Schedule posts, auto like, and more
Instagram has made it as difficult to access the majority of their features outside of their mobile app. When you’re out and about, this isn’t a problem, but it can be inconvenient when you’re sitting at home on your computer.
Thankfully, there are a number of third party desktop apps that can be better for using Instagram on your PC than the standard desktop website is.
Table of Contents
In this list, we take a look at three best desktop apps available and explain what their positives and negatives. All downloads were scanned with VirusTotal to make sure they are malware/spyware free.
Also, be sure to checkout my post on how to browse and search Instagram using the desktop website. That post also shows you how to download high-resolution images from Instagram.
Gramblr
Gramblr is a free Instagram client that hooks straight into the Instagram API. You can download Gramblr from Gramblr.com
This app can be a useful way to upload new photos and videos straight from your desktop, but it’s also very powerful for growing your follower count and engagement thanks to a number of different tools.
We’ve taken a look at some of the biggest reasons why Gramblr is one of the best desktop PC clients for Instagram below.
Uploading Tools
One of the most powerful things about Gramblr is its built-in uploading tools. With these, you are able to upload photos and videos straight to Instagram.
Before you click the upload button, you can go through a number of steps to touch up your photo. These steps are similar to what you’d find on the Instagram app. This includes adding a variety of Instagram filters and a selection of Gramblr exclusive filters.
You also get far finer control over how your image looks thanks to controls for focus, saturation, lighting, and sharpness. It can be incredibly simple to add a fresh look to an image or bring life to a photo that would otherwise be dull.
After you’ve edited your photo, you can add a caption, add a location, include hashtags, and then click post. Interestingly, you are given the option to add 60 likes from real users immediately to your image. More will be explained on this below.
Schedule Posts
There are many Instagram post schedulers on the internet, but nearly all of them don’t actually automate the posting process. Instead, they push the photo and caption to your phone at a certain point and you’re then forced to manually upload it.
This is due to some restrictions Instagram has made to stop users from automating posts with third party tools. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with Gramblr.
With Gramblr, the client essentially hooks straight into the Instagram API to post images on your behalf. This means that so long as the Gramblr client is up, any scheduled posts you’ve set will automatically be posted at the scheduled time.
Auto Like To Grow Follower Count
Because of Gramblr’s workaround, it also has a number of other automation tools that can be beneficial for growing your Instagram account. One such tool is an auto like feature. With this, you’re able to automatically like pictures on Instagram to grab the attention of new users.
You can choose photos with specific hashtags so that you’re always targeting a specific audience. After that, you can press ‘auto-like’ and as long as the Gramblr client is open, your profile will automatically like new posts.
Boost Posts With Likes
You are also able to boost each post you make with Gramblr. You’re given 60 free likes and regularly get free coins that can be spent on more likes. You can also pay for coins to get likes.
Gramblr claims that these likes are from real users. All Gramblr users can gain coins by liking those in the ‘earn coins’ queue. By liking another user’s photo, you’ll get 5 coins, and you can add a like on your own photo for 10 coins.
Potential Issues
Gramblr is a great Instagram client, but it doesn’t come without issues. Firstly, the client rarely gets support or updates and the developer is very hard to get hold of.
Secondly, the features that Gramblr uses are technically against Instagram’s terms of service, but because Gramblr goes straight through Instagram’s API, the auto like, post scheduler, and like boost feature sit in a gray area.
There’s some concern over whether using Gramblr’s marketing tools too much may place restrictions on your account or ban it completely, so it’s something to consider before using it.
Another downside with Gramblr is that you cannot use it to add Stories or to message users.
Windows Store Instagram App
Windows 10 now features an Instagram app that gives you many of the features that the mobile application gives you. It’s free to download and very lightweight. You can download it by visiting the Microsoft Store on your PC.
Because it’s tied into Windows 10, notifications will pop up on your display and be sent straight to your action center.
On the surface, the Windows Store Instagram app looks very similar to the mobile version.
Below, we’ve provided an overview of the Windows Store Instagram app and how it compares to the desktop website.
Overall Layout
The overall layout for the Windows Store Instagram app is parallel to the mobile app. At the top, you have access to the options for refreshing, accessing your direct messages, and uploading photos and videos to your story.
Below that, the stories are showcased. You then have a taskbar at the bottom to access your homepage, search Instagram, view recent likes, and view your profile.
Adding Photos And Videos
One of the main reasons why the Windows Store app is better than the desktop website is the included option for adding photos and videos. When you visit the desktop website, you’re not able to upload new posts.
With the Instagram app on Windows, you can easily add a new post by right clicking the app icon in your task bar and clicking New Post.
If you have a camera, you can take a photo or video with it, or you can click the Camera Roll drop down arrow at the top to browse photos saved to your PC.
Potential Issues
For the most part, the Windows Instagram app is everything you would ever need. The only concern is that the app can sometimes be quite slow. Pages take longer to load than they would when accessing them on your mobile.
Logging in can also be a pain. Sometimes, you’ll struggle to get past the login screen – it just stalls after entering your password. When you do get in, you’ll find the experience to be a treat, for the most part.
Ramme
Ramme is a lightweight desktop app that signs you into an experience that’s practically identical to the Instagram iOS application. You can download Ramme from github.com.
There are a number of reasons why Ramme stands out when compared to the desktop version. Firstly, all functionality from the mobile app is present and exactly where you’d expect it to be. That includes photo uploads, stories, and direct messages.
Below we’ve provided a look at some of the key points worth mentioning with Ramme.
Well Optimized and Lightweight
With Ramme, you just need the .exe file from the GitHub page and you’re good to go. There’s no need to go through an installer or visit the Windows store like you do with Gramblr or the Windows Store app. This makes it easy to store Ramme on a USB stick or download it to use temporarily on a shared computer.
Ramme is very lightweight and runs smoothly too, and you’ll rarely come across any performance issues.
It’s also possible to resize the Ramme window on your desktop and everything on the screen adjusts to fill the window size without any hiccups.
Uploading Images is Easier
The upload process on the Windows Store app is a little odd and uploading images on the desktop website isn’t possible at all.
With Ramme, uploading uses the same process seen on the mobile app. You simply click the ‘+’ icon at the bottom and then browse through Windows File Explorer to find a photo or video to upload.
Potential Issues
We don’t have much bad to say about Ramme, so long as you’re happy to sign in through an app that’s not officially endorsed or created by Instagram.
That wraps up our look at the top 3 apps for using Instagram on your PC. Which desktop app do you like the most out of these three? If you use a different app, leave a comment below to let us know which one. Enjoy!
