Best Time to Post on Instagram in 2025: Data from 2 Million Posts

There are many factors to consider when posting on Instagram, but the one that often feels like a make-or-break decision is when to post your content.

Totally fair. You don’t want to pour hours into a post, only to share it in an Instagram dead zone and hear… crickets.

Finding the best time to post can make the difference between silence and Instagram success.

Sharing Instagram Stories, reels, feed posts, and carousels at optimal times for reach and maximum engagement is an important consideration in your social media strategy.

If your content immediately makes it to your target audience's feed while they're around to engage with it, it's more likely to succeed.

That's why we analyzed the reach of over 2 million Instagram posts to determine the best time to post on Instagram — backed by real-world data.

With all that in mind, let's dig into everything you need to know about the best time to post on Instagram. We'll also cover how to figure out your personal best time to post for maximum engagement and reach, whether you're a marketer, creator, influencer, or casual Instagrammer.

Is there a best time to post on Instagram?

There's no universal best time to post on Instagram for guaranteed success. If only it were that easy!

However, our analysis showed us that certain days and times tend to yield more reach than others. What was really interesting was the patterns we uncovered, too. For example, most weekdays see similar high-reach times.

Timing isn’t as critical as it was in the chronological-feed days (R.I.P.), but it still plays a role in your social media marketing strategy.

Phew! Ready to dig into the numbers and uncover the best time to post on Instagram based on our research?

⚡ Schedule your Instagram posts, carousels, stories, and reels. Buffer makes it easy to test and discover your own best time to post on Instagram.

The best times to post on Instagram

The best time to post on Instagram is generally 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.

After analyzing more than 2 million Instagram posts, we found that posts shared at these times tended to get the most reach.

According to Statista, 31.7% of 18 to 24-year-olds and 30.6% of 25 to 34-year-olds (i.e. folks with nine-to-five jobs) use the app.

So, most Instagram users are 18–34. They’re usually online in the evenings after work — prime time for posting. I know I'm definitely more likely to log on as the day wears on and my productivity dwindles, or spend time scrolling as I relax in the evening.

Early mornings are not optimal times for catching this crowd. There's a slight uptick in reach from around 12 p.m. on most weekdays. (Lunch breaks, for sure.)

It makes sense that 3 p.m. often emerges as the best time to post for many accounts. You might wonder, ‘But aren’t people still at work at 3 p.m.?’ True — but remember, these numbers show reach, not log-in times. A post at 3 p.m. often travels through feeds and peaks later in the evening.

Your content will likely percolate for a few hours in various feeds, so posts shared in these slots will likely be shared just in time for the peak evening slots. Definitely worth considering as part of your posting strategy.

As you'll see from the heatmap graph above, the best Instagram posting times are pretty predictable, depending on the day of the week. The darkest slots represent the time slots with the highest reach per follower count — indicating the best time to post on Instagram.

The light-colored to white blocks are the time slots with the lowest reach, showing the posting times that are best avoided if you're after maximum engagement and reach.

On weekdays, reach starts to pick up, which directly influences the best time to post on Instagram for maximum engagement. Prime times start in the early morning at 6 a.m., climbing from 11 a.m. (just in time for lunch breaks) and peaking at around 3 p.m. on most days.

Weekends look different. Mornings are slow, and reach dips on both Saturday and Sunday. Evenings bring a small bump, but not as strong as weekdays. If weekends are part of your strategy, 6 p.m. is generally the best time to post for catching evening scrollers.

The best time to post on Instagram on weekends is 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

🌏 No timezone troubles: To make this data easier to understand, our data scientist Bufferoo has done some mathematical magic to make the recommended time zones universally applicable. In other words, no need to convert. Whether you're in EST (Eastern Standard Time), PST (Pacific Standard Time), or IST (Indian Standard Time), the times apply to you.

The best time to post on Instagram at a glance

• Monday: The best times to post on Instagram on Monday are 3 p.m., 4 p.m., and 5 p.m.
• Tuesday: The best times to post on Instagram on Tuesday are 3 p.m., 4 p.m., and 5 p.m.
• Wednesday: The best times to post on Instagram on Wednesday are 3 p.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m.
• Thursday: The best times to post on Instagram on Thursday are 3 p.m., 4 p.m., and 2 p.m.
• Friday: The best times to post on Instagram on Friday are 3 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m.
• Saturday: The best times to post on Instagram on Saturday are 6 p.m., 3 p.m., and 2 p.m.
• Sunday: The best times to post on Instagram on Sunday are 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 2 p.m.

