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How to use Uplet to Post Photos to Instagram from a Desktop or Laptop

Uplet is a simple Mac app that let's you upload photos and videos from your desktop or laptop directly to Instagram.

upload to instagram 1068x500 - How to use Uplet to Post Photos to Instagram from a Desktop or Laptop

Categories: Social Media
Tags: Instagram Guides
Last updated about 2 months ago // Originally published about 4 years ago

This is one in a series of guides to using apps that be used to upload photos to Instagram from a desktop or laptop computer. Instagram is designed to be used with phones and mobile devices, but for any number of reasons, you might want to be able to upload from your computer rather than your phone.

This guide is focused on Uplet, a Mac app that’s available directly from the developers. (When I originally tested and used it, it was available through the Mac App Store. It has since been removed from the store and is now made available through Eltima’s website.)

Manage Your Pinterest & Instagram Accounts with Tailwind

If you're looking for an easy way to plan, schedule, and analyze your Instagram and Pinterest posts, it's worth taking a look at Tailwind. You can try it out for free with this link.

It’s a simple app that doesn’t have many bells and whistles, but I’ve found it to be lightweight, easy to use, and to work as advertised. It doesn’t have any filters or advanced editing features, but that simplicity is a big part of its appeal. A recent update added the ability to work with multiple Instagram accounts.

Here’s a quick rundown of how it works.

Something worth knowing when using third-party apps like Uplet is that Instagram very strongly encourages users to upload images from their mobile devices, and it’s not unheard of for accounts to be flagged or even closed when uploading from other sources, especially when it involves multiple images. So if you choose to use Uplet, it’s worth doing so with some caution and restraint (ie. don’t try bulk uploading, etc). Eltima has added their own note outlining recommendations for using Uplet without running afoul of Instagram’s rules; you can find it [here](https://mac.eltima.com/instagram-security.html), and I recommend reading it.

Logging In to your Instagram Account

Once you’ve installed it on your Mac and run it, the main screen is about as simple as can be. You log into your Instagram account in the top panel, providing your username and Instagram password. That then gets stored in the app’s memory so you don’t need to re-enter it every time.

Uploading Photos to Instagram with Uplet’s Drop Panel

The core program is just a drop panel. You can drag one or multiple photos onto it or use the + button to open the usual dialog to browse for them. A recent update has also added the ability to upload videos.

Uplet Instagram Uploader-5

Once you’ve added a photo, you can choose whether to display it cropped as a square or in a rectangular format using the small arrows in the bottom left of the image. You can post photos with aspect ratios between 1.91:1 and 4:5.

Under that is the caption and tagging section. Just type whatever text you want in that section.

Uplet Instagram Uploader-2

Once you hit the Share button, you’ll get a progress dialog.

Uplet Instagram Uploader-4

And then a notification of successful upload.

Uplet Instagram Uploader-1

You can also add multiple photos at once. Simply drag them all at once onto the window. But it’s worth noting that when you upload multiple photos, it posts each as a separate post. It doesn’t support Instagram’s new feature of uploading multiple photos in a single post.

You’ll then get the navigation arrows at the top of the image to move between them. Add your text below each one individually and then hit Share all. Another thing to be aware of is that it uploads them all immediately–it doesn’t stagger or schedule them. So you’ll end up with a bunch of posts at the same time.

I asked the developers whether there were any plans to add scheduling capabilities, and they said there aren’t because it would conflict with Instagram’s policies against automatic posting. It would also presumably add multiple layers of complexity, which would go against the simplicity-of-use of Uplet.

You can find it in the Mac App Store.

Other Alternatives

If Uplet doesn’t meet your needs, I’ve put together a list of other ways to post to Instagram from a desktop or laptop. Each has its own pros and cons. Some have features likes scheduling, and some work as browser plugins.

By David Coleman
Instagram: @havecamerawilltraveldc

Last updated on January 12, 2021

Categories: Social Media
Tags: Instagram Guides

I may earn a commission for purchases using links on this page. Learn more.

News & Deals

With the holidays fast approaching, there’s some great deals on photography gear and services available. I’ve put together a roundup of Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2020 Photography Deals. It’s a running list as new deals are announced, so be sure to check back.

Canon announces new EOS Rebel T8i DSLR. Canon has announced their new T8i DSLR. 24MP APS-C cropped CMOS sensor, 4K24 video, and updated image processing and detection systems. It’s available for preorder from B&H Photo.

