Edited By Piyush Kashyap, Reviewed By Gulshan
One of the most popular photo and video sharing social networking site, Instagram is extensively used by bloggers, social media influencers, media houses, photographers and businesses who need a visual storyteller to convey their message.
Launched exclusively on the iOS platform in October 2010, an Android version followed soon after in April 2012.
Instagram basically works with its mobile app which allows users to upload photos and videos which can be edited with multiple filters.
Even location information can be pinned to the posts and it can be publicly shared with friends, acquaintances or followers. An Instagram account allows you to view trending content and find photos and videos through tags.
Currently owned by Facebook, the social media service is extremely popular among the masses and enjoys a huge fan following. But, to the dismay of many users, there was no option to upload pictures or videos from the PC or Mac.
It was an app only service that allowed users to upload content only form a mobile device and this can be quite challenging for people who take photographs on a camera.
All the photos have to make its way through multiple transfers from the camera to the PC or desktop and eventually to a mobile phone. The process can be quite cumbersome and time consuming.
In order to ease up this process, there are some clever desktop hacks and third-party tools which allow you to upload content on your Instagram account directly from the computer. Here’s a simple guide to help you make your way around Instagram directly from your PC.
Uploading Photos From Internet Browsers
Instagram allows users to upload photos from a mobile device only and thankfully, there’s a way around with internet browsers. Most browsers allows you to change the ‘User Agent’, that aspect which allows a website to determine what kind of device you are logging into.
While you are still on your laptop or desktop, Instagram can be tricked to show you their mobile site with a change of browser settings.
GOOGLE CHROME
If you are a Google Chrome user, log into Instagram.com and sign into your account. Right click on the page and click on Inspect, (it appears at the bottom of the drop-down menu).
It will open up a code inspector tool which may be a little confusing to look at but, don’t worry. Just look at the top of the Inspector window that now splits your computer screen into two parts.
On the right hand side, you’ll find the Inspector window and the left side will now show your Instagram account. On the top left of the Inspector window, locate a phone or tablet icon.
Go to the Tablet icon on the top left and this should enable the mobile view, which will automatically change the left side of your screen, where Instagram is now visible. Now, take a closer look at the top left side of your Instagram window. Click on ‘Responsive’. A drop-down menu gives plenty of options for different phone and tablets. Select one that’s closest to your device.
How to Post/Upload to Instagram from Your Desktop/Laptop
For example, if you are using an iPhone, click on iPhone 6, 7 or 8. And if you are a Samsung Galaxy user, click Samsung Galaxy 5. After selecting a mobile device, a ‘Fit to Window’ option will appear.
Click on that and at this point, your screen may shift a little bit. But, there’s nothing to worry about. You will now see a screen that closely resembles your Instagram mobile account.
It will have a (+) sign at the bottom which allows users to select photos from their phone gallery. However, if the (+) sign fails to appear at the first attempt, refresh the browser by pressing F5 on your keyboard or press the reload button on the left side of the address bar.
This is likely to solve the problem. If you are using Chrome, a dialogue box prompting you to open a folder will appear on your computer screen when you click on the (+) sign.
Here you can select and upload the chosen photographs or videos directly from your laptop or desktop. Eventually, the standard Instagram screen will be visible with options to edit the image using the site’s available options.
You can move the image, enhance its quality or select the part you wish to upload. If you are satisfied with the image, click ‘Next’. It will take you to the share page where you can add captions and upload your pictures.
Just follow these simple steps and you can easily upload pictures or videos from your Windows and Mac computers using Chrome.
SAFARI WEB BROWSER
Safari users too have to change the user agent to directly upload photos to Instagram from their personal computers. In order to do this, open your Safari browser, go to ‘Preferences’ and click on ‘Advanced’.
To enable the option, select ‘Show Develop menu in menu bar’. This opens a private browsing window where you have to choose ‘Develop’ option. From the drop down menu, select ‘User Agent’.
It will open up another drop down menu where you have to select ‘iOS 10’ and switch to iPhone. This will open up Instagram’s mobile page where the camera icon will be visible at the bottom of the page.
Hit the button to upload your favorite videos and pictures from the selected folder. Select images, apply filters and click next to share your computer images on Instagram.
This might be a handy tool to upload content if you do not have time to transfer them to your phone but, it has certain drawbacks as well. It lacks the editing tools that are offered with your mobile app and doesn’t allow users to post multiple photos or videos at the same time.
MOZILLA FIREFOX
Users can also upload images with FireFox but you need to run version 52 or higher. Go to ‘Tools’ and select ‘Web Developer’. Choose ‘Responsive Design Mode’ from the available options and it will open up options to change devices.
