Do you love Instagram, but hate posting photos and videos from the tiny screen on your phone? Do you keep Instagram captions short and sweet to avoid typing with your thumbs? As awesome as Instagram is, there is one huge downside to the platform. Instagram is steadfast in its dedication to remaining a mobile app, which means it lets you post only from a phone or a tablet.

Does that mean that you can’t ever post to Instagram from a Mac? Not necessarily. Here’s our complete guide to help you upload to Instagram from your Mac.

Isn’t this super-easy to upload videos/pictures on Instagram from PC or Mac? How To Post On Instagram From Mac: Using Safari. If you already use Apple’s native web browser, Safari you’ll be happy to know that you can easily upload pictures on Instagram from Mac. You just need to apply some changes to developer tools. You can use the Safari browser, which is Apple’s personal web browser for uploading. Start posting pictures and post Instagram videos from Mac; The Instagram app can be used virtually from Mac exactly like you use it on your smartphone using Bluestacks. Hence, you have learned about the top procedures to publish images and videos to Instagram from your Mac. Now it is not essential to use a smartphone to browse Instagram. Create an account or log in to Instagram - A simple, fun & creative way to capture, edit & share photos, videos & messages with friends & family.

Can I post on Instagram from my Mac?

While it’s totally possible to post to Instagram from your Mac using various methods, they are not without limitations. As we go over your options, we will mention any drawbacks or limitations that you should be aware of so you can choose the best Instagram posting method available.

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How to upload to Instagram from your Mac

Instagram makes it easy to browse through your feed on your Mac, as well as like posts and comment on them, but to actually upload photos, you have to be a bit savvier. You can upload to Instagram directly from your browser using a few extra steps, a third-party app, or an Instagram scheduler. Here’s how you can post to Instagram from your Mac using these methods.

Post to Instagram from a Mac using Safari

If you already use Apple’s native Safari as your browser, you’ll be happy to know that you can upload to Instagram from your Mac without a whole lot of extra work. The secret is to use developer tools, so that you can view Instagram exactly as if you were using an iPhone or iPad.

  1. First, open Safari on your Mac.
  2. Go to Safari > Preferences > Advanced.
  3. In the Advanced menu box, tick the checkbox that says Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  4. Open Instagram in Safari.
  5. From the top menu, go to Develop > User Agent > Safari > iOS 11.3 iPhone (or current version of iOS).
  6. Your Instagram will now show up exactly as it looks on your iPhone, and you can click the upload icon to post photos as usual.

There are some limitations to using Safari in Develop mode:

  • You can only upload single photos to your Instagram profile, not videos or galleries.
  • Instagram’s custom filters are available, but editing features are not.
  • You can geotag your location, but you can’t tag other accounts.
  • You can also post to Instagram Stories using this same method, but again you can only post photos, not videos.

Post Instagram Mac Safari

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Upload photos to Instagram from a Mac using Google Chrome

If you use Google Chrome as your browser of choice, you’ll find that there is a similar method for uploading photos to Instagram. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Open Instagram using Google Chrome.
  2. From the top menu, go to View > Developer > Developer Tools.
  3. This will open Developer Tools. At the top of the sidebar, click on the icon that looks like a tablet and a phone next to each other.
  4. Now your Instagram will show up exactly as it would on your phone. You can even choose your exact phone model from the menu above the Instagram screen.
  5. You should also see the upload icon at the bottom of the Instagram screen, but if you don’t, simply refresh the page and it will show up.
  6. Click on the upload icon to upload your photo to Instagram. You will have access to Instagram filters, but not the editing tools. You’ll also be able to tag your location as well as other accounts.
  7. When you’re ready to publish, click Share, and your post will appear on Instagram.

The downside to uploading to Instagram using Chrome is that it currently only works with photos, not videos or galleries of images.

Upload to Instagram from a Mac using a third-party app

If using developer tools within your browser doesn’t appeal to you, you’ve still got several options.

One of them is Uplet, a bulk Instagram uploader Mac. No need to transfer content to your phone first. Uplet will take photos or videos from your Mac and post them directly to your Instagram profile, one by one. You can customize the appearance of your posts and add captions — just as you do on mobile. Uplet and 180+ other Mac apps are available with Setapp membership, which is a very good deal.

Here’s how to use Uplet to post to Instagram from your Mac:

Post instagram for mac osx
  1. Install Uplet from Setapp
  2. Log in using your Instagram credentials
  3. Click the plus button to upload your photos/videos
  4. Change image/video appearance by clicking on the resize button in the top left corner
  5. Add a caption with or without hashtags to the text box below your photo
  6. Click Share to publish your photos/videos to Instagram.

Another huge perk of Uplet is it allows you to manage several Instagram accounts very flexibly. Just click on the account picture to switch to your business/personal account. The app won’t ask you to sign in and out again, so it’s really a one-click deal.

You might also like: How to add music to an Instagram video

Post to Instagram from a Mac using a scheduler

If you don’t want to be chained to your Instagram account, but still want to post awesome photos on a regular basis, you should definitely look into an Instagram scheduler to post from your Mac.

These allow you to schedule your Instagram posts weeks, or even months, in advance. The most expensive schedulers come with lots of bells and whistles, but Later allows you to take advantage of some pretty advanced scheduling tools for free.

With a free Later account, you can schedule up to 30 Instagram posts a month using a simple drag-and-drop platform. You can add a caption and geotag your location, but you can’t schedule videos, carousel-type posts, or Stories. Also, if you want your posts to publish to Later automatically, you will need an Instagram business account. Otherwise, you will receive a notification when it’s time to publish, but you will have to do it manually.

