How-To

How to Post on Instagram: Photos, Carousels and Reels

Updated 10 min read
Title card reading 'How to Post on Instagram: Photos, Carousels and Reels' with a phone outline and layered screens on an emerald gradient

To post on Instagram, tap Create, tap POST, pick or take a photo, tap Next twice to add a caption or location, then tap Share. That’s how to post on Instagram from your phone; on instagram.com it’s Create, then Post, then Select from Computer. A single video goes up as a reel, and one post can hold up to 20 photos and videos.

Posting is the first task in our guide to how to use Instagram, which then works through Stories, Live, your profile and privacy.

Table of Contents

How to post on Instagram from your phone

Tap Create (or swipe right in Feed), tap POST, choose or take a photo, tap Next twice and tap Share. Here are Instagram’s iPhone steps:

On iPhone:

  1. Tap Create at the top or swipe right anywhere in Feed.
  2. Tap POST at the bottom. To upload a photo from your phone's library, select the photo you'd like to share. To take a new photo, tap Take photo; you can tap Rotate camera to switch between front and rear-facing cameras and Flash to adjust flash.
  3. Tap Next, then tap Next again and add a caption or your location.
  4. When you're done, tap Share.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Post a photo on Instagram.

Its Android steps are identical, word for word.

Before the caption screen, tap Filters (tap one again for a strength slider) or Edit for tools such as Brightness and Contrast.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Apply filters to your post on Instagram.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Apply effects to your Instagram photo.

How to post on Instagram from a computer

On instagram.com, click Create, then Post, then Select from Computer, or drag and drop a photo file. The supported formats are jpg, png and heic/heif, so a GIF file isn’t one; how to upload a GIF to Instagram covers where GIFs do work.

On the web:

  1. Click Create on the left.
  2. Click Post, then click Select from Computer and choose a photo or drag and drop a photo file. The supported file formats are jpg, png and heic/heif.
  3. Select the size of your photo, then click Next in the top right.
  4. Click Filters or Adjustments at the top to edit your photo.
  5. Click Next in the top right. From here you can write a caption, add your location, click Accessibility to write alternative text, or click Advanced Settings to turn off commenting on your post.
  6. When you're done, click Share in the top right.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Post a photo on Instagram (computer).

How do I post a video on Instagram? (it becomes a Reel)

Post a video on its own and it goes up as a reel. Instagram’s Help Center answers “How do I post a video?” with its article on recording a reel, which allows videos of up to 20 minutes, though reels over 3 minutes won’t be recommended to new audiences. Checked against Instagram Help Center: How do I post a video? (serves "Record a reel on Instagram")

The iPhone and Android steps start in different places, then match. If Create isn’t where a step says, check the top and the bottom of Feed; Instagram’s own articles show both.

On iPhone:

  1. From your Feed, tap Create at the bottom.
  2. Tap REEL at the bottom.
  3. Tap Camera at the top to record a new reel.
  4. Tap and hold Record to record a clip or tap it to start recording and tap it again to end the clip. You can also tap your camera roll in the bottom left to add a video from your camera roll.
  5. Use the reels tool menu on the left to do things like add audio, effects and layouts to your reel or change how you record your reel.
  6. Tap Next in the bottom right. You can tap Audio, Text, Stickers or Effects to add them, or Download to download your reel to your device.
  7. Tap Edit video in the bottom left to edit your reel on a timeline. Tap text or stickers to edit them, tap the music to replace it, or tap Add clips to add more clips.
  8. You can also tap Reorder in the bottom left to rearrange your clips. Tap and drag a clip to move it, then tap Done. You can use the trimmers on each clip to change their length.
  9. Tap Next in the top right. From here you can tap Edit cover to select a new cover photo or add one from your device. You can also write a caption, add a location or fundraiser, or share your reel to Facebook. For more options, tap More options.
  10. Tap Share.

On Android:

  1. Tap your profile picture in the bottom right.
  2. Tap Create new in the top right, then tap Reel.
  3. Tap Camera at the top to record a new reel.
  4. Tap and hold Record to record a clip or tap it to start recording and tap it again to end the clip. You can also tap your camera roll in the bottom left to add a video from your camera roll.
  5. Use the reels tool menu on the left to do things like add audio, effects and layouts to your reel or change how you record your reel.
  6. Tap Next in the bottom right. You can tap Audio, Text, Stickers or Effects to add them, or Download to download your reel to your device.
  7. Tap Edit video in the bottom left to edit your reel on a timeline. Tap text or stickers to edit them, tap the music to replace it, or tap Add clips to add more clips.
  8. You can also tap Reorder in the bottom left to rearrange your clips. Tap and drag a clip to move it, then tap Done. You can use the trimmers on each clip to change their length.
  9. Tap Next in the top right. From here you can tap Edit cover to select a new cover photo or add one from your device. You can also write a caption, add a location or fundraiser, or share your reel to Facebook. For more options, tap More options.
  10. Tap Share.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Record a reel on Instagram.