The best time to post on Instagram for every day of the week

Here's a closer look at the best Instagram posting times for maximum engagement and reach, day by day.

The best time to post on Instagram on Monday

The best time to post on Instagram on Monday is at 3 p.m., when reach on posts shared tends to be highest. 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. also tend to see higher reach and are great times to schedule posts. Definitely add these posting times into your Instagram strategy.

The best time to post on Instagram on Tuesday

The best time to post on Instagram on Tuesday is at 3 p.m. Patterns are similar to reach on Monday, with another (slightly lower) top posting times peak at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The best time to post on Instagram on Wednesday

The best time to post on Instagram on Wednesday is also at 3 p.m. Other good times to schedule posts on Instagram are 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. You'll want to avoid the early morning in your posting schedule on Wednesday.

The best time to post on Instagram on Thursday

The best time to post on Instagram on Thursday is 3 p.m., very closely followed more great posting times at 4 p.m. and 2 p.m.

The best time to post on Instagram on Friday

The best times to post on Instagram on Friday are at 3 p.m. 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. are also optimal posting times.

The best time to post on Instagram on Saturday

The best time to post on Instagram on Saturday is 6 p.m., though it's worth noting that Saturday reach pales in comparison to weekdays. That said, there are some solid options to post on Instagram at 3 p.m. and 2 p.m., too.

The best time to post on Instagram on Sunday

The best time to post on Instagram on Sunday is in the early evening, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday is also a quiet time on the app, and perhaps not the best day to include in your posting schedule. It's best not to schedule Instagram posts for the early morning or early afternoon on Sunday.

This is where social media management tools like Buffer really shine. Experiment by systematically going through the best time to post on the list above. Schedule posts at these times and track their performance to see what time to post on Instagram to reach your target audience.

What is the best day of the week to post on Instagram?

You really can't go wrong with sharing content on Instagram on weekdays. But Monday and Friday are the best days to post on Instagram — an inch about the rest of the week for social media performance.

Comparatively, the worst time of the week to post on Instagram is on a Sunday.

What is the best time to post reels on Instagram?

The best time to post Instagram reels is between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. In our analysis, we reviewed all Instagram posts, rather than segmenting by post type for maximum engagement.

That said, it's also worth considering that people treat different segments of the Instagram app a little differently.

An update on the algorithm by Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri offers some interesting insight on this front. “People tend to look for their closest friends in stories, use explore to discover new content and creators, and be entertained in reels,” he said in a reel.

It stands to reason, then, that people are looking to be entertained at certain times of day, and catch up with friends, family, and their favorite creators at other times.

We recommend you post reels during the optimal posting times in the evening. Your followers will have slightly more time to scroll and enjoy your Instagram Reels before bedtime, making it a great time to post on Instagram.

The best type of content to post on Instagram

This probably won't surprise you — the best content on Instagram for reach is video. Our data revealed that videos perform far better than carousels and photo posts.

Reels are your best bet for growth — even Instagram says so. Carly Lynn, Instagram’s Head of Creator Partnerships, puts it plainly: ‘The most effective way to grow is to consistently create engaging reels."

That's not to say other content types don't have an impact. Carousels tend to perform slightly better than images, though the difference is not as marked as the one between reels and everything else.

When it comes to engagement, things look a little different. Carousels tend to get more engagement than reels, according to another Buffer data study. So if getting maximum engagement is your goal, you might want to adjust your social media plan to include more of that format.

How to find the best time to post on Instagram for you

While all of the above posting times can be useful in helping you put together a posting schedule as you're just starting out, take it all with a pinch of salt.

There are better ways to figure out when your audience is online and engaging — and your personal best time to post on Instagram might not align with the general guidelines above.

Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all for the best time to post on Instagram. Your best time might look totally different from someone else’s.

