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:

Post to Instagram from Google Chrome

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

  1. Sign into Instagram
  2. Right-click anywhere on the screen and click Inspect
  3. Click the tablet/phone icon
  4. Refresh the browser window
  5. Click the “+” button to create your post
  6. 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.

post to Instagram from a computer

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.

Post to Instagram from desktop

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.

safari-develop-options
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

Join the Conversation

81 Comments

      1. Davis – I can’t get it to work for me – I follow all the steps but it seems to revert back and I never see the “+” at the bottom of the window?? 🙁

          1. I followed every step. I do not see the ‘+’ sign. I hit refresh after changing the phone/tablet mode. I am using Mozilla Firefox browser.

          2. This method used to work for me on Chrome. As of today, it’s not working. Any other suggestions? I’m not seeing the “+” and the other buttons at the bottom.

  1. Thanks for sharing this information with us. This article is really helpful for me. Article solve my big problem so thanks u. Keep sharing.

  2. thanks this was really helpful. Toggled with that option for other sites and did realize that it could be used this way. So thanks man.

    Also checking out OneUp for scheduling posts 🙂

  3. This option does not work anymore…even when I click on the tablet/phone mode, the look changes but the + sign to add a new post does not come anymore.
    Wonder why Instagram is trying to block this function 🙁

  4. not helpful – you missed a step.
    millineals always take for granted steps….

    in the directions of safari-. it says then hit another safari tab and hit developer WHERE IS THAT?

  5. This was very helpful. It looks like you have to do that every time you want to post a pic or am I missing something. Thanks for the info!

    1. Hey Andrew, when you do this, it should stay this way until you change your settings back to normal view, so you should be able publish many posts in the same session.

  6. This was extremely helpful. Question – I’m unable to upload videos, only pics. What would you advise?

  7. Easiest instructions I have used as yet!! Thank you!
    I am not savvy at this stuff and really appreciate the pictures attached explaining the steps. Can I create graphics for Instagram on my MacBook Pro?

  8. Hey, I’ve followed your suggestions tried this a dozen times and it just doesn’t work, no plus at all. I’m using chrome, ipad as mobile device and it just doesn’t give any option to post. I’ve refreshed everything, it doesn’t work!

    1. Hey Lee, you may need to zoom out on your browser once you have switched to phone view.

      I have added screenshots showing this 🙂

  9. For awhile there I really thought you were blowing smoke up my skirt.
    It was the “refresh” I needed.Thanks for your help.

  10. Hi Davis. Thank you for sharing this – it’s a brilliant trick!
    Quick Q – is there any way of adding multiple images to the same post ? (I use Layout when posting from the phone normally). Thanks again

  11. Hi! I can’t seem to find the “+’ button. I am using Chrome for this and yet it does not appear. 🙁

    1. Hey April, you just click the circle-like button. Or you can use the keyboard shortcut Control+R (or Command+R on a Mac)

  12. Thanks so much for this. It was doing my head in until refreshed the page & then saw the + option appear.

    Is there a way, on the desktop, to add multiple images to one post?

    Cheers

  13. Okay, I see the plus, I clicked the plus, but now I can’t see over half my pictures stored on my PC for some reason. What gives?? Does Instagram not want this to happen? They sure are making it difficult.

  14. Hi there and thanks for the tutorial. Is there a way to make this permanent, like everytime I open Instagram I will be able to post or interact same way I would do on my phone? Thank you

    1. Unfortunately you will need to do these steps each time, but it is just a few clicks and is pretty quick once you know what to do 🙂

  15. I continue to get an error, “Post did not upload” with the option to “retry” but it never works. Using Chrome on a new MAC. I’ve tried with the developer tools window open and closed. Continual refreshing. Any other suggestions? Perhaps a Chrome setting prohibiting it?

  16. I have tried your Firefox instructions numerous times (always refreshing). My icons appear at the top of the phone image, rather than the bottom. The + never shows up. Yet if I click on my profile photo, it will let me upload from my pc to change that and it works. Please help if you can. I have been on Instagram for a while and it is difficult to not be able to post anymore. Thank you!

  17. Thank you for your post! Very helpful, but the refresh really does not work no + appears. I have tried every way around this with out success. I too believe that this work around has been removed. Again thank you for your helpful post but a no goer for me.

  18. Thanks for this, Davis. Weirdly, I have the + box on three of my four IG accounts. I can desktop post on all three, but not the fourth. Have you heard of this? I’ve tried logging in and out, switching accounts, force-refreshing, re-booting, and still that one IG account doesn’t have the + button. Thoughts?

  19. While on Instagram from an internet browser, you will now see the. It’s Really Helpful For me I can desktop post on all three good looks for you

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