How to upload photos onto instagram


How to Post on Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide

With over 1 billion active users, Instagram is one of the best social media networks to advertise your business, reach new audiences, and grow brand awareness. So even if you aren’t active on the website yet, it’s never too late to adopt an Instagram strategy in your marketing plan.

If you're ready to start sharing content through this channel, we've got you covered. Here, we've cultivated a quick-and-easy guide to posting on Instagram, to ensure you can begin attracting the attention of your audience with Instagram marketing.

How to Post on Instagram

  1. Tap the + icon at the top of your screen.
  2. Choose a photo or video from your library or shoot one in the app.
  3. Post multiple images on Instagram.
  4. Crop the image.
  5. Pick a filter.
  6. Edit your photo.
  7. Type your caption.
  8. Use hashtags for post optimization.
  9. Tag friends.
  10. Add your location.
  11. Play with emojis.
  12. Share the post on other social media platforms.
  13. Edit the post.

Posting to Instagram consistently can help businesses find resonance with their audience and grow better, but doing it right is just as important. Here's how to post to your Instagram account step-by-step.

Step 1. Tap the + icon at the top of your screen.

See that plus sign [+] in the image above? That's your starting point. See that post from our culture account? That's your endpoint. Click that plus sign and you'll be ready for the next step, below.

Step 2. Choose a photo or video from your library or shoot one in the app.

Instagram will show you the photos already saved to your phone. Choose one of those to post. Alternatively, you can click on the camera icon to take a photo or video within the Instagram app itself, if you don't already have an image you want to use.

Once you select and crop an image (or carousel of multiple images), click the arrow button in the top right corner of the app.

Step 3. Post multiple images on Instagram.

Do you have multiple photos and want to highlight them all? Instagram allows you to do this with its carousel feature.

As you go to tap a photo or video, first tap the icon just above your photos to the right that looks like stacked squares. Once you tap this, you'll see a number on the corner of every image or video you tap. This number notes where the content will show up in the carousel.

Step 4. Crop the image.

You aren't limited to just a square image on Instagram. You can actually share horizontal or vertical images as well. To get more of your image seen, pinch the screen of the photo you've selected on the Library screen.

However, while Instagram does allow vertical and horizontal options, the images still need to fit into some specific dimensions. So, you might still need to crop a tiny bit of your photo to get it to fit.

Step 5. Pick a filter.

Instagram offers 24 filters — scroll to the right to peruse your options, and click on one to preview how it will look on your photo.

By default, the filter will be applied by full strength. However, if you want to scale back the intensity of the filter, double click the filter tile once it's been applied, and a scale selector will appear, allowing you to downplay the effect.

You can also tap the magic wand at the top of the screen to adjust the photo further.

(Take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Instagram Filters to learn more).

Step 6. Edit your photo.

You can also click "Edit" at the bottom right to adjust the image to your specifications.

Here are the editing options that come built into Instagram for you:

  • Adjust - This helps subtly rotate the image along the center plane, giving it a tilt either to the left or right according to the linear scale at the bottom of the screen.
  • Brightness - This helps lighten or darken the image. All you have to do is pull the selector to the left to darken or to the right to lighten.
  • Contrast - This helps to increase or decrease the intensity of the image's colors. Pull the selector to the left for less contrast (a dulling effect) or to the right for more contrast (a higher intensity effect).
  • Structure - This helps to add an HD-like effect to the image, bringing out specific details in your photo. Drag the selector to the right to help the image "pop."
  • Warmth - This helps you adjust the temperature of the photo. Drag the selector to the left to increase cool tones in the image, or drag the selector to the right to increase the warm tones in the image.
  • Saturation - This helps you adjust the saturation of the colors in your image. Drag the selector to the left to desaturate the image (all the way to the left if you want a monochrome look), or drag the selector to the right for extremely saturated colors.
  • Color - This gives you a number of color options to overlay over your image for interesting color effects. Simply select your color choice and see how it changes the image in the preview box.
  • Fade - This softens the intensity of the blacks in your image to create an "aged" photo effect. Simply drag the selector to the right for a higher degree of fade.
  • Highlights - This helps you control the intensity of the highlights in your image. Dragging the selector to the left will darken the highlights in your image while dragging the selector to the right will lighten the highlights in your image.
  • Shadows - This helps you control the intensity of the shadows in your image. Dragging the selector to the left will darken the shadows in your image while dragging the selector to the right will lighten the shadows in your image.
  • Vignette - This darkens the corners of the image, leaving a circle shape in the center. Drag the selector all the way to the right for the most dramatic vignette.
  • Tilt Shift - This helps blur the edges of the image in a radial or linear way, drawing focus to the details in the center of the image.
  • Sharpen - This helps sharpen certain details of the image, bringing a more dramatic look to subtler elements in the photo.

