How do I post a photo or video to my Instagram feed?
Open the Instagram app and tap the + icon (bottom-centre on most versions, top-right on some). Choose Post. You can either select an existing photo or video from your camera roll, or tap the camera icon inside the picker to shoot new content on the spot.
- Select a photo or video. To post several at once, select more than one — up to 20 — and Instagram groups them into a single swipeable carousel post.
- Tap Next. Choose a filter or basic edits if you want them, then tap Next again.
- Write a caption, add a location, tag people, and add alt text if you want the image described for accessibility.
- Tap Share in the top-right corner.
Per Instagram's own Help Center article "Share a Post," this is the same flow whether you are posting a single photo, a single video, or a multi-photo/video carousel — the only difference is how many items you select at the picker stage.
How do I post a Reel on Instagram?
Reels are short, vertical videos designed to be discovered beyond just your own followers. To post one, tap the + button and choose Reel instead of Post. From there you can either hold the shutter button to record directly in the app, or upload a video you already shot.
- Tap + then Reel.
- Record new footage, or tap the gallery icon to upload an existing video.
- Use the editing tools to add music, text, effects or original audio, and trim the clip if needed.
- Tap Next, choose a cover image (a frame from the video, or a photo from your library), write a caption, add tags, and choose whether the Reel also appears on your main profile grid.
- Tap Share.
Instagram's Help Center notes that Reels can also be built from a template that reuses another creator's timing and music cues, if you want a structure to follow rather than starting from a blank clip.
How do I post to my Instagram Story?
A Story is different from a Post or a Reel in one key way: it disappears from your profile after 24 hours unless you save it to a Highlight. To post one, tap the + button and choose Story, or swipe right from the main feed to open the Story camera directly.
- Take a new photo/video, or tap the gallery icon to choose one already on your phone.
- Add stickers, text, a poll, a location tag, music or drawings using the tools along the top and side of the screen.
- Tap Your Story at the bottom to post it, or Close Friends to share it with a smaller list only.
What aspect ratio and caption length should I use?
You don't need outside editing software to get the sizing right — Instagram's built-in crop tool handles it. For feed Posts, you can choose square (1:1), portrait (4:5), or landscape (1.91:1) directly on the crop screen before you tap Next. For Reels and Stories, the app defaults to the tall 9:16 vertical frame, which matches a normal phone screen held upright.
Captions can run up to 2,200 characters, though only the first couple of lines show before a "more" link, so put your key point first. Hashtags and tagged accounts don't count toward the visible caption length the way they might elsewhere.
How do I tag people or add a location?
On the caption-writing screen (for a Post or Reel) you'll see a Tag people option — tap it, then tap anywhere on the image to place a tag, and search for the account by name or username. For a location, tap Add location on the same screen and search for the place. Both are optional and can be edited or removed after the post is live by opening the post, tapping the three dots, and choosing Edit.
People also ask
How do I post more than one photo in a single Instagram post?
Tap the + button, choose Post, then select up to 20 photos and videos at once instead of just one. Instagram groups them into a single swipeable carousel post rather than posting them separately.
What size or aspect ratio should my Instagram photo be?
Instagram's feed editor supports square (1:1), portrait (4:5) and landscape (1.91:1) crops directly in the app. Reels and Stories use the taller 9:16 vertical frame. You do not need special software; the crop tool in the posting flow handles it.
What is the difference between a Reel, a Story and a regular feed post on Instagram?
A regular feed post (photo, video or carousel) stays on your profile grid permanently. A Story disappears after 24 hours unless you save it to Highlights. A Reel is a short vertical video meant for wider discovery through Instagram's Reels tab, and it also appears on your profile grid.
Can I edit an Instagram post after publishing it?
You can edit the caption, tags, and location after posting by tapping the three dots on the post and choosing Edit. You cannot swap the photo or video itself or change the crop after it is live; for that you would need to delete the post and upload again.