Instagram has started rolling out a new desktop update that allows users to post Instagram Stories directly from their computer.

If you’re a business owner, content creator or social media manager who creates most of your content on a laptop or desktop, this is a small Instagram update that could make managing your content a whole lot easier.

Previously, posting Instagram Stories has largely been a mobile-first experience. Now, Instagram is beginning to give users the option to create and publish Stories through Instagram on desktop.

Here’s what you need to know about the new Instagram Stories on desktop update, how to use it and what to do if you don’t have the feature yet.

Can you post Instagram Stories from desktop?

Yes. Instagram has started rolling out the ability to upload and post Instagram Stories from desktop through Instagram.com.

This means you can take a photo or video saved on your computer and upload it directly to your Instagram Story without first having to send the file to your phone.

For businesses and social media managers who create content in programs like Canva or store client content on their computer, this could make the process of posting Instagram Stories much simpler.

You can also create content within the desktop Story feature before publishing.

How to post an Instagram Story from desktop

If the new Instagram desktop Story feature has been rolled out to your account, posting a Story from your computer is simple.

1. Head to Instagram.com on your desktop.

2. Go to your Instagram profile.

3. Click the blue plus symbol.

4. Select the option to create a Story.

5. Upload a photo or video from your computer or create your Story there.

6. Edit your Instagram Story.

7. Publish your Story.

Your Story will then appear on Instagram just as it would if you had posted it through the Instagram mobile app.

What if I can't post Instagram Stories from desktop yet?

If you log into Instagram on your computer and can't see the option to create a Story, it doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong with your account.

Like many new Instagram features and Instagram updates, desktop Stories appear to be rolling out gradually.

Instagram regularly releases new features to groups of users rather than making them available to every Instagram account at exactly the same time.

This also means that if you're a social media manager managing multiple Instagram accounts, you may find the desktop Story feature is available on some accounts before others.

Keep checking Instagram.com as the feature continues to roll out.

Can you schedule Instagram Stories from desktop?

If you want to schedule Instagram Stories from your computer, you can do this using Meta Business Suite.

Rather than publishing your Story immediately, Meta Business Suite allows eligible business and creator accounts to prepare Instagram Stories in advance and choose a date and time for them to be published.

This is particularly useful if you're batching your Instagram content or managing social media content for multiple businesses.

So if you want to post a Story immediately, you may be able to do it directly through Instagram on desktop.

If you want to schedule an Instagram Story for later, Meta Business Suite remains a useful option.

Why Instagram Stories on desktop is useful for businesses

This isn't necessarily a huge Instagram update, but it is a handy one.

A lot of business owners, creators and social media managers already create their Instagram content on a computer.

You might be designing Instagram graphics in Canva, editing Reels, downloading client content, writing captions or storing your social media content in folders on your desktop.

Until now, posting that content to Instagram Stories could mean transferring it to your phone before you could publish it.

Being able to post Instagram Stories directly from your computer removes another step from the content creation process.

And when you're regularly creating Instagram content, those small workflow improvements can make a difference.

Instagram is making desktop more useful for content creation

Instagram has traditionally been a mobile-first social media platform, but over time more Instagram features have become available through desktop.

You can already use Instagram on desktop to manage DMs, publish feed posts and carousels, upload Reels and manage different parts of your Instagram account.

Adding Instagram Stories to desktop makes the web version of Instagram even more useful, particularly for businesses and people managing Instagram professionally.

If you spend most of your working day on a computer, it's definitely an Instagram update worth knowing about.

And if you don't have Instagram Stories on desktop just yet, keep checking. Like most new Instagram features, it may simply be a matter of waiting for the update to reach your account.