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Step 7. Type your caption.

Get creative and write a nice, interesting caption to go with your photo. Since text can help optimize your post in Instagram's search, writing something can only benefit you.

Step 8. Use hashtags for post optimization.

With Instagram's search feature, users can search by hashtags. So, you should make sure to write relevant hashtags in your caption. If someone does a search of a hashtag you placed in your caption, they might find your post as well as others that included the same one.

Step 9. Tag friends.

Want your friend or their followers to see a photo that you posted of the two of you? Tag them!

On the new post page, you can click "Tag People" to tag other Instagram accounts in your post. Alternatively, you can include their handle (or their username beginning with an @ symbol) in your caption.

Step 10. Add your location.

If you're on a fun vacation or at a neat event and you don't feel like including that information in your caption, you can mark where you are in another way. On the new post page, tap "Add Location" to put a location on your image (which makes it easier for people to find your post).

When you post an image or video with a location, it will show up between your name and the block of content on the feed.

Step 11. Play with emojis.

Emojis are fun and can make your caption more eye-catching. If you know of a few relevant emojis that could fit with your post, stick them in the caption area. For example, if you're posting a vacation photo, you could include a palm tree 🌴 or a plane ✈️ to show you flew somewhere.

Here are the top Instagram emojis you can use:

  1. ❤️
  2. 😍
  3. 😘
  4. 😂
  5. 😊
  6. 😎
  7. 💕
  8. 😉
  9. 💋
  10. 👍

However, keep in mind that there's a multitude of choices to add flair to your posts, from keeping it real 💯 to the cringe face 😬.

Be sure not to go overboard and post emojis just for the sake of posting them. If you post a bowling emoji along with a photo of a beach, that obviously won't make sense to people. Similarly, if you post 20 emojis that loosely relate to a post, you might just annoy your followers or come off as desperate.

Step 12. Share the post on other social media platforms.

Finally, if you want to share your content on your other, connected social media sites (like Facebook or Twitter), simply slide the bar from the left to the right.

When you're ready to post, click "Share" in the top right.

Instagram Saved Drafts

If you're not ready to post right away, you can also save it to your Instagram Saved Drafts. Simply go back to the filtering and editing step, tap the back arrow in the top left, and select "Save Draft."

Step 13. Edit the post.

Typos happen to everyone! If you just posted something and notice a glaring spelling error, don't panic. Simply tap the three dots that appear on the right across from your name, then tap "Edit."

Make the adjustments you see fit and save them so it reflects on your Instagram. Otherwise, your post is complete and live for everyone to see.

Grow Your Audience on Instagram Today

Now that you know how to post to Instagram, you can begin creating content for the platform and connecting with your audience. If you're a business or brand, you'll want a solid strategy for earning engagement and awareness.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in November 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Topics: Instagram Marketing

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How to Post on Instagram From a Computer or Mobile Device

  • You can post on Instagram from a computer or mobile device with a few clicks or taps.
  • Instagram recently added a built-in feature to its desktop website that allows you to upload photos and videos in the same manner as the Instagram mobile app.
  • This article is part of Insider's Guide to Instagram.

If you haven't posted on Instagram in a while, you may be confused as to where the button to start a post is, as the mobile app has shifted its appearance numerous times in recent years.

If instead you're familiar with the mobile app and wish you could seamlessly post to Instagram from your computer in the same manner as the app, you're now in luck. Instagram recently added a feature to its desktop website that is analogous to the posting method on mobile.

Here's how to post on Instagram from a mobile device or computer.

How to post on Instagram from a mobile device

1. Open the Instagram mobile app and log in if needed.

2. From your home screen or profile, tap the + (plus) symbol in the upper-right corner, and select Post from the dropdown menu.

Tap the plus symbol. Insider

3. Select the photo (or video) you wish to post from your device's library or tap the camera icon to take a new image with your smartphone camera. To make a multi-image post – you can use up to 10 pictures in one post – tap the circle with an image of layered squares and then tap the images you'd like to use in order. Tap Next when you've selected your media.

