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How to upload a story on instagram from mac


How to Post on Instagram from a PC or Mac (3 Methods)

Tired of posting on Instagram from your phone? Wondering how to post on Instagram from your PC or Mac instead?

You’ve come to the right place. Posting on Instagram from your desktop can save you time and offer more flexibility in what you can upload (such as edited videos and images).

And you can do it without having to upload them onto your phone first.

Below we’ve outlined three different ways to post on Instagram from your computer.

How to post on Instagram from your computer

Method 1: How to post on Instagram from your computer using Hootsuite

Method 2: How to post on Instagram from a PC or Mac

Method 3: How to post on Instagram from your computer using Creator Studio

How to post an Instagram Story from desktop

How to post an Instagram carousel post from desktop

How to edit an Instagram post from desktop

Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.

How to post on Instagram from your computer

Below, you’ll find ways to post on Instagram from your PC or Mac. We’ll also show you how to post via Hootsuite which works on either operating system.

If you’re more of a visual learner, watch this video from our pals at Hootsuite Labs to see how easy it can be:

Method 1: How to post on Instagram from your computer using Hootsuite

You can schedule feed posts, Stories, carousel posts, and Instagram ads with Hootsuite.

The instructions below will walk you through the process of posting to your Instagram feed. We cover Instagram Stories and carousels a little further down in this article.

To post on Instagram from a PC or Mac using Hootsuite, follow these steps:

  1. Log into your Hootsuite dashboard. If you don’t have an account yet, create one here for free.
  2. From your dashboard, click on the green New Post button at the top.
  3. The New Post window will appear. Under Post to, select the Instagram account where you want to post your content. If you haven’t added an account yet, you can do that by clicking +Add a social network in the box and following the directions.
  4. Drop the image or video you want to post to Instagram in the Media section. Enhance your image and/or video with the photo editor.
  5. Once you’re done, add your caption in the Text section as well as any hashtags you want to use. You also have the option to add a location at the bottom.
  6. When you’ve crafted your post, review it for any errors. Once you’re sure everything is good to post, click the Post Now button at the bottom. Alternatively, you can also Schedule for later if you want it to post at a different time.

For a quick summary of how to post on Instagram from Hootsuite, watch this video:

Voila! Posting photos and videos to Instagram from PC or Mac is that easy.

Method 2: How to post on Instagram from a PC or Mac

As of October 2021, all Instagram users can create and publish feed posts from the browser version of the app. 

To post on Instagram from your desktop computer (PC or Mac), follow these simple steps:

  1. Go to the Instagram website (instagram.com) and sign in to your account.
  2. Click the plus symbol in the top right corner of the screen (it’s the same button you would use to create a post in the mobile app). A Create new post window will pop up.
  3. Drag photo or video files into the popup window, or click Select from computer to browse and pick files from your PC or Mac. If you want to create a carousel post, you can select up to 10 files.
  4. Click the frame icon in the bottom left corner of the popup to change the ratio of your image or video. You can also use the zoom feature (looking glass icon in the bottom left) and drag your file to edit your frame. When you’re done, click Next in the top right corner.
  5. Edit your image. You can select one of 12 preset effects in the Filters tab or go to the Adjustments tab and manually adjust specs such as brightness, contrast and fade. Click Next.
  6. Write your caption. Click on the smiley face icon to browse and pick emojis. You can also type in a location in the Add location bar, restrict commenting in Advanced settings and add alt text to your files in the Accessibility section.
  7. Click Share.

And that’s it! 

At the moment, only feed posts can be created and published directly from Instagram on desktop. Keep reading to find out how to post Instagram Stories from a PC or Mac computer.

Method 3: How to post on Instagram from your computer using Creator Studio

If Instagram is your social network of choice and you don’t mind not having all your social networks in one dashboard, Creator Studio could be a good option for you.

Note that when using Creator Studio, you can post and schedule all types of posts other than Instagram Stories.

How to post on Instagram using Creator Studio:

  1. Make sure you are connected to Instagram in Creator Studio.
  2. Navigate to the Instagram section.
  3. Click Create Post.
  4. Click Instagram Feed.
  5. Choose the account you want to post to (if you have more than one Instagram account connected).
  6. Add a caption and a location (optional).
  7. Click Add Content to add photos or videos.
  8. Next, choose between these 2 options:
    • Click From File Upload to upload new content.
    • Click From Facebook Page to post content that you’ve already shared on your Facebook.
  9. (Optional) If you want to simultaneously post this content to the Facebook Page connected to your Instagram account, check the box next to your Page under Post to Facebook. You can add additional details to your Facebook post after you publish to Instagram.
  10. Click Publish.