For example, my personal Instagram audience's activity level is pretty steady on work days and on the weekends. Their most active times are between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

For Buffer's Instagram following, things look a little different. They're most active on the platform between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Buffer Analytics

A social media management tool like Buffer can be really helpful in pinpointing the best time to post on Instagram based on your audience's unique behavior.

⚡️ Buffer Answers will highlight your personal best time to post based on reach and engagement.

If you're a Buffer user, our analytics offer even deeper insights than the best time to post on Instagram — you'll also find your best posts, best days to post, and best Instagram content types. To find yours:

• Head over to analyze.buffer.com in your desktop browser and make sure you're logged into your Buffer account.
• Click on Instagram on the left side of your screen. There's a host of important data to dig into here, including Instagram post performance and audience demographics.
• Click on Answers. Here, you'll find insights on a whole lot more than the best time to post on Instagram (like which post types are the best for you, or how often you should be posting) but the best time to post is the second box from the top.

Here are some of the answers for our Instagram account in Buffer:

Instagram Insights

Instagram Insights, the native Instagram analytics tool for the social media platform, can be helpful in pinpointing some good times to post on Instagram.

To get stats for your own audience via the Instagram analytics baked into the app, head over to Instagram Insights on the mobile app. You'll need to have a professional Instagram account — a Creator or Business Account — to access these numbers.

• Go to your Instagram profile and click on ‘Professional dashboard' just below your bio.
• Tap on 'Total followers.'
• Scroll to ‘Most active times’ to pinpoint your followers’ best time to post moments. You'll be able to toggle between every day of the week to see when they're active online on different days, and how ideal posting times differ.

You can also access Instagram Insights via the web version of Instagram. To find yours:

• Log in to your Instagram account in your browser via instagram.com
• Click on ‘Dashboard' on the left-hand side of the screen
• Scroll down to 'Followers' to see your audience's most active times (i.e. your ideal posting times).

If you don't see these Instagram analytics options, you may still have a personal account — remember to switch to a creator or business account, first!

The best time to post on Instagram FAQs

Here are some commonly asked questions when it comes to the best time to schedule Instagram posts for maximum engagement and reach.

How did you calculate the best time to post on Instagram?

It's tricky to measure the overall success of all Instagram content, given that it all appears in different feeds controlled by different algorithms.

In past reports, we looked at engagement. This year, we focused on reach instead.

Why did we do that? Isn't it true that the more engagement you receive, the better your post is likely to perform? Well, it depends on your definition of engagement.

On Instagram, likes and comments don’t tell the full story anymore. The algorithm now prioritizes ‘sends per reach’ — how often people DM your post or reel to a friend.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri has candidly shared that it is Instagram's most important algorithmic signal, particularly in the reels and discover feeds.

Plus, if there is a metric you're aiming for in terms of growing your Instagram following, reach is it. The more users you reach — particularly those who don't already follow you — the more likely you are to grow your follower base on the social media platform.

We measured median reach against follower count. That way, results weren’t skewed by big accounts — and the advice works for both new and established brands.

Does the time you post on Instagram matter?

Our data shows that Instagram posting times do matter. Analyzing more than 2 million Instagram posts showed that content posted at specific times had a higher reach per follower.

But timing can’t save a weak post. Think of it as the cherry on top of your strategy, not the cake itself.

For guidance on how to improve your Instagram account and content, head over to the section: Your Checklist for high-performing Instagram Posts

When is it best not to post on Instagram?

When it comes to when not to post on Instagram, common sense rules apply. When is your target audience not online? The most obvious answer is overnight.

Our analysis supports this — any Instagram posts shared between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. tended to get the lowest reach, no matter what day of the week it is. Rule of thumb: Don't post on Instagram while your audience is asleep.

According to our data, Instagram posts shared on the weekends tended to have lower reach, too, though there are some good times to post on Saturday and Sunday. If you're after maximum reach and engagement, weekends are probably not an ideal time to post.

Scroll up to The best times to post on Instagram for more.

Is it better to post early or late on Instagram?

On most weekdays, afternoons are good times to post on Instagram. Reach on posts tends to start picking up in the early morning, climbing at around midday during users' lunch breaks, and peaking at 3 p.m.

What is the best time to post on Instagram today?

If you're wondering about the best time to post on Instagram right now, weekday afternoons — particularly around 3 p.m. — are a great starting point.