Tap the circle with overlapping squares to add multiple photos or videos. Insider

4. On the next screen, select a filter if you wish to use one, or tap Edit to make other changes to the image's crop, brightness, saturation, and more. Then tap Done.

Tap a filter or select Edit to customize your post. Insider

5. You can now add a text caption and location, tag people, and pair other platforms – like Facebook or Twitter – to syndicate your post there, too.

Add a caption, tags, or other elements on the final page before posting. Insider

6. Tap Share in the top-right corner to set your post live on Instagram. 

How to post on Instagram from a computer

You once had to employ a convoluted process to trick Instagram into thinking you were using a mobile device in order to post from a computer.

Thankfully, Instagram has added a new, built-in feature that makes posting from its desktop website as seamless as posting from its mobile app. Here's how to post from a computer.

1. Go to Instagram's website in a desktop browser and log in if needed.

2. Click the + (plus) symbol at the top of the page to start a post.

Click the plus sign. Insider

3. Drag image or video files into the pop-up window that appears, or click Select from computer.

Click to select images or drag media into the pop-up. Insider

4. Your selected image will appear in the window. Use the magnifying glass in the bottom-left corner to zoom in on the image and crop it, or use the two arrow icon to the left of that to select a specific aspect ratio for the post. If you want to add more images, click the circle with overlapping squares in the bottom-right corner and tap the resulting plus sign to add media. When you're done, click Next.

Adjust the crop of the image or add images with the three tools in the window. Insider; Getty Images

5. Choose a filter or click the Adjustments tab to adjust levels of brightness, contrast, and other elements. Then click Next.

Choose a filter or make adjustments. Insider; Getty Images

6. Click the photo to tag accounts, or use the form on the right of image to add a caption, location, or alt text (via the Accessibility dropdown), or turn off commenting (via the Advanced settings dropdown). Then click Share to post to your Instagram feed.

Add a caption, tags, and more from this window. Insider; Getty Images

Steven John

Freelance Writer

Steven John is a freelance writer living near New York City by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, four in Boston, and the first 18 near DC. When not writing or spending time with his wife and kids, he can occasionally be found climbing mountains. His writing is spread across the web, and his books can be found at www.stevenjohnbooks.com.

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How to add a photo to 📸Instagram from a computer or phone

We continue the series of articles “Instagram for a teapot”. Simple instructions on how to properly use the functionality and much more. Next topic: “How to add a photo to Instagram”.

Content


  1. How to add a photo or story to Instagram from a computer
  2. How to add photos to instagram from phone
  3. How to add several photos to Instagram at once
  4. How to post a photo on Instagram in full size
  5. How many photos can be added to Instagram per day
  6. Is it possible to add a photo to a published post
  7. Test! How well did you understand the topic

How to add a photo to Instagram?

Instagram itself is designed to share experiences. You can use the social network from a PC or smartphone. But adding a photo to Instagram through the latter is much easier - apart from the application itself, nothing else is needed for this.

Can I add a photo or story to Instagram from a computer?

The topic of publishing photos on Instagram from a computer has always been relevant. The Internet is full of different ways, most of which involve installing additional applications. But it is long, and sometimes even difficult. Therefore, we suggest using the following method:

  1. We go to Instagram through the browser, press the key combination Ctrl + Shift + I or hover over any empty space, press the right mouse button and select View code. This menu will appear on the side:

2. In the upper left corner of this menu, there is an icon with a phone and a tablet. We press.

3. After clicking, the Instagram view will change. Now press F5 or the round arrow in the upper left corner of the browser to refresh the page. On Instagram, the bottom menu will appear, as in the mobile version.

4. Now, if you need to publish a photo, close the menu by pressing gray cross in the upper right corner and use instagram like on the phone.

5. If you want to add a story, then leave the menu open and click on the camera icon to the left of the inscription “Instagram” . This function only works when the menu is open.

Adding a photo from your phone to Instagram in 4 steps

Posting and sharing your photo from your mobile device is very easy.

1. Enter the profile and look for "+" at the bottom of the screen.

2. Click on it and get access to the gallery and camera. In the first case, we select a ready-made picture from the library, in the second we make a new one online directly in the Instagram account. It looks like this:

If you want to take a photo or shoot a video, go to the corresponding inscription. After selecting or taking a picture, click "next" at the top right.

