Millions of videos have appeared since Instagram started allowing short videos to be posted on its site. They cover everything from groans and grievances to insights into people’s lives and are as fascinating as they are intimidating. It’s a shame that Instagram has stopped you from uploading videos to Instagram from a PC or Mac.
Strange decision. You can do everything else from the desktop version of Instagram. You can post, view and chat, but not upload videos. Apparently this is to encourage mobile use, but that doesn’t seem very convincing. As long as people continue to use the platform, what does it matter what device they use to do it?
One of the top reasons for wanting to post a video to Instagram from a PC or Mac is for editing. Most phones only have basic video editing apps or features, and those on Instagram are basic to say the least. If you have a copy of Adobe Premiere Pro CC or Final Cut Pro on your computer, wouldn’t it make sense to feature your video before showing it to the world?
You can download the video, edit it, and then put it back on your phone, but it’s just a pain. There is always a way to avoid arbitrary decisions, and it is no different here. I will show you exactly how to upload videos to Instagram from your desktop.
Upload to Instagram from PC or Mac
There are some web apps that help you post videos to Instagram from your desktop. You can also use Dropbox if you already have an account. I will show you both methods.
Gramblr
Gramblr is a desktop application specially designed for uploading Instagram from your desktop. It is a download that connects your computer to Instagram while playing the agent and allows you to upload videos and pictures directly from your computer to the social network.
It looks pretty good. Download from within the app, install, login to Instagram and you can start uploading. Using a third-party app and providing your Instagram login isn’t ideal, but if you want to upload a video from a computer, this might be what you should do.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media app that helps you manage multiple accounts and all kinds of good stuff. I use it all the time for social media management and it does the job well. It’s free for basic use and you can pay for more features when you need them.
Uploading videos is simple if you have a business account like me. Find the video, type the post, add that video and send or schedule the post. If you don’t have a business account, you’ll need to confirm it using your mobile device before it goes live. This is an extra step but less annoying than having to restore the video to your phone and send it from there.
BlueStacks
BlueStacks is an Android emulator for desktop that is widely used for testing and developing mobile games and applications. A PC setup that accurately simulates Android. It’s not free, but if you’re into gaming, development, or anything mobile, it’s a good app for a variety of reasons.
All you have to do here is to install Instagram on the Android instance on BlueStacks and use it as you would on a phone. It works exactly the same way and allows you to use Instagram as much as you want without limitations.
Dropbox
The other way to post a video to Instagram from a PC or Mac is to use Dropbox. By installing Dropbox or any other cloud storage app on your desktop and mobile device, you can access the video from anywhere without having to do much configuration.
You can edit your video on your desktop, add it to your Dropbox sync folder and wait for it to upload. Then you can open the Dropbox app on your mobile device and post to Instagram from there. Dropbox has a neat Export feature with Instagram as one of the options that makes things a little easier. Open the file from within the app, choose Export, choose Instagram as the option, add your caption and post. As long as you already have the Instagram app, it should work fine.
I’m sure other cloud storage apps can do similar things, but adding Instagram as this export option eases the hassle factor quite a bit.
These are the ways I know of to post a video to Instagram from a PC or Mac. Do you know any other ways to do this? Are there any other apps that allow you to circumvent this limitation? If you do, tell us below!