On weekends, the best time to post on Instagram is 6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. For more details, scroll up to the cheatsheet section above: The Best Time to Post on Instagram at a Glance.

TLDR;

• If it's a weekday, 3 p.m. is the best time to post.
• If it's the weekend, 6 p.m. is the best time to post.

When is the best time to post on Instagram in my country or timezone?

Many of the guides you'll find on the best times to post will be in U.S. time zones, like Eastern Time (EST) or Pacific Time (PST), which can be super confusing when it comes to figuring out your best time to post on Instagram.

But if you're based outside these zones (hello from South Africa!), all of the best times to post on Instagram data above is still applicable to you.

The Buffer data scientists have crunched the numbers to be universally applicable. So if the best time to post on Instagram on Friday is 3 p.m., that's 3 p.m. in your time zone — whether you're based in California or Calcutta.

How often should I post on Instagram?

Social media post frequency is important — regularly showing up on any of the major social media platforms is often the best way to grow. 

Another 2025 Buffer study showed that the more often you post on Instagram, the higher reach you get per post. We found that 3-5 posts on Instagram per week (reels, carousels, or photo posts) was the sweet spot for better reach for your efforts.

Instagram Stories, which disappear after 24 hours, offer a helpful, lightweight way to stay consistent on the platform. Post an Instagram Story at least daily to stay top-of-mind for your followers.

Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has made similar recommendations. Post reels, carousels, photos, and stories every week to grow your social media presence, he says. Mosseri recommends sharing one to two Instagram Stories daily and a couple of feed posts weekly, which should be enough for consistent Instagram engagement and reach.

It's worth experimenting with your posting schedule to see what cadence, along with time to post, works best for your target audience. 

Buffer can help here, too. With enough data, our analytics tools crunch the numbers for you to recommend your best posting frequency, along with the best time to post. Scroll up to The best time for you to post on Instagram section to learn how.

Your checklist for high-performing Instagram posts

While figuring out the best time to post on Instagram for maximum reach is an important part of your Instagram marketing strategy, it's not the be-all and end-all.

As we unpack in our guide to the Instagram algorithm(s) there are a huge number of factors to take into account if you want your content to perform well when you post on Instagram. Here's our checklist for high-performing Instagram content:

1. Make the most of Instagram's new features: As with the launch of Instagram Stories and reels, the platform loves showcasing its new features. Using them when you post on Instagram could mean getting your content in front of new audiences.
2. Experiment with content types: Regularly trying out a new type of content when you post on Instagram will help you figure out what resonates the most with your audience. Plus, it's a great way to repurpose your content.
3. Don't neglect your caption: According to a fascinating report by HubSpot, captions that performed the best were either very long (over 2,000 characters) or very short (less than 20). Using emojis in captions was also shown to boost Instagram engagement.
4. Use hashtags: Studies show that posts with hashtags receive higher engagement than those without. Buffer's Hashtag Manager will make adding your favorite ones to your caption or comments when you post on Instagram a breeze.
5. Prioritize authentic engagement: Rather than wasting time and resources on Instagram algorithm hacks, focus on fostering meaningful engagement with your followers. That means replying to comments and messages, resharing their mentions of you, and even interacting with them on their own content.
6. Analyze to see what's working: Use Instagram Insights to build your social media presence and see which of your posts have had maximum engagement and reach. Buffer's analytics will also help you uncover your best posts in just a few clicks.

What have you found most helpful when determining the best time to post on Instagram for you? We'd love to hear more about your Instagram strategy! Let us know @buffer on all our social media accounts!

More Instagram resources

If you're looking to grow on Instagram, these might help!

• ⚡️ Instagram Marketing in 2025: The Complete Guide to Form Your Strategy (+ Best Practices)
• 🤝 How to Use Instagram Collab Posts (+ 8 Collab Ideas to Boost Engagement and Reach)
• 🎧 17 Trending Sounds on Instagram in 2025 (+ How to Use Them)
• 💸 How to Make Money on Instagram in 2025: 13 Ideas for Creators and Small Businesses
• 🖼️ Instagram Image Size Guide 2025: Post, Story, and Reels Dimensions
• ⚡️ 13 Ways to Get More Followers on Instagram in 2025