How to post an Instagram Story from desktop

You can post an Instagram Story from your computer using a third-party social media management tool like Hootsuite. Just follow the steps outlined in this short video:

Or, read our step-by-step article on how to post an Instagram Story from your computer.

If you don’t have Hootsuite, you can post an Instagram Story from your PC or Mac through the following steps:

  1. Go to Instagram.com.
  2. Go to developer mode on either Safari or Google Chrome (see Mac and PC sections above for detailed steps).
  3. Click on the camera in the top left.
  4. Choose an image or video you’d like to add to your story. Edit it with text, stickers, filters, gifs, or whatever else.
  5. Tap Add to your story at the bottom.

You’re done! It’s practically the same steps as if you were using the Instagram app on a mobile device.

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How to post an Instagram carousel post from desktop

With Hootsuite, you can also create and easily publish carousel posts (with up to 10 images or videos) directly to Instagram. Here’s how.

1. Go to Planner and tap New post to launch Compose.

2. Select the Instagram account you want to publish to.

3. Include your caption in the Text box.

4. Go to Media and tap Select files to upload. Select all the images you want to include in your carousel. All selected images should appear under Media.

5. Use the yellow Schedule button to select a date and time to publish your post.

6. Tap Schedule. The post will show up in your Planner at the time you have scheduled it for.

That’s it! Your post will go live on the date and time you selected.

How to edit an Instagram post from desktop

Hootsuite Compose allows you to edit any image directly on your dashboard before you post it. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to edit the image once it’s posted.


Follow these steps to edit:

  1. Log into your Hootsuite dashboard. If you don’t have an account yet, get your free 30-day trial here (no pressure to pay, you can cancel anytime).
  2. From your dashboard, click on the green New Post button at the top.
  3. The New Post window will appear. Under Post to, select the Instagram account where you want to post your content. If you haven’t added an account yet, you can do that by clicking +Add a social network in the box and following the directions.
  4. Drop the images and/or videos you want to post to Instagram in the Media section
  5. To edit, click on Edit Image below the Media section. This brings up Hootsuite Composer’s edit tool. It allows you to customize the aspect ratio of your image to fit practically any social media platform’s image metrics. From the sidebar, you also have the ability to add filters, adjust lighting and focus, add text and stickers, and use the brush too.
  6. Once you’re finished click Save.
  7. Add your caption, hashtags, and location. Then click Post Now. 

Voila! You just edited your image from your desktop.

Post to Instagram from your PC or Mac using Hootsuite. Save time, grow your audience, and measure your performance alongside all your other social channels. Try it free today.

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How To Post an Instagram Story from Your Computer

Instagram stories are wildly popular. From celebrities to small businesses, everybody seems to utilize stories to get a message out. At least, for a brief window until the imagery goes into digital oblivion.

Since Instagram is a mobile-centric social network, a lot of functions, including computer uploads, are not available outside the mobile ecosystem. As Instagram doesn’t give you the option within the website’s interface to post a story, there are a few simple workarounds available.

You need to employ some browser tricks, use third-party apps or scheduling tools to successfully post an Instagram story from your Mac or PC. Either way, the process becomes straightforward once you get the hang of it.

Switch User-Agent in Your Browser

Once you read the subtitle, this hack might sound like more than you’ve bargained for. But it’s probably the easiest way to post an Instagram story or any other media from your computer.

This workaround doesn’t require additional software or extra payment to work, but you are limited to Google Chrome. With a few simple steps, you can post stories to Instagram from your Mac or PC.

If your computer doesn’t already have Google Chrome, you can get it here. This browser has several benefits with the Web Store. For installing Chrome extensions, there are endless possibilities for your Instagram account.

Chrome

Launch Chrome and access the Developer tools from the View menu at the top. You can also use keyboard commands to quickly open the developer tools:

For Mac – Command + Options + J

For PC – Control + Shift + J

Note: The screenshots are taken on a Mac. So the layout might be a bit different on Windows, but the same steps still apply.