Some accounts can watch reels but not record them: Instagram notes that Reels isn’t currently available to everyone. On a computer, a video takes the same Create and Post route as a photo, with a cover and trim step:

On the web:

  1. Click Create on the left.
  2. Click Post.
  3. Click Select from computer and choose the content you want to share from your device. Click Media in the bottom right, then click Add to add another file.
  4. Click Next in the top right. Use the slider below Cover photo to choose a cover photo from the clip or click Select from computer to choose one on your device. Use the slider below Trim to trim the beginning or end of your clip.
  5. Click Next in the top right. Here you can write a caption, add a location, tag people, add alternate text, and adjust your post's settings.
  6. Click Share in the top right.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Record a reel on Instagram (computer).

Videos inside a carousel are the exception: Instagram says they aren’t considered reels, so they won’t show up in the Reels tab. Checked against Instagram Help Center: Share a post with multiple photos or videos on Instagram

How to post a carousel on Instagram

Tap Create, then POST, then SELECT MULTIPLE, and select up to 20 photos and videos, the same limit Instagram gives for instagram.com. One orientation applies to every item; for pixel sizes, see our Instagram post size guide.

On iPhone:

  1. Tap Create at the top or swipe right anywhere in Feed.
  2. Tap POST, then tap SELECT MULTIPLE.
  3. Select up to 20 photos and videos from your phone's library. To adjust how each photo or video is cropped, tap it then touch the screen to adjust how it fits in the frame. The orientation you choose (square, portrait or landscape) affects all of the photos or videos in your post. When you're done, tap Next in the top right.
  4. Tap a filter at the bottom of the screen to apply it to every photo and video you've selected, or tap a photo or video to edit it and add filters individually.
  5. To change the order, tap and hold one then drag it to another spot. To remove one, tap and hold it, then drag it to the delete icon. When you're done, tap Next.
  6. Choose Single caption to add one caption for your post, or Multiple captions to add a caption for each photo or video.
  7. You can add one location for your post, and tag someone in each individual photo or video. Tap Tag People, then swipe to find the photo you'd like to tag someone in.
  8. Tap Share.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Share a post with multiple photos or videos on Instagram.

Same on Android. On a computer, you add items with the multiple photos and videos icon and the plus icon, and the post gets one caption. Checked against Instagram Help Center: Share a post with multiple photos or videos on Instagram (computer)

Apps that publish through Instagram’s API, such as scheduling tools, can add only 10; how many photos you can post on Instagram explains why. Checked against Meta for Developers: Instagram Graph API, IG User Media reference

For several photos in one Story, see how to add multiple photos to an Instagram Story.

Can you edit a post after sharing it?

Yes, within limits. To add, change or delete the caption, tap Options above the photo or video, tap Edit, make the change and tap Done (the checkmark on Android). On a computer, Options sits at the post’s top right.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Add, edit or delete the caption of an existing Instagram post.

On a carousel you can also reorder or remove photos and videos and edit the location and tags, but you can’t add new photos or videos once it’s shared; Instagram’s article points to deleting the post instead. Checked against Instagram Help Center: Share a post with multiple photos or videos on Instagram

Why won’t Instagram let me post?

Usually it’s the app, the connection or a limit on your account. Check them in this order:

  1. Fix the app. Instagram’s troubleshooting order: update the app and your phone’s operating system, restart the phone, try both Wi-Fi and mobile data, then uninstall and reinstall. Some features also aren’t available to everyone yet.
  2. Open Account Status. It shows removed content and features you can’t use, and lets you request a review.
  3. Use the official route. If Instagram has stopped you posting, banned from posting on Instagram covers its reasons and how to appeal.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Troubleshooting.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Check your Account Status on Instagram.

Can you schedule a post instead of posting now?

Yes. Instagram’s app has a built-in scheduler, and Meta Business Suite can schedule Instagram posts from a computer. Our guide to how to schedule Instagram posts has the steps and limits for both.

Schedule your next Instagram post with Outfeed AI

FAQ

How do I post on Instagram step by step?

In the Instagram app, tap Create at the top or swipe right anywhere in Feed, then tap POST. Select a photo or tap Take photo, tap Next, tap Next again to add a caption or your location, then tap Share. Instagram’s iPhone and Android steps are the same.

How do I post on Instagram from my computer?

On instagram.com, click Create on the left, click Post, then click Select from Computer, or drag and drop a photo file in jpg, png or heic/heif format. Select the size, click Next, edit the photo, click Next to write a caption, then click Share.

How do I post a video on Instagram?

Post it as a reel, which is how Instagram’s Help Center answers that question. In the app, tap Create and then REEL on iPhone, or your profile picture, then Create new and Reel on Android. Add or record the video, tap Next twice, then tap Share. Reels can be up to 20 minutes, but reels over 3 minutes won’t be recommended to new audiences.

How do I post a carousel on Instagram?

In the app, tap Create, then POST, then SELECT MULTIPLE, and select up to 20 photos and videos. One orientation applies to every item, and you can add one caption or one per item before tapping Share. Apps that publish through Instagram’s API, such as scheduling tools, can put up to 10 items in a carousel.

instagram how-to instagram posts reels carousels