The basic steps to create and share a post
To create a post on Instagram, open the app and tap the plus icon (+) at the bottom of the screen. Select "Post" from the menu that appears. Choose a photo or video from your phone's camera roll, or take a new one using Instagram's camera. You can select multiple images or videos to create a carousel post — swipe through them to arrange the order, then tap "Next".
On the editing screen, you can crop, rotate, or adjust the brightness and colors of your image. Instagram offers built-in filters you can explore by swiping left and right. When you're satisfied with how it looks, tap "Next" again. Add a caption (the text that appears with your post), tag other accounts using the @ symbol, add a location, and choose whether to turn on comments. Then tap "Share" to publish.
Once you tap "Share", your post becomes visible to the people who follow you. The timing matters: posts you share during hours when your followers are most active tend to get more when ready engagement, though Instagram's algorithm will continue to show your post to people for days or weeks afterward.
Key Takeaways
- Creating a post requires opening the app, selecting a photo or video, editing it if you want, adding a caption, and tapping Share — the whole process takes two to five minutes.
- Instagram stores your photo on its servers and keeps a copy even if you delete the post, and the platform analyzes what's in the image to decide who sees it.
- Your caption, location tag, and any accounts you mention in the post are visible to anyone who can see the post itself, including people who don't follow you.
- Instagram's algorithm learns from what you post — the platform tracks which of your posts get engagement and uses that to suggest what you should post next time.
- You can delete a post at any time by opening it, tapping the three dots in the corner, and selecting "Delete", but Instagram may retain data about it for a period of time.
What Instagram does with the photo you upload
When you upload a photo to Instagram, the platform stores it on servers owned by Meta (Instagram's parent company). Instagram doesn't delete this copy when you delete the post — the image remains in Meta's systems. The company uses automated tools to analyze what's in your photo: it identifies objects, faces, text, and scenes. This analysis helps Instagram decide which of your followers should see the post first, and it also feeds into Meta's broader advertising system.
Instagram also extracts metadata from your photo — information embedded in the image file itself, such as the date you took it, the camera or phone model you used, and sometimes GPS coordinates showing where the photo was taken. Even if you don't add a location tag manually, Instagram can sometimes infer your location from this data. The platform uses this information to organize your posts and to build a picture of your habits and movements over time.
How your caption and tags affect who sees your post
The text you write in your caption is fully visible to anyone who can see the post. If your account is public, that means anyone on Instagram — and anyone searching the web — can read what you wrote. If your account is private, only people you've approved as followers can see the caption. The same rule applies to location tags: a public post with a location tag tells anyone viewing it exactly where you were when you took the photo.
When you mention another account using the @ symbol (for example, @username), that person receives a notification that you've tagged them. They can see the post, and their followers may see it too if Instagram's algorithm decides to show it to them. If you tag a business or public figure, your post may appear on their profile or in their tagged posts section, giving your post visibility beyond your own followers.
Instagram's algorithm and what it learns from your posts
Instagram tracks how many likes, comments, and shares your post receives, and how quickly it gets them. The algorithm also tracks how long people spend looking at your post, whether they save it, and whether they share it to their own stories or direct messages. All of this data feeds back into Instagram's system, which learns what kinds of posts perform well for you.
Over time, Instagram uses this pattern to suggest what you should post next. If your photos of food get more engagement than your photos of landscapes, Instagram may nudge you toward posting more food photos. The platform also uses your posting patterns to predict what other users might want to see — if people who like your posts also like certain other accounts or hashtags, Instagram may show your posts to those people.
Privacy settings that affect who can see your posts
Your account can be set to public or private. A public account means anyone can find your profile and see all your posts without following you. A private account means only people you approve as followers can see your posts. You can change this setting in your profile settings under "Privacy" — tap "Account Privacy" and toggle "Private Account" on or off.
Even with a private account, you can choose to make individual posts visible to specific people. When you're creating a post, before you tap "Share", you can tap "Advanced Settings" and choose "Hide Like and View Counts on This Post" to prevent people from seeing how much engagement your post received. You can also turn off comments entirely for a specific post by tapping "Turn Off Commenting" in the same menu.
What happens when you delete a post
When you delete a post, it disappears from your profile and from your followers' feeds when ready. However, Instagram may retain data about the post in its systems for a period of time. The image file itself is typically deleted from Instagram's public-facing servers, but Meta's backup systems may keep copies for weeks or months. If someone took a screenshot of your post before you deleted it, that screenshot exists on their phone and Instagram has no way to remove it.
Deleting a post does not erase the engagement history. If someone liked or commented on your post before you deleted it, they still have a record of that interaction on their own account. Instagram's algorithm also retains information about how your post performed, which may influence what the platform shows you in the future.
Hashtags and how they change who sees your post
A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by the # symbol (for example, #photography or #homemade). When you include hashtags in your caption, your post becomes searchable by anyone who clicks on that hashtag. Instagram groups all posts with the same hashtag together, so adding popular hashtags can expose your post to people who don't follow you.
Instagram limits how many hashtags you can use per post — currently 30 is the maximum, though using all 30 can make your caption look cluttered. Posts with 9 to 11 hashtags tend to get more engagement than posts with no hashtags or posts with 30. The platform tracks which hashtags you use and learns what topics you post about, which it uses to categorize your account and decide what other content to show you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I edit a post after I've shared it?
Yes. Open the post, tap the three dots in the corner, and select "Edit Post". You can change the caption, add or remove location tags, and adjust which accounts are mentioned. You cannot change the photo or video itself — to do that, you must delete the post and create a new one.
What's the difference between a post and a story?
A post stays on your profile permanently (until you delete it) and appears in your followers' feeds. A story disappears after 24 hours and appears at the top of followers' screens. Stories are less permanent, but Instagram still stores data about who viewed them and for how long.
If I make my account private after posting, can people still see my old posts?
No. When you switch to a private account, all your existing posts become visible only to approved followers. People who were following you before the switch remain approved followers and can still see everything. New people cannot see any of your posts unless you approve them as followers.
Do hashtags in my caption affect my privacy?
Hashtags make your post searchable by topic, which means people who don't follow you can find it by searching or clicking on the hashtag. If you use hashtags, assume your post could be seen by anyone on Instagram, regardless of whether your account is public or private.
Can I see what data Instagram collected about my post?
Instagram shows you basic metrics: the number of likes, comments, shares, and saves. You can see these by opening the post and tapping "View Insights" (available only on business or creator accounts). For a complete picture of what Meta knows about you and your posts, you can request your data through Meta's Data read tool in your account settings.