Instagram Testing Support for Browser-Based Posting

For as long as it's been around, Instagram has been a smartphone-oriented social network that doesn't extend to tablet devices and even lacks many basic features in its web browser incarnation, including the ability to post. However, that could be set to change, if a recently unearthed internal feature test ever goes public.

Instagram Feature 1
Developer and leaker Alessandro Paluzzi has discovered Instagram code that strongly suggests the Facebook-owned platform is already working on the ability to upload photos and videos from a desktop web browser.

Based on images Paluzzi shared on Twitter, browser-based Instagram users could soon be offered the ability to natively drag and drop photos and videos from their computer for upload, as well as crop the content, apply filters, and compose accompanying text for publishing to the social network.


It's still not clear when the features will go live, and there's no mention of Stories creation being supported within a browser. And given Instagram's long-established focus on smartphone-originating content, the company could well decide to abandon the web feature test altogether.

Meanwhile, there's still no word on an official Instagram app that's built specifically for iPad, so if these web-based features do make it out of testing, they could offer an alternative workflow for tablet users.

Top Rated Comments

breather Avatar
33 months ago
Just make the App iPad compatible….
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JippaLippa Avatar
33 months ago
I'd strongly prefer this as I'd like to be able to open Instagram on the desktop only when I need to post an image (artworks in my case) instead of having a data-hoarding app leaking all sorts of telemetry from my phone
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Konigi Avatar
33 months ago
About time! I hate it when apps that are available on the desktop don't provide the same experience, for no good reason. It's not even possible to share posts as Stories...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wanted797 Avatar
33 months ago
In other news

"Apple testing Website Tracking Transparency features."
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Northgrove Avatar
33 months ago
It's a little interesting because Instagram has earlier intentionally avoided this feature to ensure people see more ad-hoc mobile photos there. But this obviously hasn't worked out with photographers and even influencers there using smartphones only as a temporary storage between professional gear and an upload to Instagram, so I suppose this might be late reaction to that.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
i.am.lost Avatar
33 months ago

Well now FB has the Creator Studio which lets you set posts to publish later as well as to a FB business page, so it really wouldn't be hard to just let you post live from it.
It already does. Instagram Creator Studio has been around for 2 years now as a browser-based solution.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
anker new xmas 1

Anker's Cyber Week Sale Enters Final Days With Up to 60% Off Sitewide

Friday December 1, 2023 12:05 pm PST by
Anker's Black Friday/Cyber Week event is entering its final days this weekend, and it's still offering up to 60 percent off sitewide. There are also a few "mystery boxes" that can include hundreds of dollars in savings, if you're willing to risk not knowing what you're buying ahead of time. All of these sales will end on December 3. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you...
top stories 2dec2023

Top Stories: iOS 17.1.2 Released, NameDrop Misinformation, and More

Saturday December 2, 2023 6:00 am PST by
Apple employees are back to work following a Thanksgiving break, and that means this week saw a number of new operating system updates for both public release and beta testing. This week also saw some misinformation about Apple's new NameDrop feature making the rounds, while Apple and Goldman Sachs appear to be on the verge of a break-up in their Apple Card and savings account partnership,...
General Apps Messages

Green Bubbles on iPhone to Gain These 7 New Features Next Year

Thursday November 30, 2023 9:00 am PST by
Earlier this month, Apple announced that it will finally support RCS in the Messages app on the iPhone starting later next year. This change will result in several improvements to the messaging experience between iPhones and Android devices. RCS will become the new default standard for messaging between iPhones and Android devices, but these conversations will still have green bubbles like...
m2 macbook air green

Get Apple's M2 MacBook Air and M3 MacBook Pro for Record Low Prices

Friday December 1, 2023 6:59 am PST by
Best Buy is discounting a collection of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models to all-time low prices today. We're tracking these deals below in addition to great discounts on the Apple Pencil 2 and Apple Watch Ultra 1. MacBook Air Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the...
iPhone 16 Mock Header Updated 1

iPhone 16 to Include Action Button Across Entire Lineup

Thursday November 30, 2023 4:08 pm PST by
The release of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max saw the introduction of an entirely new user-configurable button known as the Action button, and now, MacRumors has seen extensive evidence confirming Apple is planning to include the Action button on the entire iPhone 16 range. Designs and plans for the Action button date back to at least 2021, as the button was intended for release alongside hapt...