For some very strange reason, the people of Instagram have only wanted you to post your pictures via the phone app, and if you wanted to post using different ways you would need inventive use of emulators, third party apps and web extensions.
Could be a million reasons why one does not have the Instagram app on their phone or maybe you have a desktop full of pictures and you did not want the hustle of having to move to phone first then upload via phone.
After a couple years struggle trying to find ways around this here are five ways you can upload to Instagram from computer including the recent Instagram Update that allows you to post directly.
How To Post To Instagram Via Browser
Opening Instagram using Mobile phone browser
Opening the Instagram site using your phone’s default browser or the Chrome browser opens it in a sort of web app page which allows you to post pics in phone gallery to Instagram, even though you do not necessarily have the Instagram app on said device.

Web IG Story Extension For Chrome
Adding the Web IG story Extension for Chrome creates a sort of simulator for the mobile web app which not only gives you an upload function but you can download pics from Instagram too


Shout out to @Dejungle_ for the heads up
Simulate Mobile Device with Device Mode in Chrome DevTools
This method is slightly awkward and makes use of developer tools of the Chrome Browser used to approximate how web pages look and perform on a mobile device.
i) Open the Instagram site and then Open Chrome’s developer tools using the command F12

ii) Click the ‘Toggle device toolbar‘ button to turn Device Mode on or off. (Icon is blue when Device Mode is on).

(Optional) Select which mobile device you want to simulate

Refresh the webpage with device mode enabled to allow the mobile version to load… and you are will see the option to upload pictures

Posting from Meta Business Suite
When you link your Instagram Account with Facebook you can make use of the Meta Business Suite to publish your photos and videos to Instagram.

You also get publishing tools like analytics, the ability to schedule your Instagram posts along with your Facebook Posts and also option to boost posts via Facebook ads.
Posting Directly From Computer
With effect from October 2022 opening Instagram from your Browser not only gives a different layout from the normal but has the option to create and upload photos and videos from computer.
This update has been a long time coming and you now wont need to do some creative computing to publish the quickly and easily post files from your computer to Instagram
~B
Yeah now I just might use my Instagram more
Lol I keep thinking this sounds like a lot of work for something that should be so simple.
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my thoughts exactly… I am curious to know why they make it so, maybe they dont want people spamming their servers or something
~B
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I’ve always wondered why instagram won’t let you upload pics from a pc. Most of my best photos are on my computer – not my phone – and I hate having to move them around just to upload them to instagram.
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I still have the unanswered question, “Why wont they let us upload directly from the pc?
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good question… if I ever find out I will let you know
~B
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It’s good question we could not upload without use of mobile and computer
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I hope you found this post of use.
Thanks
~B
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I have noticed that Instagram has become more computer friendly but it’s still not as easy to use on the computer as the app. And many features are missing when you use the computer.
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Most apps in the long run suck. I’ve slways found ways around using the website over the app.
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