The basic way to add a picture to Instagram
To add a picture to Instagram, open the app and tap the plus sign icon at the bottom of the screen. On the next screen, tap Post to create a regular feed post. Instagram will open your phone's photo library. Find the picture you want to use, tap it once to select it, then tap Next in the bottom right corner.
From there, you can crop the image, adjust colors, or add filters before posting. When you are ready, tap Next again, add a caption if you want one, and tap Share to publish the picture to your feed. The whole process takes less than a minute once you have chosen your photo.
If you do not see the plus sign icon, make sure you are on the home feed screen, not inside a direct message or another section of the app. The icon looks like a square with a plus sign in the middle.
Key Takeaways
- Open Instagram, tap the plus sign icon, select Post, and choose a picture from your phone's library to start.
- You can crop, rotate, or explore filters to your picture before you share it, and these changes only affect what people see on Instagram, not your original file.
- Instagram lets you add up to ten pictures in a single post by tapping Select Multiple before choosing your photos.
- If you want to add a picture to a story instead of your main feed, tap the plus sign and choose Story rather than Post.
Adding multiple pictures to one post
Instagram lets you share more than one picture in a single post. After you tap the plus sign and select Post, look for the icon that looks like two overlapping squares in the top right corner of the photo library screen. Tap it, then tap Select Multiple.
Now you can tap each picture you want to add. Instagram will show a number on each selected photo so you know the order they will appear in. You can select up to ten pictures. Once you have chosen them all, tap Next and proceed as normal. When someone views your post, they will see all the pictures in a carousel — they swipe left to see the next one.
You can rearrange the order of your pictures before you post. On the editing screen after you tap Next, look for the icon that looks like three horizontal lines next to each photo. Tap and hold it, then drag the photo up or down to change its position in the carousel.
Cropping and rotating your picture
After you select a picture, the editing screen shows your photo with a grid overlay. You can pinch the photo with two fingers to zoom in or out, or drag it around to frame it the way you want. If the photo is sideways or upside down, tap the icon that looks like a square with an arrow in the top right corner to rotate it.
To crop the photo to a specific shape, tap Crop at the bottom of the screen. You will see options for different aspect ratios — Original keeps the photo as it is, Square makes it a square, and Portrait or Landscape change the shape to match those formats. Choose the one you want, then adjust the frame by dragging the edges inward.
These edits only change how the picture looks on Instagram. Your original photo file on your phone stays exactly the same. If you change your mind, you can always go back and re-edit the photo before you post it.
Using filters and color adjustments
After you crop your photo, tap Next to reach the filter and editing screen. Instagram offers built-in filters — tap any of them to see how your photo looks with that filter applied. Swipe left to see more filter options. If you like one, tap it again to explore it permanently, or tap a different one to try another.
Below the filters, you will see icons for Edit and Adjustments. Tap Adjustments to change brightness, contrast, saturation, or warmth. Slide your finger left and right on each option to increase or decrease the effect. These tools let you brighten a dark photo, make colors more vivid, or warm up a cool-toned image.
You do not have to use filters or adjustments at all. Many people post photos without any edits. Tap Next to skip straight to adding a caption and sharing your post.
Adding pictures to your Instagram story
Stories are pictures or videos that disappear after 24 hours. To add a picture to your story, tap the plus sign icon and select Story instead of Post. Choose a picture from your library the same way you would for a regular post. Once you select it, you can draw on it, add text, or explore stickers before sharing it.
Stories appear at the top of your followers' feeds in a row of circles. Only people who follow you can see your story, and they can see it for 24 hours. After that, it disappears unless you save it to your Highlights — a permanent section on your profile where you can organize stories by topic.
You can add multiple pictures to your story in sequence. Each one will appear as a separate slide that people swipe through. Just keep tapping the plus sign and selecting Story each time you want to add another picture.
Troubleshooting when pictures won't upload
If you tap Share and nothing happens, check your internet connection first. Instagram needs either WiFi or mobile data to upload photos. Open another app like Safari or Chrome to confirm you are connected. If the internet is working, try closing Instagram completely and opening it again.
If the photo still will not upload, the file might be too large or in a format Instagram does not support. Instagram works best with photos taken on your phone's camera or standard image files like JPG or PNG. If you are trying to upload a very old or unusual file type, try taking a screenshot of it instead and uploading that.
Sometimes Instagram's servers are slow or temporarily down. If you have waited five minutes and the upload still has not started, try again in a few minutes. You can also check Instagram's status page online to see if other people are reporting problems.
Controlling who sees your pictures
When you post a picture, it goes to your main feed where all your followers can see it by default. If you want to limit who sees a specific post, you can change the privacy setting before you share. On the screen where you add your caption, look for the icon that looks like a person with a circle around it. Tap it to choose Public, Friends, or Private.
Public means anyone on Instagram can find and see your post. Friends means only people you follow and who follow you can see it. Private means only you can see it — it will not appear on your feed at all. You can change this setting anytime by going back to the post, tapping the three dots in the top right corner, and selecting Edit Post.
You can also hide a specific post from certain people without deleting it. Tap the three dots on the post, select Hide Like and View Counts to keep people from seeing how many people liked it, or Turn Off Commenting to prevent replies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add pictures from my computer instead of my phone?
The Instagram app on your phone can only access photos stored on that phone. If you want to post a picture from your computer, you need to transfer it to your phone first using email, cloud storage like Google Drive, or a cable. Alternatively, you can use Instagram's website on a computer, though the website has fewer editing tools than the app.
What happens if I delete a picture after I post it?
Deleting a picture removes it from your feed and from your followers' view. Anyone who already saw it or took a screenshot will still have their own copy, but it will no longer appear on Instagram. You can delete a post anytime by tapping the three dots in the top right corner and selecting Delete.
Can I add the same picture to multiple posts?
Yes. You can post the same photo as many times as you want. Instagram does not prevent duplicate posts, though posting the exact same image repeatedly might look unusual to your followers. You can also save a draft of a post and come back to it later without posting it yet.
Why does my picture look different on Instagram than it does on my phone?
Instagram compresses photos to make them load faster, which can change colors slightly or make the image look a little softer. This is normal and happens to everyone. If the difference bothers you, try adjusting the brightness or saturation before you post to compensate for how Instagram will display it.