Instagram made a major change to its service recently, allowing photo uploads from its mobile site for the first time. When accessing the Instagram website on an iPhone or iPad, there's now a new photo upload button.

Prior to the update, Instagram only allowed photo uploads from its mobile apps, and the iOS app is limited to the iPhone, so iPad users were forced to download an iPhone-only app with an unoptimized layout to upload photos to the social network.

instagramipad
The Instagram website on mobile devices was previously only available for browsing photos, liking content, searching, and viewing notifications, but now it's possible to upload photos. A new Explore tab is also rolling out on the web.

In a statement to TechCrunch, Instagram said it's designed to help people "have a fuller experience" on the social network. TechCrunch points out that the mobile upload feature is vital for Instagram's global growth, as many people in developing countries may not be able to download the app due to cellular connectivity and data concerns.

"Instagram.com (accessed from mobile) is a web experience optimized for mobile phones. It's designed to help people have a fuller experience on Instagram no matter what device or network they are on."

Photo uploads are only available when the Instagram mobile site is accessed from an iPhone, iPad, or other smartphone or tablet. The desktop site does not allow for photo uploads.

Top Rated Comments

dan9700 Avatar
104 months ago
Why dont they just make the app work on ipad like everyother app durrrr
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlexH Avatar
104 months ago
spoof user agent?
Just tested it, and it works just fine. Only issue is figuring out how to crop an image...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jamisonbaines Avatar
104 months ago
Userbase on iPad might be so low it's not worth the effort for an iPad native app. A hurrr de hurr duuur duurrr.
There should be approximately zero iPad apps by that logic.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlexH Avatar
104 months ago
what do you mean crop an image? Use Paint, or Fotor's crop tool ('http://www.fotor.com/app.html#!module/basic/tool/BasicEdits') which let's you choose an aspect ratio and crop without distortion, it's wonderful
I'm talking about the ability to crop & adjust the aspect ratio within Instagram. When I trick the mobile site into thinking my Mac is an iPad, the ability to edit the aspect ratio and crop is gone. Just noting it. I'm aware of the process for making those edits before uploading.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OldSchoolMacGuy Avatar
104 months ago
We'll see a bunch of services now use this as a way to upload photos. Keep in mind that this will violate the Instagram TOS and may result in your account being suspended or banned. These services will likely be shutdown too as we've seen happen to some lately. It also means sending your login and password off to a 3rd party and hoping they're good enough to secure it. No thanks.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...