Instagram Web: How to Use Instagram on a Computer (and What You Can Do There)

It's the version Instagram's own help pages point you to when the app misbehaves: they say you can always go to Instagram.com on the web from a mobile browser or computer. Below is what works on the web, how to post from a computer, and the one setting that decides whether your public posts can turn up in Google.

How to open Instagram on the web

1. Open a browser on your computer. Instagram recommends the most up-to-date version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge.
2. Go to instagram.com.
3. Log in with your Instagram username and password (or the phone number or email on the account).

If you're on a shared or work computer, log out when you're done. Instagram's help page on logging out lists a separate set of steps for Instagram.com from a computer, and it's worth doing every time on a machine that isn't yours.

What you can do on Instagram web

Task	Works on instagram.com?	Where to find it
Use your account	Yes	Log in at instagram.com
Post a photo	Yes	Create on the left, then Post, then Select from Computer
Edit your photo before posting	Yes	Filters or Adjustments at the top of the editor
Add alt text and turn off comments	Yes	Accessibility and Advanced Settings, after you click Next
Switch between accounts	Yes	More in the bottom left, then Switch accounts
Log out	Yes	Instagram lists separate log out steps for Instagram.com from a computer

How to post on Instagram from a computer

Instagram's computer help gives these exact steps for a photo post:

1. Click Create on the left.
2. Click Post, then Select from Computer, and choose a photo or drag and drop the file in. Instagram lists the supported formats as 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 it.
5. Click Next. Now you can write a caption, add your location, click Accessibility to write alt text, or open Advanced Settings to turn off commenting.
6. Click Share in the top right.

That heic/heif line is worth knowing: Instagram accepts the format directly, so you don't need to convert a heic photo to jpg before posting from a laptop.

Switching accounts on Instagram web

If you run a personal and a business account, you don't need two browsers. Instagram's help steps for the web are short:

• To add an account: click More in the bottom left, click Switch accounts, enter that account's username and password, then click Log In.
• To swap: click More, then Switch accounts, then pick the account.
• Instagram says you can have up to 10 accounts logged in at one time.

Messages are the other thing people open the web version for, and the steps differ from the app. My guide to checking your Instagram DMs on phone and desktop covers both.

Can your public Instagram posts show up in Google?

This is the bit worth knowing if you use Instagram for business. Instagram's help page says it generally asks search engines such as Google and Microsoft Bing not to index photos and videos from stories, reels, posts and highlights. The exception: it allows search engines to index photos and videos from public reels and posts uploaded from January 1, 2020 onwards when all three of these are true:

• the account holder is currently over 18
• the account is currently public
• the account is currently a professional account

If you'd rather your public posts stayed out of search results, Instagram lists three options: turn off the setting in your account privacy settings that lets public photos and videos appear in search engine results, set the account to private, or switch from professional to personal. It also warns that search engines can take time to remove content, and your username, profile picture and bio may still appear.

Is there an Instagram desktop app?

Instagram's help pages treat the computer as a browser platform: they list Computer Help and Mobile Browser Help next to the Android, iPhone and iPad apps, and the computer steps all start at instagram.com. On a tablet, the iPad has its own official app, which I cover in Instagram for iPad. For a Windows PC or a Mac, the browser version is the route Instagram's own instructions use.

If Instagram web isn't working

• Update your browser. Instagram's browser page recommends the most up-to-date version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge.
• Try another of the four browsers Instagram recommends.
• If you're logged out unexpectedly, check where else you're signed in. My guide to logging out of Instagram on all devices walks through it.
• If it's the app that's broken, Instagram's advice is to update the app, and in the meantime use Instagram.com from a browser.

My verdict

For posting from a laptop, replying to messages at a desk or checking a second account, Instagram web does the job, and you don't need any third-party tool or app to use it. Just keep the search engine setting in mind if you're on a public professional account: that's the one choice on Instagram that affects who finds your posts outside the app.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use Instagram on the web?

Go to instagram.com in a browser on your computer or phone and log in with your Instagram username and password.

Which browsers work with Instagram web?

Instagram recommends the most up-to-date version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari or Microsoft Edge.

Can I post on Instagram from a computer?

Yes. Click Create on the left, then Post, then Select from Computer. Instagram lists jpg, png and heic/heif as the supported formats.

How many Instagram accounts can I be logged into on the web?

Instagram says you can have up to 10 accounts logged in at one time. Use More, then Switch accounts, to add or swap them.

Do Instagram posts show up on Google?

Only in some cases. Instagram allows search engines to index photos and videos from public reels and posts uploaded from January 1, 2020 onwards when the account holder is over 18 and the account is public and professional.