3. Get into the photo editor. Here you can adjust the brightness of the image. Scroll the ribbon with tools to the left - there are enough filters to get the desired quality. To align it, add or remove brightness, sharpness, contrast, etc. go to the "edit" tab (also at the bottom of the screen). At the end of the correction, we look up and send the “Next” frame.

4. Everything is ready! You can sign - your comment is added right next to in the same window. A little lower is the "tag people" option. Now you can share by clicking the blue button of the same name in the upper right.

Your Instagram photo! The same is done with video.

How to add several photos to Instagram at once?

Posting multiple photos is possible in two ways:

  • Several different posts. Each photo has a separate post.
  • Carousel. Multiple photos in one post.

Consider the second option in detail. To do this, in step No. 2 of the previous instruction, before clicking "Next", we activate the inscription "select several" at the bottom.

We get into the general gallery with the ability to select frames:

Mark the ones you need and only after that go up and click "Next". It turns out a carousel of several pictures.
On the net, such a collage looks like this:

Below, in the line with a heart, there is a quadruple. It says that there are several frames in the post. This is also evidenced by the counter in the upper right corner - 2/4. That is, we have the 2nd of 4. Flipping through them is simple - with a light touch on the screen with a shift to the left. In total, you can add up to 10 photos or videos to the carousel.

How do I post full size photos on Instagram?

Until recently, all frames for an Instagram profile had to be cut. The network accepted only square images. Now the restrictions on the dimensions and orientation of the image have been removed. Vertical or horizontal, it doesn't matter.

So, choose a photo through the gallery or take a new camera. Before uploading to the profile, adjust the size. To prevent the picture from looking cropped, use the double brackets in the lower left
corner - . Full size without cropping guaranteed.

You can trim as follows. Having selected it, touch the center and stretch your fingers in different directions - a grid will appear. Move until only the desired image remains in it and click "Next".
Next, filter and edit as in the instructions above, and you can publish.

How many photos can you add to Instagram in a day?

Instagram does not have a hard limit on the number of daily posts.

There is a possibility that your account will be blocked if you post more than 100 photos per day. But only if they look like spam.

Can I add a photo to a published post?

Nothing can be edited in already published material - resize, add effects, adjust lighting, etc. will not work. The only changes you can make after posting are tagging people, products, brands, and fixing the alt text.

If you really want to change the photo, it's easier to delete the post with it and post a new one of the required quality.

Useful links and notes

  1. If you want to schedule posts in advance and with automatic delayed posting, then use the smmplanner.com service.

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Alexey

One of the founders of the Agvento agency. Certified specialist in Google Ads and Yandex Direct.

How to upload photos to Instagram without quality loss

A common inconvenience you may encounter when using Instagram is that when you upload photos, they lose quality and don't look as good as they do in your gallery. This can happen for various reasons, and not all of them are related directly to the application, but to aspects such as your mobile phone's camera and its configuration. This article will discuss a number of tips and tricks to allow to upload photos to Instagram without quality loss .

The tricks you will find below are very easy to use and useful for improving the quality of the photos you upload to Instagram, so don't miss the opportunity to try them (or at least some of them) to be able to check the result you get .

  • Use mobile camera instead of Instagram camera
  • Do not use filters or other elements such as GIFs when uploading photos
  • Avoid cropping photos on Instagram
  • Lower the resolution a little so that the photos weigh a little
  • Upload photos to Instagram from an iOS mobile device

Use your mobile camera

First, it is important to note that you must take photos from the camera of the mobile phone itself, and not from the Instagram application, because if you select this option, you will automatically reduce the quality.

Do not use filters or other elements such as GIFs

The use of color filters or other elements such as stickers or gifs (in the case of stories) will also significantly reduce the quality of photos. Therefore, if you want to edit a photo, it is recommended that you do so with an external professional program such as Photoshop.

Follow the format and size of your Instagram image to avoid cropping and loss of quality

Avoid cropping photos on Instagram

Another point to consider is the cropping that Instagram does. This is because your photo must match the official Instagram dimensions (600 x 400 pixels for horizontal and 600 x 749pixels for vertical photos). For this reason, it is recommended not to use very large photos or crop them manually from the camera before uploading to Instagram to fit them to the required dimensions.

Reduce the resolution slightly

One thing to keep in mind: when taking photos with a mobile phone, especially if you have HDR enabled, it is more than likely that they will exceed the recommended number of pixels and therefore weigh too much to upload to Instagram.


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