Guide
How to Post on Instagram: Photos, Carousels and Reels
You can post on Instagram from your phone or your computer, whether it is a single photo, several photos in one post or a Reel. It also covers the shape to crop to, how likes show on a post, and how to pick a day and time.
How to post on Instagram from your phone
Open the app and tap the plus button, then choose Post. Pick a photo or video from your library, or tap the camera to take one.
Crop it, add a filter if you want one, then tap Next. Write the caption, add a location or tag people, and tap Share. The caption folds after about 125 characters behind “more”, so start with the line that matters.
How to post an Instagram photo from a computer
Instagram's website has a Create button in the left menu. Choose Post, drag in the file, crop it, write the caption and share it. It works for photos and for video.
To post from a computer on a schedule, or to the other platforms at the same time, connect Instagram to Dripost, add the file, pick the time and Dripost posts it for you. Our guide to posting from a computer has the steps.
Instagram post ratio: which shape to crop to
Instagram allows photos from 1.91:1 (wide) to 4:5 (tall), and shares them at up to 1080 pixels wide. Square is 1080 by 1080. The tallest shape, 4:5 at 1080 by 1350, fills the most of the feed. Our Instagram post size guide covers the rest.
Instagram post with multiple photos
On the photo picker, tap the multi-select button, then choose the photos in the order you want them shown. The post becomes a carousel that people swipe through. Use one shape for every slide, because the first slide's shape sets the rest.
Instagram's app lets a carousel hold more slides than Dripost sends, and the app's limit has changed more than once. Dripost sends up to 10 items in one post. See our guide to Instagram carousels.
Best day to post on Instagram
The best day to post on Instagram is the day your followers are most active. Your Insights show it under Total followers, Most active times, and a few weeks of your own numbers beat any general rule. We list the studies behind our own advice in the guide to the best time to post on Instagram.
How likes show on an Instagram post
Each Instagram post like is counted and shown under the caption. You can hide the count on a single post, before or after you share it, from the three-dot menu, and you can turn it off for all your posts in your settings.
Questions
How do I post in Instagram without a phone?
Use Instagram's website: choose Create, then Post. Or connect your account to a tool like Dripost, which posts from your computer at the time you pick and shows you the live link.
Can I edit an Instagram post after posting?
You can change the caption, location, tags and alt text. You cannot swap the photo itself, so delete and repost, or check the crop before you share.
Why does my Instagram photo look cropped?
It is probably outside the 1.91:1 to 4:5 range, or the first slide of a carousel set a different shape. Crop to 4:5 before you upload.
Post it with Dripost
- Instagram post previewSee your post or Reel as Instagram will show it, then send it to a client to approve with no login.
- Post a video on InstagramUpload once and Dripost posts it as a Reel, then shows you the live link.
- Instagram from Claude or ChatGPTLet your AI assistant draft and schedule Instagram posts. You approve before anything goes out.