Instagram may be predominantly designed for mobile devices, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it on a computer. Like most social networks, Instagram realizes that the wider the user base of its platform, the more people will use it. With that in mind, here’s how to register and use Instagram on a computer.
To be honest, on a computer the process is pretty much the same as on a phone or tablet. Only you can access Instagram via your browser on PC instead of the app. The look, feel, and use of Instagram are pretty much the same. If you’re using Windows 10, there is an app, so there’s really little difference.
The only downside to using a computer without the Instagram app is that you can’t officially upload images to Instagram from the computer. Apparently this was because the platform didn’t want you to upload images that you spent the afternoon Photoshopping and showing off to other photographers on the site. It doesn’t matter if this is true or not. There is no official support for uploading images from the computer, but there is a workaround for this kind of work.
Sign up for Instagram on a PC
Signing up in a browser and using Instagram is a simple experience that works best for those of us who don’t like squinting at small screens.
- Go to the Instagram website.
- Fill out the form on the homepage or use Facebook.
- If you don’t use Facebook, complete your profile.
- Explore the platform!
If you decide to use the Windows 10 app, the process is pretty much the same.
Type ‘insta’ in the Search Windows/Cortana box and select Instagram. If Instagram is not visible, go to Windows Store and install it. Free. Then follow the above process to join using your PC. Even though it’s an app, you can’t upload images using it either.
Use Instagram on a computer
Other than uploading images, browsing and exploring Instagram is pretty much the same across devices. The homepage still shows your feed and you have icons to explore, read notifications, and check or change your profile. You can also download images if you wish.
Instagram is the only Windows 10 app I really use. While my phone is perfectly serviceable, I prefer a larger screen and the app serves well.
Upload images to Instagram from your computer
As mentioned earlier, Instagram does not officially support uploading images from anything but a smartphone. The aim is to showcase images taken with our phones rather than all professional footage edited and enhanced beyond recognition.
But there are workarounds. Probably the easiest is to upload your images from your computer to cloud storage. Then access this cloud storage from your phone, copy the files to the phone or upload directly using the Instagram app.
Chrome users can use the developer tools to access the image upload functionality. I found this to be hit and miss. It doesn’t work on my home computer but works on my work computer.
- Open Instagram in Chrome,
- Right-click anywhere on the page and select Inspect.
- Select the little tablet icon at the top of the new review menu on the right. The view in the left pane should switch to the mobile view.
- The camera upload icon should now appear when browsing the site.
I’ve had limited success with this, but your mileage may vary.
There is also a workaround for Safari users but I couldn’t test it.
- In Safari, go to Preferences and Advanced.
- Select Show Develop menu in the menu bar.
- Close Safari and reopen a Private session.
- Select Development, User Agent, and Safari — iOS 10 — iPhone.
- Log into Instagram and you should see the camera icon at the bottom just like on mobile.
There are also browser extensions and third-party Windows 10 app that can circumvent these restrictions. The Chrome extension Chrome IG Story gives you full access to stories from your browser. This is ideal for exploring and downloading images. Windows Store app InstaPic is a workaround for the Instagram app that lets you upload images from your computer. InstaPic is a bit of a hassle but it’s the only way I know of to upload pictures without a smartphone.
It’s a shame that Instagram limits image uploading to mobile app users only, but that’s the case. Do you know any other ways to circumvent this restriction? Mention them below if you do!
