This wikiHow teaches you how to use a computer web browser to upload photos to Instagram. While the Instagram app for Windows 10 no longer allows you to create new posts, you can still upload photos (on any operating system) by adjusting some settings in Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using Google Chrome
Step 1. Open Google Chrome on the computer
You can usually find this browser icon in the “Start” menu on PCs and in the “Applications” folder on Mac computers.
With this method, you can upload photos to Instagram. However, you cannot use editing tools
Step 2. Click the menu
It's in the upper-right corner of the Chrome window. A drop-down menu will open afterwards.
If this icon is not visible, click the menu “ View ” at the top of the screen, select “ Developer, then click " Developer Tools " After that, move on to step five.
Step 3. Select More tools
This option is at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
Step 4. Select Developer tools
It's at the bottom of the pop-out menu. A window containing the code line will be displayed on the right side of the browser window. The window is the "Developer Tools" window.
Step 5. Select the "mobile" icon
It's in the upper-left corner of the “Developer Tools” window and looks like a phone above a square. Once clicked, the icon color changes to blue and the browser window will display the page in mobile view.
If it's already blue, mobile viewing mode has been activated
Step 6. Visit
If you're logged into your Instagram account on a computer, the feed page will appear just like when you open Instagram on your phone or tablet.
If not, click Log In and follow the on-screen prompts to log in to your account
Step 7. Click +
It's in the bottom center of the screen. A File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) window will open on the computer.
Step 8. Select a photo
You may need to open the desired photo storage folder first.
Step 9. Click Open
This option is displayed in the lower right side of the window. The selected photo will be uploaded.
Step 10. Edit the image
Image editing options are limited when you use Chrome. You can click the “Rotate” icon in the lower right corner of the preview window to rotate the photo, or click Filters in the lower left side of the screen to select Instagram's default filters.
You may not be able to see the " Filters " tab, depending on your computer's security settings. Turn off privacy extensions and/or ad blockers to check if tabs are viewable
Step 11. Click Next
This blue link appears in the upper right corner of the " New Post " page.
Step 12. Enter a description
Click the "Write a caption… " field and type a description for the photo.
If you want to tag a location or another Instagram user, click one of the options on the screen
Step 13. Click Share
This blue link appears in the top right corner of the page. The photo will be uploaded to your Instagram profile.
When you're ready to return to normal viewing mode, click the X button in the top-right corner of the Chrome developer tools panel
Method 2 of 3: Using Safari
Step 1. Open Safari
Click the blue compass icon displayed in the Dock. Usually, this icon is at the bottom of the screen.
Step 2. Activate the "Develop" menu
If a menu labeled "Develop" already appears in the toolbar at the top of the screen, skip this step. If not, activate the menu by following these steps:
- Click the Safari menu at the top of the screen.
- Select Preferences….
- Select Advanced.
- Check the "Show Develop menu in menu bar" box.
- Close the “Preferences” window.
Step 3. Press Shift+⌘ Cmd+N
The Safari private browsing window will open.
Step 4. Click the Develop menu
This menu is at the top of the screen.
Step 5. Click User Agent
This option appears at the top of the drop-down menu. A pop-out menu will be displayed once the option is clicked.
Step 6. Select Safari -- iOS 12 -- iPhone
Click the newer option if available. After that, Safari will reload the web page in mobile view.
Step 7. Visit
You will be taken to the login page after that.
Step 8. Access Instagram account
Follow the on-screen instructions to log in to your account. Once logged in, you can see the Instagram feed page.
Step 9. Click +
This option is at the bottom center of the page. A Finder window will open after that.
Step 10. Select the photo you want to upload
If the photos are stored in other folders, first open that folder to find the photos.
Step 11. Click Choose
It's in the lower-right corner of the window. The photo will be attached to the new post.
Step 12. Select a filter (optional)
You have fewer editing options on this version of Instagram when compared to the phone or tablet app version of Instagram. Click on one of the built-in filters to apply it to the photo.
Step 13. Select Next
This blue link appears in the top right corner of the page.
Step 14. Add a description
Click the "Write a caption… " column and enter a photo caption.
If you want to tag a location or another Instagram user, click one of the appropriate options on the screen
Step 15. Click Share
It's a blue link in the top-right corner of the page. The photo will be uploaded to your Instagram profile afterwards.
To switch to the regular web view in Safari, click the Develop menu, select User Agent, and click Default
Method 3 of 3: Using Firefox
Step 1. Open Firefox
If you are using Windows, this browser can be found in the “Start” menu. If you're using a Mac, the Firefox icon is usually in the Applications folder.
Step 2. Press Ctrl+⇧ Shift+P (PC) or Command+⇧ Shift+P (Mac).
A private browsing window will open.
You can also click the menu ? in the upper right corner of the browser window and select New Private Window
Step 3. Click the menu
It's in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
Step 4. Select Web Developer
This option is at the bottom of the menu.
Step 5. Select the Web Console
It's at the top of the menu. A new pane will appear at the bottom of the browser window and contain a line of code. This panel is called “Web Console”.
Step 6. Visit
The Instagram login page will be displayed.
Step 7. Click the “mobile” icon on the “Web Console” panel
It's in the upper-right corner of the “Web Console” panel, at the bottom of the screen. The button looks like a small iPhone in front of a square. The Instagram login page will change to the mobile version of the login page.
You can also press Ctrl+⇧ Shift+M (Windows) or Command+⌥ Option+M (Mac). If the shortcut doesn't work, click the “Web Console” panel first
Step 8. Click the Responsive menu
This menu is at the top of the screen. A list of phones and tablets will be displayed.
Step 9. Click iPhone 6/7/8
You can actually choose any device model. Model selection will determine the display screen that can be seen.
If you see a message at the top of the screen saying that changes won't be saved until you reload the page, right-click an empty area on the page to create a context menu, and then click the reload button (circular arrow button)
Step 10. Click Log In
It's a blue button in the middle of the page.
Step 11. Log in to your account
Type in your login information to access your account or click Continue with Facebook to authenticate your account with your Facebook account.
Step 12. Click +
This button is shown at the bottom of the page. A File Explorer (PC) or Finder (Mac) window will open.
You may need to swipe up to see the icon “ + ” at the bottom of the window. If you have to pan across the screen, make sure you do so with the cursor outside of the iPhone's "screen" in the center of the screen.
Step 13. Select the photos you want to upload
Open the folder containing the photos and click the photo once.
Step 14. Click Open
This button appears in the lower-right corner of the file browsing window. The photo will be attached to the new post.
Step 15. Click the Filter tab
This tab is below the photo. A list of filters that can be applied to the photo will be displayed.
If the tabs are not displayed, it is possible that your computer's privacy settings are preventing the editing tools from appearing. Try turning off browser plug-ins and trying again
Step 16. Select a filter
The image preview will be updated with the selected filter.
Step 17. Click Next
It's a blue link in the upper-right corner of the "New Post" page.
Step 18. Add a caption
Click the "Write a caption… " column and enter a photo caption.
If you want to tag a location or another Instagram user, click one of the appropriate options on the screen
Step 19. Click Share
This blue link appears in the top right corner of the page. The photo will be uploaded to your Instagram profile.
To return to normal viewing mode, click the X button in the upper right corner of the “Web Console” panel
Tips
- If you don't want to use a browser to upload photos to Instagram, try using Gramblr. This program is available for free for Windows and Mac computers.
- BlueStacks is another free option that you can use to download and use the Instagram mobile app on your computer.
