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How to Use Instagram on a PC or Mac

Instagram workarounds and ways to upload photos from your desktop

By Leslie Walker Leslie Walker Writer University of Virginia Former Lifewire writer Leslie Walker is a multimedia journalism professor who covers social media, web publishing, and internet technologies. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on November 5, 2021 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Instagram The Ultimate Guide to Instagram

What to Know

Log in to Instagram.com, click +, upload a photo or video, edit, and click Share. The Instagram for Windows desktop app works the same as the web version. This article explains how to use Instagram on a PC or Mac desktop. To access your Instagram page on the web, go to the address bar in the browser, then enter http://instagram.com/username.

How to Post to Instagram on a Desktop

You can access Instagram on your PC or Mac using a web browser to review your feed, like and comment on posts, view your profile, and follow or unfollow people. Instagram also recently added the ability to send and receive direct messages. You can also post photos or videos. Go to Instagram.com and log in. Click the Create New Post (+) button in the upper-right corner of the page. Drag an image or video file to the Create New Post window that appears. Alternatively, click Select from computer, navigate to the file you want to post, and select Open. The photo or video appears in the window. Click the magnifying glass in the lower-left corner of the window to zoom in on the image if you want to crop it. Then, drag it to the desired position in the window. Select the double-arrow icon to select a specific aspect ratio for the post. If you want to add more images, click the Multiple photos button in the lower-right corner, click the plus sign (+) that appears, and add up to nine more pictures or videos. Click Next to continue.
On the Filters tab, select a filter to apply, if desired. On the Adjustments tab, adjust aspects such as brightness, contrast, and saturation. Click Next to continue. Add a caption, tag someone, and add hashtags, if desired. Click Share when you are ready to share the post.

Use the Instagram for Windows Desktop App

The Instagram for Windows desktop app works the same as the web version. You can post photos or videos, view posts, like and comment, and follow and unfollow users. Instagram for Windows doesn't work with older PCs or Macs, though. Instagram for Windows requires Windows 10 version 10586.0 or higher and 2 GB of RAM. Additionally, a Microsoft account is needed to download Instagram for Windows.

Workarounds for Older Computers

If you want to post photos and videos to Instagram from your desktop and you have a Mac or older PC that can't run the Instagram for Windows app, there are some workarounds.

BlueStacks

BlueStacks is a free Android phone emulator. It emulates the Android version of Instagram on a PC or Mac, making it possible to upload photos to Instagram. An emulator is a software program that simulates a mobile phone operating system (or another type of operating system) on a computer. Install BlueStacks, then download Instagram. Sign in to your Instagram account, and your Instagram feed appears as it does on a phone. Download Bluestacks

Flume

Flume is a Mac-only Instagram app that allows you to upload photos, post to Instagram from a Mac, edit photos, and more. It also includes some power-user functions the mobile Instagram app doesn't offer, such as hover shortcuts and ways to promote your brand. Download Flume

Email

If there's a photo on your desktop computer you want to post on Instagram, a low-tech solution is to email yourself the picture, access that picture from your phone, then post it to Instagram.

Dropbox

Use Dropbox, the free cloud-based storage app, to share photos on your desktop computer to your mobile device, then access those photos in Instagram. 17 Best Free Cloud Storage Services for Backup in 2022

Pixlr

Pixlr isn't a desktop Instagram workaround. Instead, it's a photo app with features similar to Instagram. Pixlr calls itself a "next-generation online photo editor." 16 Best Free Online Photo Editors (Image Editing Sites) Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Is There an Instagram App for Mac or PC? How to Repost an Instagram Story How to Use Instagram What Is Instagram, and Why Should You Be Using It? How to Edit Instagram Captions How to Use Instagram on the Web How to Unblock Someone on Instagram How to Use Snapchat on PC How to Pin Comments on Instagram Get Started with Reposting on Instagram How to Post a YouTube Video on Instagram How to See Previously Liked Posts on Instagram How to Fix It When Instagram Is Not Working How to Repost a Video on Instagram How to Use Instagram Shopping How to Post to Instagram From a Mac or PC Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies