How to upload picture on instagram from laptop
How to post to Instagram from PC
By Cat Ellis
last
updated
Post to Instagram from PC via Vivaldi or BlueStacks App Player and easily keep your friends up to date with all your latest adventures
(Image: © Shutterstock)
Learning how to post to Instagram from PC is a nifty little trick to master for those moments when you're desperate to share your latest adventures with your friends and family but find that your phone is completely out of juice.
If you have one of the best Windows laptops or the best computers, posting to Instagram from there can actually offer you more flexibility in terms of being able to easily upload edited images and videos. Plus, you can view everything on a much bigger screen, which can be really helpful depending on what content it is that you're wanting to share.
That being said, trying to post to Instagram from PC isn't the most straightforward of tasks by any stretch of the imagination. Still, it's definitely worth the hassle if you're someone who prefers to take picture-perfect snaps with one of the best DSLR cameras instead of a smartphone. There's no denying the cameras on the best phones have come a long way in recent years, but for the those of us who are photography fanatics, you can't beat holding a digital camera in your hands.
The good news is that for all you aspiring content creators out there or anyone who just wants a bit more freedom when it comes to posting to Instagram, we have all the tips and tricks you need to know below to help you figure out how to post to Instagram from PC. And all it takes is grabbing some free software!
Method 1: Vivaldi
Image credit: TechRadar1. Get Vivaldi
The super-customizable web browser Vivaldi offers the quickest and easiest way to post to Instagram from PC or Mac. It does this by running the mobile version of Instagram's website in a web panel.
Download and install Vivaldi , then either run through the wizard to import bookmarks and set your preferences, or click 'Skip all' and continue with the browser's default settings.
2. Create a web panel
Navigate to www.instagram.com , then click the plus icon (Add Web Panel) on the left-hand side of the browser interface. The URL will be filled in automatically, so all you have to do is click the plus again.
The mobile version of Instagram will now appear in a sidebar on the left-hand side of the browser, and will stay there as you browse other sites. Log into your account, then resize the sidebar until the mobile site fits in comfortably.
Image credit: TechRadar3. Upload to Instagram
Click the plus icon at the bottom of the website to choose a photo from your PC or Mac, apply filters, add a caption and tags, and upload it to your account.
Method 2: BlueStacks App Player
Image credit: TechRadar1. Get BlueStacks App Player
The Instagram app for Android is superb, and you can run it on your desktop using free Android emulator BlueStacks App Player, enabling you to post to Instagram from PC or Mac.
Download and install BlueStacks , then wait a few minutes while the engine starts for the first time. Dismiss the tutorial using the cross at the top right, make sure the correct language is selected and tap the arrow button.
Image credit: TechRadar2. Log into your Google account
Click ‘Continue’, then log in using your Google account. Review the terms of service and, if you agree, click ‘OK’.
The next checkboxes are completely optional; if you’re only using BlueStacks to upload to Instagram, feel free to uncheck them all. Click the Next arrow, then enter your name (it'll only be used to personalize some apps).
Image credit: TechRadar3. Install the Instagram app
You'll now see a version of the Google Play Store. Search for Instagram (the search bar is in the top right), select the official app when it appears and click Install. The app will request access to information including your contacts and location.
If that's OK with you, click 'Accept'.
After a moment, the Instagram icon will appear under the My Apps tab. Click it once to launch it.
Image credit: TechRadar4. Upload, apply filters and share
BlueStacks will change to the size and shape of a vertically-oriented smartphone. Sign into your Instagram account with your usual details (the login link is at the bottom). Your Instagram feed will appear as it would on a phone.
Click the plus icon at the bottom, then select 'Gallery'. Click the 'Gallery' drop-down menu at the top left and select 'Other', then click 'Pick from Windows'. Find the photo you want to upload, select it and click 'Open'.
You can now crop the picture, add filters and a caption, and share it with your followers via all the usual social networks.
Cat is the editor of TechRadar's sister site Advnture. She’s a UK Athletics qualified run leader, and in her spare time enjoys nothing more than lacing up her shoes and hitting the roads and trails (the muddier, the better)
You can now post to Instagram from a desktop browser! [October 2022 update]
As of October 2022, you can now post to your Instagram account from a computer 🎉
While on Instagram from an internet browser, you will now see the + option for adding a post:
Say goodbye to download images, sending it to your phone, and then posting from the Instagram app.