New Firmware for the Ricoh GR III. Ricoh has release firmware v1.31 for the GR III. Release notes are: “Corrected — When shooting with the multiple exposure, in rare cases the live view may not display correctly. Improved stability for general performance.” You can download it here.

New Canon 1D X Mark III Pro DSLR Announced. Canon has announced their new flagship model of pro DSLR, the 1D X Mark III. They’re sticking with a 20.1MP CMOS sensor, but it’s a new and improved version and boasts an incredible native ISO range of ISO 100 to ISO 102400 and an extended range that goes up to a jaw-dropping ISO 819200. With revamped autofocus, a new image processor, and all sorts of other bells and whistles, it’s no wonder that Canon is billing it as “The Ultimate EOS.”

New Manfrotto Pro Rugged Memory Cards. Manfrotto, an Italian probably best known for their tripods and studio accessories, has launched a new Pro Rugged range of high-end SD, microSD, and CompactFlash cards. While they don’t have a huge selection of sizes and speeds, the cards are aiming for very fast cards that can put up with rugged demands. For instance, they claim that their V90 rated SD cards can withstand three times the force (20kg / 45 lbs) of a regular SD card. I’ve ordered some to run through my speed tests.

New Sony Alpha a7 firmware released. A firmware update for the Sony a7R IV now lets you control external Sony flashes from the camera’s own menu system. Up to 15 flashes in five groups can be controlled via the camera. It also applies to the a7R III and a7 III.

Comments

  1. Reginald Wilkins says

    August 31, 2020 at 2:34 pm

    I’m in the U.S., and tried to download Uplet but apple’s message came back stating not available in the States. Groan. Can I get it anywhere else?

    Reply
  2. Marion Tipple says

    November 24, 2019 at 3:41 pm

    I have been using uplet to post to Instagram for a couple of years without difficulty. Recently, I started getting a message as follows:
    Completed with Error
    Open your Instagram app on your mobile device and verify your account or try to log out and log in to Uplet. If this doesn’t work your Instagram account might have been banned.

    I follow the instructions, confirm that it was me and can access my Instagram account without difficulty. However every time I try and use uplet I get the same message and the cycle repeats.
    I can upload to Instagram on my iPhone without difficulty but prefer accessing via uplet.
    Have contacted Eltima and they say it is not their problem.

    Can you help??
    Many thanks

    Reply
    • David says

      November 26, 2019 at 3:33 pm

      Sorry, but I haven’t been using Uplet much lately (I originally posted this a while ago) and haven’t come across that issue. Normally I’d recommend contacting the developer directly, but since you’ve already tried that and haven’t gotten it resolved, I’m afraid I’m not sure what else to do. For troubleshooting, some things that I would normally try would be to re-download the latest version and reinstall and to flush out all cache and cookies.

      Reply
  3. David Deutsch says

    October 30, 2019 at 9:47 am

    When I try to upload a picture from my Macbook Pro to Instagram using Uplet, I continually get an error message. The error message is the photo number. ERROR MESSAGE: L1060273.jpg

    Any idea of the problem? Many thanks

    Reply
    • David says

      October 30, 2019 at 9:54 am

      Sorry, I don’t. If I was troubleshooting it, the first thing I’d do is try a different image. It’s possible there’s something specific about that file that is causing trouble–some kind of corruption or exif data that is causing one or other of them to choke on it.

      Reply
  4. Roger Watts says

    June 25, 2019 at 2:31 pm

    I can type caption info in. It doesn’t show up on Instagram page.
    I can also type in hashtag info…same thing: It never shows up on the Instagram page.
    Must be doing something wrong?

    Reply
    • David says

      June 26, 2019 at 9:08 am

      It’s been quite a while since I used Uplet. I just went to test this out again and the app isn’t available in the US Mac App Store any longer. So I have to assume it has been abandoned. I’ll add a note to the post to that effect.

      Reply
      • David says

        June 26, 2019 at 9:14 am

        Okay, so I see that the developers (new owners, perhaps?) have removed it from the Mac App Store but are now selling it directly from their site. Will investigate further and see what I can find out, but it would be worth reaching out directly to Eltima support.

        Reply
  5. R.B. says

    October 4, 2017 at 3:39 pm

    I only post images to Instagram from my computer via Uplet.
    How do I delete images that have been posted this way?

    Reply
    • David says

      October 4, 2017 at 8:29 pm

      You can delete them through the mobile app or through the website if you’re using a web browser and spoofing the user agent.

      Reply

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