Is There an Instagram App for Mac or PC?

Exploring options you have for using Instagram on a regular computer

An image of the Instagram logo on a smartphone.

Photo © Carl Court / Getty Images

by Elise Moreau
Elise Moreau is a writer that has covered social media, texting, messaging, and streaming for Lifewire and previously About.com, since 2011.
Updated June 27, 2018

Instagram is one of the social apps for sharing photos and videos, and an Instagram for Mac or PC option would be great for those who haven’t quite jumped on the mobile bandwagon just yet. But is there one?

Instagram Apps Are Only Available on Mobile Platforms

Unfortunately, Instagram doesn't offer desktop applications for its users and don't expect any to be released. Instagram is meant to be primarily used on mobile platforms and it looks like it's going to stay that way.

Platforms Instagram Currently Supports

Instagram for iOS: Works on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. It’s free to download from the App Store.

Instagram for Android: Instagram was initially only available for the iOS platform but made its way over to Android in April of 2012. You can download the app for free from Google Play.

Using Instagram from a Browser on the Desktop Web

Instagram can be accessed from a web browser by signing in at Instagram.com, however it has its limitations.

You can:

  • View your home feed
  • Play video posts
  • Like and comment on posts
  • Save posts to your bookmarks
  • Search for users, hashtags or locations
  • Discover new posts
  • View your interactions
  • View your profile
  • Follow and unfollow users
  • Edit your profile
  • Configure some of your account settings

You can't:

  • Upload photos or videos to post your profile
  • Delete or archive existing posts on your profile
  • Configure all of the account settings that you can from within the app

As you can see from the list of things you can and can’t do on Instagram.com, it still offers enough functionality that you can enjoy viewing other users’ posts and interacting with them.

But if you want to upload a photo or video directly to Instagram from your computer, you’ll either have to sign up to use a social media management tool with Instagram support or alternatively save and send your photo or video file somewhere that you can access from your mobile device where you have the Instagram app installed.

Free Instagram-Like Photo Editors to Use on the Desktop

If you just like the look that Instagram gives photos with its unique filters and editing tools, you can achieve something similar by taking advantage of one of the many free photo editing tools that are accessible on the web. Here are just three to consider checking out:

Pixlr: This is actually a vintage or retro photo editor that can be downloaded and installed directly in your browser, on Facebook or even as a Chrome web app. It’s a great option if you want to create vintage-looking photos from your PC.

Poladroid.net: Download this web app and create high resolution Polaroid photos with retro effects and filters. It’s as easy and dragging and dropping your photos to the app. You can download the Windows version or Mac version and create them right from your computer.

Photoscape: This is a great app you can directly download to do all kinds of effects with your photos, right from your computer. It actually serves as a great replacement for Photoshop.

Pixlr, Poladroid.net and Photoscape apps can all be downloaded for free.