If you need a FREE way of scheduling Instagram posts for the future, scroll to the very bottom of this article 👇
Here was how to post to Instagram from a computer prior to October 2021:
This post shows you how to post on Instagram from a desktop computer, laptop, Mac, or PC for free in 2021.
Instagram does not let you post pictures directly to their website from a web browser on a desktop computer, laptop, Mac, or PC – but there is a way around it 🤓
Sure, you can email yourself photos, open up the email on your phone, save the photos, then post them on the Instagram app. However, that can get annoying quickly.
The solution: Most browsers have a way of letting you change the way a website shows to you. So even if you are on a laptop or desktop, you can have a website like Instagram show you the mobile version of the website, which will allow you to schedule Instagram posts from a computer – for free.
That is what we are going to do 😊
If you want to schedule Instagram posts for the future from a computer FOR FREE, scroll to the bottom of this article.
How to post to Instagram from a computer for free
- Sign into Instagram
- Right-click anywhere on the screen and click Inspect
- Click the tablet/phone icon
- Refresh the browser window
- Click the “+” button to create your post
- Post to Instagram from your computer
Here are those steps with screenshots:
How to post to Instagram from Google Chrome
To post to Instagram from a computer using Chrome, follow these steps:
Using Google Chrome, go to Instagram.com and sign in. Next right-click anywhere on the page and select Inspect from the list.
Part of the screen will be covered up with the Inspector tool, but we only care about the small icon of a tablet and phone, located in the top-left corner of the Inspector window.
Click on it.
After, refresh the page (important step). Many people miss this step, so I will reiterate: You must refresh the Instagram tab in your browser!
Once refreshed, you should see the + icon to create a post on Instagram at the bottom of the window.
Tip: If you do not see the + icon, try zooming out from 100% to 75%.
Once you are finished, click on the tablet/phone icon again. Close the Inspector tool and refresh the website to go back to the normal version of the site.
How to post to Instagram from Safari
To post to Instagram from a computer using Safari, on the top menu of Safari, go to Safari > Preferences > Advanced. Select the box at the bottom that show Show Develop menu in menu bar.
Find the option to enable Develop options in Preferences under the Advanced tab.Next open a new Safari tab and click on Develop > User Agent > Safari — iOS — iPhone in the menu bar.
Next, go to Instagram.com and sign into your account. At the bottom of the screen will be a + icon — tap it and select a photo from your computer to upload. After the photo is uploaded, you can still apply filters and edit the photo as you would in the Instagram app.
When you’re done, make sure you change your user agent back to the Default setting to avoid viewing all websites in their mobile state.
How to post to Instagram from Firefox
To post to Instagram from your computer on a Firefox browser, first go to Instagram.com and sign in. Next right-click anywhere on the page and select Inspect Element from the list.
You will then see the Inspector tool popup.
Find the Phone/Tablet icon and click it.
Next, drag the Inspector tool to the bottom of your screen, so you can see more of the phone view of Instagram.
After, refresh the page (important step). Many people miss this step, so I will reiterate: You must refresh the Instagram tab in your browser!
You should now see the + icon to start creating your Instagram post.
Tip: If you do not see the + icon, you may need to go to your Firefox settings and zoom out a little bit.
How to schedule Instagram posts for free
The methods above show how to post on Instagram from a computer, however, it does not let you schedule Instagram posts for the future.
To schedule Instagram posts, you need a social media scheduling tool like OneUp.
And yes, OneUp has a Free Plan 😊
In OneUp, first connect your Instagram account:
In the Schedule Post dropdown, choose “Schedule a post”.
Choose which account you want to schedule this post to, and create your post:
Then choose to either post once or repeat this post, and either “Post Now” or schedule it for a future date and time.
Single image posts, multi-image posts (AKA carousel), video posts, and Instagram Stories are all supported with OneUp, on both Personal and Business Instagram accounts 😊
Try out OneUp‘s Free Plan
How to upload photos to Instagram from a computer?
Unfortunately, you can't just open the Instagram website in your browser and post a photo through it.
This is because the application is closed source: the system must detect the camera and touch screen in order to allow the publication. This condition greatly complicates the download of photos from a computer. But there are several ways to get around it.