  1. Once the Developer’s console appears, look at the icons on the top right of the screen. You will see one that looks like a tablet and a smartphone. It should say “Toggle device bar” once you hover the cursor over the icon. Click on that and you’ll notice that your web browser looks smaller.


  2. Login to your Instagram account if needed.

  3. Click on your story at the top of your device bar and you’ll immediately be taken to your computer files.

This method assumes you have images and videos ready on your computer. If not, you should upload them first.

Write custom captions, add doodles, and embellish your story using the same tools as you would on a mobile device. Hit “Add to your story” once you are happy with the looks. That’s it.

Can You Do It Using Safari?

In theory, it is possible to post an Instagram story from Safari but your computer needs to allow Portrait orientation. You should be able to change your display settings and post a story.

If not, you can always use Safari to post pictures or videos. Here is how to do it:

  1. To switch the User-Agent, you need to enable the Develop menu first. Head over to Safari Preferences, select Advanced, and tick Show Develop menu in the menu bar.


  2. Click on Develop, select User-Agent, and tick Safari iOS – 11. 3 – iphone(Safari iOS – 11,3 – iPod touch works as well)

You can now log into your Instagram account and click on the “plus” icon to add photos and videos. As already mentioned, if you want to add a story, switch to portrait mode first.

Compared to Chrome, it might be easier to use Instagram on Safari because you get a full-window view. Then again, things become a bit tricky with posting stories via the portrait mode.

Third-party Apps

Third-party apps offer different posting/search features, and some of them are available with paid versions only. However, these apps can be useful if you are using Instagram for business or want to upload in bulk.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a popular service for influencers and many entrepreneurs. Fortunately, it can do a lot more than schedule posts. Hootsuite gives you the option to set up Instagram posts from your computer.

Although it is a paid service, it is well worth the money if you’re managing multiple social media accounts, posts, and schedules.

Bluestacks

An Android emulator, Bluestacks is also available on both Mac and PC. You need a Google account to use it and the entire process resembles the browser hacks described above.

The best thing about this app is that it’s free of charge and you can easily post stories, pictures, and videos. However, it doesn’t support bulk uploads and management of multiple accounts.

Hopper HQ

Hopper HQ is a scheduling tool designed for power users. It offers bulk uploads, full automation, analytics, and more. Plus, it features a Grid Planner which allows you to get a preview of your Instagram profile.

This tool is best for social media managers and influencers as the subscription price is a bit steep.

Dropbox

Dropbox doesn’t exactly let you post stories to Instagram using your computer but it is worth mentioning. Assuming you have some great photo editing software on your computer, or, it’s easier to work with your Instagram content on a larger screen, the Dropbox service makes it easier to move that content to a mobile device and upload it.

If you’re having issues with any of the above-listed options, Dropbox paves the road your edited content will travel from computer to smartphone. Combining simple upload options and immediate data uploads within the application, this is yet another way to post content on Instagram using your computer.

Hit the Like Button

Posting an Instagram story from your computer is easy. And if you are an average user, there is no need to resort to third-party apps. Just make sure to upload photos or videos to your computer before you share them.

How to upload photos and videos to Instagram from a Mac or Windows computer

While Instagram developers are ignoring the launch of the official multi-functional client for macOS and Windows, with which you could edit and upload your favorite photos and videos to a well-known network, third-party developers and enthusiasts will use every opportunity to create workarounds. Today we will talk about several ways to add photos to Instagram from any computer. nine0003

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♥ BY TOPIC: How to unfollow a person on Instagram so that they don’t find out (so as not to offend). Unfortunately, at the moment there is no official Instagram client for computers, but this does not mean that the service cannot be used on Windows and Mac. nine0003

♥ BY TOPIC: The most followed people on Instagram are the 35 accounts with the most followers.

How to view photos and videos on Instagram using Safari, Google Chrome, Yandex Browser, Mozilla Firefox and Opera

photos and videos, stories (stories), profile information, leave comments, etc. on any computer. nine0003

♥ RELATED: How to see when a user is logged into Instagram and how to turn it off.

How to upload photos and videos to Instagram for free on a computer using the Safari browser on Mac (macOS)

Almost all modern desktop browsers provide the ability to change the option "User Agent" - an application that tells the site which device used. That is, even if you are working on a laptop or a desktop computer, you can make the site “think” that it is a smartphone and show a mobile version. This is what we are to do. nine0003

In the case of Apple's browser, everything is quite simple. Go to Safari → Settings → Add-ons and check the box next to the option " Show menu " Development " in menu bar ".