However, this may not work if Multiprocess Window is disabled. You need to enable this before changing devices. Once activated, changes can be easily made and you can follow the steps just like Chrome to access the Instagram site.
How to Post Photos on Instagram on PC with Windows 10?
In October 2016, Instagram launched an app version to the Windows store. It can be installed on Windows 10 computers and can also be used in tablets.
However, in order to make this work, your Windows 10 computer must have a touchscreen and a backward facing camera. Anyone with a computer equipped with these specifications can upload photos and videos to Instagram directly from their personal computers.
The ‘Camera’ icon is easily available on the menu section and you can choose to upload content by hitting this button. It will take you to the editing window where you can make the desired changes and finally share your photos and videos on Instagram.
Third-Party Apps to Upload Content on Instagram
A number of third-party apps or tools are available for uploading photos and videos on Instagram from your laptop or desktop. Some of them can be used online while others have to be downloaded on your computer. Let’s check out a few.
BLUESTACKS
Bluestacks App is an Android emulator and it allows users to upload photos to Instagram directly from their personal computer or Mac. In order to get this app, all you need is a Google account.
Its operation is similar to the methods used with internet browsers and does not have features for bulk upload or multiple account management. To start with, download Bluestacks app to your computer.
Choose the preferred language, click ‘Continue’ and log in with your Google account. Agree to the terms of service and select ‘OK’. You can then directly click the Next arrow and enter your name.
A version of Google Play Store will be visible on your screen. Search Instagram from the list and click ‘Accept’. The Instagram icon will now appear under the My Apps tab. Launch Instagram by hitting the icon. You can now see the app in mobile view as it changes shape and size to emulate a smartphone.
What is Bluestacks and Why Do I Need It?
Sign into your Instagram account and the feed will be visible exactly in the same way as it appears in your smartphone. All you have to do now is click on the (+) button to move to the gallery.
A drop down menu appears, select ‘Other’ and choose ‘Pick from Windows’.This allows you to find the photo and select it for uploading. Click ‘Open’ to upload images on Instagram.
Edit images or add Filters and captions before sharing the pictures with your followers.However, this app does not support video uploads, so you have to limit yourself to images only with this third-party tool.
DESKGRAM
It is a Instagram desktop app which allows users to post images on Instagram from PC or Mac. Besides, it enables commenting, liking or browsing posts, similar to its mobile version. Photos and videos can be uploaded with this third-party tool. But, video uploading is not supported with Windows computers.
You can use this app to tag other accounts, use hashtag search, apply filters and trim videos. To start, simply download the Deskgram from its official website.
Deskgram is a paid service which offers a free version as well but, it does not support uploading. In order to upload photos and videos, you need to install the free app and then upgrade with a monthly subscription that provides full access to its services.But, just like Bluestacks, it does not support bulk uploads.
UPLET FOR MAC
Specially designed for uploading content from Mac, Uplet is a paid service that helps you to directly upload pictures and videos to Instagram from your computer. However, it is not equipped with any editing features or photo filters to enhance the images.
But, it allows users to shrink the image to landscape or portrait mode. And if you are uploading videos, make sure that it is within Instagram’s 60 second limit because Uplet does not support in-app trimming features.
You can visit its official website and check out other features and details there. This is particularly useful for people who edit their photos on their computer and upload it in bulk.
The subscription charges are one-off and allows you to access its services for unlimited period. It also allows multiple account management, which may be useful for professionals.
HOPPER HQ
If you want to post photos and videos to Instagram with a scheduling tool, Hopper HQ can be a handy tool. It not only allows bulk uploads, it schedules automatic uploads for the future as well. You can visit the software's website by clicking here.
Scheduling is a game saver for many who need to post content on a regular basis. It saves a lot of time and allow users to be organized and ready, without having to worry about posting at a later date.
It is a fully automated tool where you can schedule posts for the future. There is no need to post everything manually and it directly posts everything on Instagram without even sending notification to your phone. To start off, open an account with Hopper HQ and log in.
The dashboard has a Queue at the left hand side of the screen. Here you can check the number of scheduled posts and get a preview of how it would look once they are published. It helps users to plan an aesthetic feed.
From the ‘New Posts’ tab, users can upload 50 photos or videos at once. The content can be uploaded from your hard drive, Google Drive, Google Photos, Dropbox, URL or web search. It is particularly useful for people who collaborate on file sharing sites.
Images can be edited, fitted to size, captioned and uploaded with hashtags and first comments. It also allows you to post the same photo on Twitter or Facebook with the plus icon at the bottom of the photo. Hopper HQ is a paid service which is extremely useful for professionals.
