, such as BlueStacks. In this case, there will be no difference in their use, choose according to your taste.

Install instagram for pc, in simple words

Updated on 06/12/2017

Hello everyone, I'm glad you came here again, today we'll be discussing this topic, how to install instagram for pc , since sometimes it's convenient to send photos from a regular computer, not a phone. I'll tell you a really working method, tested by me personally. This information will help you develop your account more rationally and attract more and more subscribers. The best part is that it won't take you long to make this decision.

I will install and run instagram on a computer with Windows 10 Redstone operating system, which is currently the latest OS. Unfortunately, there is no official client for a windows computer from instagram, but there is a solution, this is emulation of the application, or rather the Android operating system. I have already written a series of articles about the android tablet emulator. An emulator is a kind of environment in which you can run Android applications.

Instagram for windows computer will work in it. It's called BlueStacks 2, there are of course others, but I like this one.

You can download BlueStacks 2 from the link bluestacks.com/ru/

there is nothing complicated here, click Download bluestacks and choose where to save it, the distribution itself takes 300 mb.

Earlier I told you how to install BlueStacks 2, everything is trivial there, I will only show some points here. As you run, you will see a warning window from Windows UAC, you must allow the installation.

Next, the usual installation wizard, then you're done.

as a result, BlueStacks 2 will open. The most important tab is Android, in which you will install instagram for PC.

The next step, you need to select Settings, because you need to change the keyboard language to English.

Next, go to the Language and input item,

In the keyboard and input methods item, click Default, if you have only Russian, then you need to add a language.

Click the input method setting.

Next, go to the AT Translated Set 2 keyboard item, this item will allow you to select additional input languages.

Select Customize keyboard layouts.

Add the necessary languages by checking the boxes and click back, and who said that installing instagram for a windows computer would be simple 🙂

well, actually, we all choose the Latin language and go ahead to install instagram.

Go to the Android tab and select the Search icon.

in the search bar, enter instagram pc

The keyboard shortcut CTL + Space allows you to change the keyboard layout in BlueStacks 2

You will be shown that there are no active Google accounts and you will be asked to log in or create a new one on gmail.com), click Existing

Enter your login and password from your mail gmail.com and agree to the terms.

Since I have two-factor authentication

you will receive an SMS with a code linked to your Google account on your phone, enter it and click done.

Unsubscribe and you can backup your data.

Now open either the Play Store or search for instagram pc, you may get a pop-up window accepting the terms of Google Play.

Click to start working.

Find instagram and click on its icon.

We poke to install, please note that the BlueStacks 2 emulator receives the Internet from your computer, so check that it is not blocked by anything there.

Your download is 16 megabytes.

Go to the main settings and launch the instagram pc application.

Instagram App for PC

Our entire Instagram app for PC is almost ready to use. Since I do not have an account from this service yet, I choose to register using mobile

Choose our country +7 and enter the desired mobile phone number.

You receive a verification code on your mobile phone, enter it.

Specify what your login and password will be to enter.

Specify the username that other people will see.

You can find friends from other social networks, in fact instagram for a windows computer you have installed inside the android emulator. Below I will tell you how to put the necessary photos in this emulator so that Instagram can see it.

then select the item Gallery> Other

Select the item Select them Windows, as everything is thought out.