♥ RELATED: How to open the Develop menu (Developer Console) in Safari on Mac and what it is for.

Next, open a new window. Select Development → User agent → Safari – iPhone and go to Instagram.com.

Log into your account and click on the " + " button at the bottom of the screen.

Now you can easily upload images to Instagram directly from your computer.

♥ RELATED: Masks and effects on Instagram photos and videos: how to enable and add new ones. nine0010

How to upload photos and videos to Instagram on a Windows or Mac computer using Google Chrome, Yandex Browser, Opera or Firefox

The method for Google Chrome, Yandex Browser, Opera or Firefox is identical to the above and is also based on using the mobile web version of the social network Instagram.

In Google Chrome

Click on the icon with three vertical dots in the upper right corner of Google Chrome and follow the path: Additional tools → Developer tools .

Click the icon to enable the display of web pages in the mobile version.

Reload the page and upload photos or videos to Instagram by clicking the "+" button in the bottom bar.

In Yandex Browser

Click on the icon with three vertical lines in the upper right corner of Yandex Browser and follow the path: Advanced → Additional tools → Developer tools .

Click the icon to enable the display of web pages in the mobile version.

Reload the page and upload photos or videos to Instagram by clicking the "+" button in the bottom bar.

In the Opera browser

Open the menu Developer → Developer Tools.

Click the icon to enable the display of web pages in the mobile version.

Reload the page and upload photos or videos to Instagram by clicking the "+" button in the bottom bar. nine0003

In Firefox browser

Click on the icon with three vertical lines in the upper right corner of the Firefox browser and navigate to the path: Web development → Responsive design .

Select iPhone from the mobile selection menu. Reload the page and upload photos or videos to Instagram by clicking the "+" button in the bottom bar.

♥ RELATED: How to create albums from photos or videos on Instagram. nine0010

Programs for uploading photos and videos to Instagram from a computer , process pictures on desktop computers and only then publish to Instagram.

In this case, you have to upload processed images from a computer to a mobile device (for example, via AirDrop or email) - a very troublesome task. We will talk about the most popular applications that allow you to upload photos and videos to Instagram from a computer below. nine0003

♥ RELATED: How to set up (enable / disable) any notifications on Instagram.

How to upload photos to Instagram from a Windows or Mac computer using the Windowed app

One day, a young photographer and developer found out that Instagram cannot upload photos from a computer. He got upset and decided to fix the problem. This is how the Windowed application was born, which is a web application disguised as a mobile browser that supports the interface of the mobile browser version of Instagram. nine0003

Windowed allows you to do everything on Instagram that you can do in the browser versions described earlier.

What about security? The developer assures that all important information from the user, including login and password, goes through Instagram, and he does not have access to them. Anyone who is willing (and able) can check his words at any time - the code is posted on GitHub.

Another useful feature of Windowed is support for up to five different Instagram accounts. Quick switching between them is carried out by pressing the button Profile at the top of the screen.

Helpful Hint: if your Mac won't open Windowed and says "The application cannot be opened because the developer could not be verified" or "The program cannot be opened because its author is an unidentified developer" . follow the steps in this manual.

Free Download Windowed for Windows and Mac .

♥ RELATED: Instagram blue checkmark: how to get verified status on Instagram.

How to upload photos and videos to Instagram from a Mac or Windows computer using the Uplet application you need to upload a photo or video from your computer to the Instagram feed with a minimum number of settings.

After starting the program, you must go through the standard authorization procedure in the account. And here you can observe the first drawback of the client - the lack of support for working with multiple accounts, which, by the way, is available in mobile clients. The function would be relevant for those who promote two or more accounts or several family members work in one Mac account. Next, a super-minimalistic window appears, prompting you to add images to upload. You can do this by clicking on the button and selecting files in the explorer, but a much more convenient way would be to simply drag and drop (Drag-and-drop) photos into the Uplet window. By pressing the button " Send all ” you will immediately send the content to the network, but there is an opportunity to pre-perform several relevant actions available in the button “Add signature” . Here you can choose a square or leave the original size of the image (for all at the same time or for each separately). The photo can only be tiled over the entire width of the square, and then move the image left and right. But you can’t zoom in on the image and select a specific area (it would be relevant for high-resolution photos). nine0003

Before sending, it remains to add comments, hashtags and emoticons (through the built-in tools of the operating system). After pressing " Share all " we wait for the end of the publishing process and notification from Uplet. Uploading to the network takes some time, of course, not comparable in speed with the regular Instagram client for iOS.

