How to Use Instagram on a Computer

What you can and can't do on instagram.com

Instagram on the web has grown well beyond browsing. This is what Instagram's Help Center currently documents for computers:

How to log in to Instagram on a computer

1. Open the latest version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge. These are the browsers Instagram recommends.
2. Go to instagram.com.
3. Enter your username, email address or phone number, plus your password, and click Log in.
4. If you use two-factor authentication, enter the code from your authentication app or text message.

If your Instagram and Facebook accounts share an Accounts Center, you may also be able to log in with your Facebook details; our guide to logging in to Instagram with Facebook explains when that works.

On a shared or public computer, don't let the browser remember your password, and log out when you're done.

How to post from a computer

Post a single photo or video

1. Click Create in the left sidebar.
2. Click Post, then Select from computer, or drag a file into the window. Supported photo formats are JPG, PNG and HEIC/HEIF.
3. Choose the crop size and click Next.
4. Click Filters or Adjustments to edit a photo (for a video, you can pick a cover and trim), then click Next.
5. Write your caption and add a location if you want.
6. Click Accessibility to add alt text, or Advanced settings to turn off commenting.
7. Click Share.

Writing captions on a full keyboard is one of the best reasons to post from a computer. Check length with our caption character counter and build a focused tag set with the free hashtag generator before you paste it in. If you post for a small business, keeping product photos on your computer and uploading directly also saves a transfer step.

Post a carousel

1. Click Create > Post > Select from computer.
2. Click the multiple-select option and choose up to 20 photos and videos.
3. Drag items to reorder them, and click and hold an item to adjust its crop. The orientation you choose applies to every item.
4. Click Next, apply filters to all items or individually, then click Next again.
5. Add one caption and location for the whole post, and tag people on individual photos.
6. Click Share.

Instagram notes that videos inside a carousel aren't treated as reels and won't appear in the Reels tab.

How to message on a computer

1. Click Messages in the left sidebar.
2. Click Compose, choose one or more people and click Chat.
3. Type a message, or click Add photo or video to attach a file from your computer.
4. Click Send.

Hover over a received message to react with an emoji, Reply, or click Options > Forward. Messages to people who aren't connected with you arrive as message requests and can only contain text until they accept.

How to manage your account on a computer

Most account settings live under More in the bottom-left corner:

• Notifications: More > Settings > Notifications > Push notifications. Our notification settings guide covers the app and phone settings too.
• Accounts Center or Meta Account: More > Settings, then choose Accounts Center or Meta Account for passwords, two-factor authentication and data exports.
• Stories archive: More > Settings > Archiving and downloading controls Save story to archive.
• Bulk delete posts: click Menu in the bottom left, then Your Activity > Photos and Videos, pick Posts, Reels or Highlights, click Select, and delete. See our full guide to deleting Instagram posts.

Is there an Instagram app for Windows or Mac?

An Instagram listing is available in the Microsoft Store, but Instagram's Help Center doesn't document a dedicated Windows or macOS app, or say which features one supports. We couldn't verify its current feature set, so treat instagram.com as the reference experience on any computer. If a feature is missing on the web, it's usually available in the phone app.

How to schedule Instagram posts

Instagram's built-in scheduler is documented for the phone app. You need a public account, and you can schedule up to 25 posts a day, up to 30 days in advance.

1. In the app, tap Create, then Post or Reel.
2. Select your media, tap Next and add your caption.
3. Tap More options, turn on Schedule this post or Schedule this reel, and choose a date and time.
4. Tap Done, then Back, then Schedule.

Manage scheduled items from Menu > Scheduled content (below Your insights and tools). Product tags, collaborative posts, sponsored posts and fundraisers can't be scheduled.

For desktop scheduling, businesses and creators often use Meta Business Suite, Meta's free tool for managing Facebook Pages and connected Instagram professional accounts. We couldn't confirm Meta's current Business Suite scheduling steps for this update, so check Meta's own help pages before relying on it. Deciding how often to publish? See how many times a day to post on Instagram. Marketers planning a content calendar can pair it with our marketing hashtags.

Troubleshooting

• Create or Messages is missing. Update your browser, or try one of the four recommended browsers. Extensions that block scripts can hide parts of the page.
• Upload fails. Check the file type (JPG, PNG or HEIC for photos) and your connection; multi-video carousels take longer.
• You can't find a setting. Look under More in the bottom left; if it isn't on the web, use the app.
• Your profile shows up in Google. Instagram allows search engines to index some public posts and reels. Making your account private limits who can see your content.