Here’s how to post to Instagram from your Mac using Later:

  1. Go to www.later.com and create a free account. If you like the platform, you can always upgrade to a paid plan.
  2. Log in with your Instagram credentials to connect Later with Instagram.
  3. Upload your photos to the Later media library by clicking Upload Media and choosing one or more photos from your files. You can also upload directly from Google Drive or Dropbox by clicking the appropriate icon.
  4. Your photos will show up in the Later library. From there you can drag and drop the photos to the calendar at whichever day and time you choose.
  5. You can view your calendar by week or by month, or you can switch to your grid by clicking Preview. When viewing your grid on the Preview screen, you can easily move things around just by dragging and dropping.
  6. When you drag a photo to a slot in Calendar view, a pop-up will appear where you can enter a caption, geotag a location, and change the date or time.
  7. Once you’re happy with everything, click Auto to post automatically, and then click Save.

Hopefully, these tips will help you up your Instagram game by allowing you to post photos directly from your Mac. And maybe someday Instagram itself will jump on the bandwagon to make life easier for all of us.

Instagram is a brilliant tool for taking, editing and sharing photos on a smartphone. It’s also a great tool for marketing a brand on social media. However, very often, especially if you use it for marketing, you’ll have a photo on your Mac that you want to share – and transferring it your iPhone is an extra step that can be inconvenient at best. In this article, we’ll tell you how to post on Instagram using your Mac only.

How to use Instagram on a Mac?

To upload to Instagram from Mac, you'll need an app like Grids. It allows you to post photos and videos directly to Instagram while preserving the original quality of your content. What’s more, it’s the only desktop app that can post Stories. And, if you use Setapp apps like Luminar Flex to edit your photos and Sip to choose the perfect colors for it, you have the perfect Instagram marketing platform right on your Mac. Even if you only use Instagram for fun or socializing, being able to post directly from your Mac is very handy.

Grids also lets you switch between as many accounts as you like, DM friends, comment, tag, and more — all the usual stuff you do on your mobile. Here’s how to use Grids to post on Instagram from Mac.


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How to post pictures to Instagram from Mac

Good news is you don’t need a special uploader for Instagram on Mac. It’s all done easily through Grids. You get a simple Instagram uploader for all your accounts. Simply open Setapp, find Grids, install the app and run it. Then you only need to log into your Instagram account (or add multiple accounts), and you’ll be taken directly to the Instagram feed that looks awesome in Grids.

To post a new photo/video to Instagram with Grids, click on the plus button. You can pick one or many photos/videos that will be included in the post.

From then on, it’s pretty basic: Adjust the size, add captions and location, tag people, and hit the Share button. You can choose to fit the uploaded content into a traditional square frame or go with the original size. Read more about Instagram dimensions and sizes here.

How to edit your photos before posting to Instagram

Instagram is extremely limited in terms of image editing, so you might want to refer to better software. Well-edited images are the deal breakers on IG after all. Since you already have Setapp account, you have two options depending on your proficiency and love for detail.

Photo editing apps you can use right away on Setapp:

  • If you’re an amateur-to-professional photographer, try CameraBag Pro. It’s an app that combines both ready filters and ultra-detailed editing, including nuanced skin tone correction and eye-sparking tools.
  • If you just need quick and smart results, go for Photolemur. It’s an app that uses built-in AI to analyze what’s in the picture and how it should be edited. It’s a one-click editor that basically does magic but on the downside: you have limited influence on that magic, apart from the intensity of it.

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How upload video to instagram from Mac

Nothing of major difference from uploading pictures. You click the plus button in Grids and browse the target folder on your computer to find a video. Mac Instagram users are going to enjoy not having to move their videos to their iPhones to upload on IG.

When you choose and prep your videos to upload to Instagram from desktop, keep in mind a few things:

  1. Large videos will take longer to upload (duh), give Grids some time to process them.
  2. Instagram only allows videos that are up to 1 minute, so if your video is longer, cut it before uploading or it will get cut automatically.

How to post Instagram Stories on Mac

What makes Grids truly unique is the ability to post Stories. No other desktop app can do it, and neither does the web version of Instagram. Here’s an easy way to upload photos and videos to Stories on Mac:

  1. Click on your profile picture from the Instagram feed or your account page — just as you do on mobile
  2. Click on the plus button to upload photo/video
  3. Add mentions, custom text, emojis, tags, and more
  4. Click Send To > Your Story.

How to add and switch between multiple Instagram accounts

Grids allows you to post on Instagram from Mac, switching between multiple accounts. So if you’re wondering how to repost on Instagram, you should know there’s no need to do that. Simply add another account and post your content to different spots from Mac:

  1. Click on your profile image > Add Account

  2. Enter your credentials and log in

  3. To switch across accounts, hit the account name you want to use. No need to log in and out again.

How To Post On Instagram

That’s about it. Using Instagram for Mac on desktop is nothing new. We’re still surprised that with such a huge audience and business behind it, Instagram still hasn’t introduced a decent desktop client of its own. Luckily for you, there are apps that cover the problem with ease.

We hope this guide has been of help and now you know how to bypass the tricky Mac-iPhone file shifting. It’s a pain to be forced to move every image to your phone when it’s ready for posting, so Uplet to the rescue. Have a great day, post a lot, cheers!

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Instagram On Mac Computer

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