Uplet is purely a tool for uploading images and videos. You cannot edit or delete images that have already been posted. Support for multiple accounts is present. The main disadvantage of the application is its cost. At the same time, a demo version of the application is available on the site, which allows you to make 5 downloads. nine0003

Download Uplet for Windows and Mac

Related video: Instagram Secrets: 35 tricks you might not know

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    4 ways to post a story on Instagram from a computer in 2021

    Posting Stories on Instagram* through a computer is driven by habit, someone by a huge amount of content, and someone by the need for pre-publication processing of photos and videos.

    If you're an Instagram regular* and your Stories are your calling card, read this article to find out if you can make your life easier by downloading content directly from your hard drive instead of downloading it to your smartphone. nine0003

    And to learn how to plan content for a section, read the article "How to create a content plan for Instagram Stories *".

    Using standard browser tools

    The basic way to upload content to Instagram*. I’ll make a reservation right away: you can only upload photographic materials. Go to your Instagram profile*, and right-click on any empty page field.

    Press " Inspect element", or F12 In the window that opens on the right, click on the smartphone icon Without closing the window, reload the page for the changes to take effect The view of an open Instagram* profile will change, it will look like the social network looks like in a smartphone. If you don't find the option to add History right away, click on the camera icon in the upper left corner Most likely, you will see the following inscription that appears at the bottom of the screen, asking you to rotate the device. Do not rush to turn the monitor, you just need to resize the browser window For example, click on the "Minimize to Window" button. But you need to do this only when you see an inscription asking you to rotate the screen When the browser window decreases, you will see the opportunity to add a Story by clicking on "Your story"

    Then everything is simple: click, select a photo and publish.

    Using Chrome extensions

    Chrome is famous for its extensions for all occasions, and you can also use them to download your Instagram Story*. You just need to find a job. And yes, you can only upload photo content. nine0003

    Consider the Web Story extension. Follow the link to install it for yourself. Then pin it to the extensions panel to always have quick access to it. This can be done in two ways.

    If the Extensions panel is active, just click on the puzzle icon (1), or through Settings and Additional Tools (2) In the first (1) case, find the downloaded extension and click on the button. In the second (2) - find the extension and enable it. After all the manipulations, the icon you need will appear on the Extensions panel near the Address bar of the browser After clicking on the Extensions icon, you will see a window in which you can download the Story in the same way as from your phone

    Using the Android emulator on your computer android app emulator.

    By installing it on your computer, you will add pre-filmed content to Stories.

    Consider BlueStacks.

    After installing the application, log in to your Google Play account Enter the word “Instagram*” in the search and install the application You can enter Instagram* by clicking on the Notifications icon… … or find it in the My Games section the next time you enter the program

    To upload your Instagram Story* , you first need to add a photo or video to the emulator library. Just like that, Instagram* will not see them on the computer’s hard drive through the emulator.

    Log in to Media Manager, yellow icon in My Games Click "Import from Windows" and select the photos and videos you want

    Remember that your photos and videos need a certain format to look good. Read more in the Instagram post format guide* on the SMMplanner blog.

    You will see them in the imported files here Now go to the emulator in Instagram* and upload photos or videos in the same way as you would on the phone

    This method has its pros and cons. The advantage is that you can upload both photo and video content without resorting to long tricks. The downside is this. With 4 GB of RAM or less, each process in the emulator will take you a significant amount of time; in other words, everything will slow down, slow down a lot, and even slow down so much that it refuses to load at all. nine0003

    Using the delayed posting service

    Having a large amount of photo and video content for Instagram* Stories in the arsenal, the need to upload it every day, and at the same time dislike working from a smartphone, I want to have such a tool that, albeit for a fee, makes it easy to solve the problem. To date, such a tool is the deferred posting service SMMplanner.

    SMMplanner can do everything that the official application in the phone

    The service will not only upload all your content in the History, but also allow you to edit, create polls, insert links, geolocation and much more. nine0003

    Read more about SMMplanner in the article "Instructions: how to post a Story on Instagram* from a computer".

    Learn more