How to add a photo to Instagram from a computer?
Here is the easiest way: it does not require the installation of additional programs and applications. We describe how to post a photo through the Chrome browser.
1. Go to the Instagram website and log in to your profile.
2. Press the key combination Ctrl+Shift+I . With this action, you will call the developer console. Another way to call the console is to right-click anywhere on the page and select View Element Code or View Code in the window that appears.
3. Look for the icon , which is indicated by the arrow in the picture below. Clicking on it will turn on the smartphone screen simulation mode.
In the settings above the "screen" you can select the type of device that you want to simulate.
4. Reload the page. After that, a button for adding a photo will appear at the bottom of the screen. By clicking on it, you can open a window with computer media files. Select the desired photo and upload it as you would normally do on a smartphone. Mission accomplished!
We publish photos through the official Instagram application on a PC
The second method is more reliable, but also more time-consuming. For it, you need to install additional software: emulator Nox Player or BlueStacks .
1. Install Nox Player. The easiest way is to download it from the official resource.
2. After installing , enter the Play Market . The app will ask you to sign in to your Google account. Find the Instagram app in the store and install it.
3. Place the photos you want to publish in the folder C:\Users\your username\Nox_share\Image .
4. Go to the installed Instagram application, log in to your account. The steps for publishing must be the same as in the mobile version. The only difference is that the photos will be located at: Gallery –> Others –> Internal memory of the device.
Working with the BlueStacks
emulator 1. Install the emulator.
2. Also install Instagram from Play Market.
3. Click on the icon shown below in the photo. In the window that appears, select the desired photo.
4. Next, the program will ask which application to use to launch, select Instagram. And publish photos according to an already known scheme.
More Insta stuff:
- How to Live on Instagram
- One Instagram for two: using two accounts on one smartphone
How to add a photo or video to Instagram * from a computer
But there are workarounds.
Share
01.
How to add photos or videos to Instagram* from a computer using a desktop browser You can open the mobile version of the Instagram* website on your computer and create stories and posts there, much like the official app. How to do this - we show on the example of Chrome, but in most other browsers the steps will be similar.
Go to the Instagram* website and log in to your account.
Open developer tools. To do this, press Shift + Ctrl + I or right-click on the page and select View Code (or a line with a similar name).
On the toolbar that opens, find the icon with a schematic representation of multiple monitors or mobile devices and click on it. If you can't find it, press Shift + Ctrl + M. One way or another, the browser should launch the site in mobile mode.
Customize the size of the Instagram* interface that is convenient for you using the buttons above the site window.
Refresh the page. After that, a publish button will appear and you can use the social network on a PC in the same way as on a smartphone.
2. How to upload a photo or video to Instagram* from a computer using Facebook* Creator Studio
Last year, Facebook* launched a dedicated Creator Studio section. It allows you to publish and even schedule posts on Instagram*. You can't create stories yet.
To work with Creator Studio, you need to switch your Instagram* account to a professional one (creator profile or business account). To do this, go to the settings of the Instagram* mobile app, select "Account" → "Switch to a professional account" and follow the prompts. The procedure will take you a couple of minutes. If you don’t like something, you can return to the usual account type at any time.
In addition, you must link your profile to a Facebook page*. To do this, click the Edit (iOS) or Edit Profile (Android) button on your account page in the Instagram* app. Select "Page" and connect your new Facebook* page using system prompts.
Now open Creator Studio on your computer browser, select the Instagram* icon at the top and log in with your account.
To make a post, on the left panel, click the Create a post button and select Instagram* Feed. Add a photo or video using the Add Content button.
Click the arrow next to Publish and select the appropriate option: Publish Now (publish now) or Plan (schedule). In the second case, you can specify the time at which the service will publish the post automatically.
3. How to add a photo or video to Instagram* from a computer using the Android emulator for PC
Emulators are special programs that allow you to run any Android application directly on your computer. By launching the official Instagram* mobile client this way, you can easily publish Stories and posts. You don't need an Android device for this.
Install any free emulator from Lifehacker's selection for Windows, Linux and macOS. In the screenshot example, you can see a window with the NoxPlayer interface.
Launch the emulator and enter the Google Play app store through it by clicking on the corresponding icon.
