Since its inception, Instagram has been a mobile-first app. While it has a website where you can look at your feed, watch Stories, and chat with your friends over DMs, you can’t post photos.
Well, that’s about to change as the company is rolling out a desktop upload feature to select users. Multiple people on Twitter noted that they’re seeing this function appear for them on Instagram’s desktop site.
Now we're talking @instagram
Can now upload from desktop ? pic.twitter.com/d12t0VAYO5
— Dean Davies (@deancdavies) June 24, 2021
FINALLY! No more transferring video through google drive, downloading to my phone, and then uploading to Instagram. Upload button on desktop hype!? pic.twitter.com/hB5TnM7tlA
— Derrick / Dewdy ☕? (@DewdyDoes) June 23, 2021
Instagram is now allowing users to upload files from desktop. pic.twitter.com/EVW8MPrN8L
— Adam Frisk (@adamfrisk) June 24, 2021
[Read: Why entrepreneurship in emerging markets matters]
Last month, developer and leaker Alessandro Paluzzi tweeted about this feature being tested internally. However, Instagram has now confirmed this development:
We know that many people access Instagram from their computers. To improve that experience, we’re now testing the ability to create a Feed post on Instagram with their desktop browser.
From the looks of these early screenshots, you can upload multiple photos, edit them, and apply filters to them without having to switch to the mobile app. At the time of writing, I haven’t seen this feature for my account, so I haven’t been able to test it. We’ll update this story when it rolls out more widely.
Back in 2013, Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom said, “We do not offer the ability to upload from the web as Instagram is about producing photos on the go, in the real world, in real-time.”
Anyone who’s spent time on the platform over the years knows this is not how most creators use Instagram lately: they edit a lot of content using professional tools on their desktops before beaming it to their phones to upload.
As such, this new development should be a boon to those folks. If you’re looking for authenticity in your feed, you’ll want to check out alternatives like Dispo.
Can we have Instagram for iPad now, please?
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