How to post from Instagram on your laptop

Use a smart Chrome trick

Want to post to Instagram using a laptop or desktop? This Google Chrome trick lets you post to Instagram from your PC!

Instagram can be viewed on your desktop or laptop through a browser, but for a long time the Instagram desktop site didn’t provide a way to upload photos. Since Instagram is a mobile-centric service, it is geared towards uploading your photos through Android and iPhone apps.

However, there is now an official way to post to Instagram from your computer. And in case that doesn’t work, we will show you a solution that will allow you to post to Instagram using Chrome. It works on Windows, Mac, or Chromebook – as long as you have access to Google Chrome. Here’s how to post to Instagram from a laptop or desktop.

The official way to post to Instagram on your PC

As of late 2021, Instagram now allows you to upload photos to your account using its desktop site. Although it took some time to roll out, it should be available to all users at the time of writing.

To upload from your computer, just log in to Instagram.com and click the Plus button in the top right corner. This will take you to a screen where you can drag and drop photos from your computer, or click the Select From Computer button to browse through them. From here you can make basic edits, apply filters, and add a caption.

instagram download button on pc

This is the best way to add photos to your Instagram account using a computer. In case it is not available to you or if you want to try an alternative solution, here are the instructions on how to post to Instagram using Chrome.

Step 1: Visit Instagram and open Chrome Developer Tools

To get started, open Instagram.com in Google Chrome and make sure you’re signed in to your account. Then right-click anywhere on the page and choose Inspect to open the Developer Tools panel. You can also use the F12 key on Windows or Cmd + Option + i on a Mac, if you prefer.
Chrome inspector

This will open the Chrome Developer Tools panel on the right side, which contains a bunch of HTML and other page details. But you don’t have to worry about all that.

Step Two: Switch to Mobile View

In the upper left corner of the New Developer Tools window, you’ll see an icon that looks like a phone next to your tablet. Click it to switch to mobile view – You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + M on a Windows PC or Cmd + Shift + M on a Mac.
Chrome toggle mobile view

This mode effectively tells the website that you are using a mobile device. You will notice that the interface has changed to something very similar to what you are used to seeing on Android or iPhone. Keep the Developer Tools panel open to continue using the mobile interface, as closing it reverts to the normal desktop view.

Step 3: Upload your photo to Instagram

At the bottom of the screen, with mobile view enabled, you should see the different icons for the different Instagram tabs. If you don’t see this row of icons, refresh page (F5) and it will appear.

Click the Plus icon in the middle of this toolbar to upload an image from your computer using File Explorer or Finder.

By default, Instagram only allows you to upload a few types of photos, including JPEGs. If you want to upload a PNG file or any other type of image, you’ll need to make a small change first.

In Windows, click on the Custom Files box in the bottom right corner of File Explorer and change it to All Files. If you’re on a Mac, click the Options button at the bottom left of the Finder and change the custom file format box to All Files.
Mac change uploaded file type

Step 4: Edit your photo

After selecting your photo, you have a few options on the Edit tab. If your photo is larger than the standard Instagram dimensions, you can drag it to frame the photo as desired. Use the rotate button at the bottom right to rotate it 90 degrees at a time. Click the full size button in the bottom left to switch between full width or square size (if applicable).

Switch to the Filter tab at the bottom of the screen to apply one of the many Instagram filters. As you will notice, you cannot access all Instagram editing tools using this method. If you want to edit the photo further, we recommend using a photo editing app on your computer to make adjustments before uploading your photo to Instagram.

From there, click the Next button and you can enter a caption, set the location of the photo, and tag people if you want. You are ready to share your photo. People will never know that you posted it using your computer, not your phone!

Other ways to post on Instagram using your computer

Instagram officially offers a Windows app on the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 and Windows 11. It is basically a port of the mobile app and offers the same set of features as the desktop website. This includes posting to Instagram from your computer, so try it out if you prefer using an app dedicated to posting to Instagram.

If you want more, we’ve looked at other ways to post to Instagram from your computer. Keep in mind that no other option is more convenient than this, so we recommend the official method or Chrome mobile solution in most cases.

Post to Instagram from your laptop using any browser

Fortunately, you no longer need to rely on this workaround for posting to Instagram using your computer. Instagram’s desktop site now makes it easy to post photos no matter what browser and operating system you’re using. But if the official method has stopped working and you need a workaround, it is easy to post to Instagram using this Chrome trick as well.

Either way, publishing from your desktop instead of your phone is great if you prefer to edit photos on your PC. It saves you the step of transferring photos to your phone and then uploading them using the Instagram mobile app.