Best Time to Post on Instagram in 2026: Complete Guide

If you’re trying to grow on Instagram, you’re probably already wondering what time you should be posting your posts, Reels, and Stories.

But if you search for “best time to post on Instagram,” you’ll find dozens of studies with completely different answers. Some say post at 5 AM. Others say 9 PM. Some recommend midday, while others swear by early morning.

So what’s the real answer? Instead of adding to the noise with another single opinion, we analyzed nine major Instagram studies from 2025–2026 to identify real patterns.

This guide breaks down the evidence-based best times to post on Instagram. More importantly, it shows you how to find your personal optimal schedule for maximum reach and engagement.

When is the best time to post on Instagram?

We analyzed data from nine major Instagram studies (including Hootsuite, Later, SocialPilot, Sprout Social, Buffer, and more) covering millions of posts to identify where the findings actually agree.

Here’s what the data says for 2026 (with a heatmap visualization highlighting where the strongest overlaps appear across studies):

The consensus picks for best overall posting times are:

• Weekdays: 11 AM to 2 PM (during lunch breaks)
• Weekdays: 5 PM to 9 PM (after work hours)
• Best single day and time: Wednesday at 11 AM - 1 PM

Here's why these windows work: Instagram users are most active during two main windows throughout the week. The first is the midday lunch break (11 AM - 2 PM) when people scroll while eating or taking a mental break from work. The second is the evening window (5 PM - 9 PM) when users wind down after work, relax at home, or browse during their commute.

Interestingly, three studies found very early morning times (3 AM - 6 AM) performed best. This might seem strange, but it makes sense when you consider Instagram's algorithm. Posts published early can gain traction as people wake up and start scrolling, giving your content a head start before the feed gets crowded.

The safest bet across all time zones? Wednesday between 11 AM - 1 PM, or any weekday evening between 6 PM - 8 PM.

The Best Overall Times to Post on Instagram by Day

Here's your quick-reference day-by-day breakdown based on the most frequently recommended times across research:

We've focused on the windows that appeared most often to give you the highest probability of success and broke in down to help you understand the best time to post on Instagram each day:

Best Time to Post on Monday

Recommended times: 12 PM - 2 PM and 5 PM - 8 PM

Monday has a distinct pattern. People are settling back into work mode, so mornings tend to be quieter. Engagement picks up during lunch and really peaks in the evening when people are decompressing from the start of the workweek.

Seven out of nine studies highlighted evening engagement on Mondays, with the 5 PM - 8 PM window appearing most consistently.

Best Time to Post on Tuesday

Recommended times: 9 AM - 10 AM, 12 PM - 2 PM, and 5 PM - 7 PM

Tuesday is one of the strongest days for Instagram engagement overall. By now, people are fully into their weekly routine, creating predictable browsing patterns.

The data shows three distinct engagement peaks: a morning spike (as routines kick in), a midday bump (lunch scrolling), and an evening surge (post-work relaxation). Six studies specifically called out Tuesday as a high-engagement day.

Best Time to Post on Wednesday

Recommended times: 11 AM - 1 PM and 6 PM - 9 PM

Wednesday wins the crown as the best overall day to post on Instagram, with eight out of nine studies listing it as a top performer.

Midweek momentum is real. People hit their stride by Wednesday, taking mental breaks that often involve Instagram. The lunch window (11 AM - 1 PM) was the single most recommended time across all studies, appearing in seven separate analyses.

Best Time to Post on Thursday

Recommended times: 11 AM - 2 PM and 6 PM - 9 PM

Thursday maintains Wednesday's high engagement levels. Seven studies highlighted Thursday as a top-performing day, making it part of the "golden midweek" for Instagram posting.

There's an interesting psychological shift on Thursdays: people start anticipating the weekend, which makes them more receptive to entertaining, inspiring, or fun content.

Best Time to Post on Friday

Recommended times: 10 AM - 12 PM and 4 PM - 6 PM

Friday engagement follows a different pattern. Morning and early afternoon perform well as people coast through their last workday, but engagement tends to drop off after 7 PM as users head out for weekend activities.

Five studies noted that Friday evenings (after 7 PM) underperform compared to other weekday evenings, so plan accordingly.

Best Time to Post on Saturday

Recommended times: 10 AM - 1 PM

Here's where things get interesting. Saturday consistently ranked as the lowest-engagement day in six out of nine studies.

People are out living their weekends (brunch, errands, activities with family and friends). The best window is mid-morning to early afternoon when people are having a lazy start to their day or taking a break from activities.

Avoid posting your most important content on Saturdays unless your audience specifically includes weekend-active demographics (like parents of young kids or homebodies).

Best Time to Post on Sunday

Recommended times: 12 PM - 3 PM and 7 PM - 9 PM

Sunday shows a split pattern. Midday catches people during relaxed weekend afternoons, while evening engagement spikes as users wind down and mentally prepare for Monday.

The "Sunday Scaries" are real, and they drive Instagram usage. Four studies specifically noted strong Sunday evening engagement (7 PM - 10 PM) as people seek comfort, distraction, or inspiration before the workweek begins.

Best Days to Post on Instagram

Based on our analysis, the best days to post are:

• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Tuesday

These midweek days consistently showed the strongest engagement across time zones and audiences. Wednesday stood out as the clear winner.

Weekend engagement is generally 20-30% lower than weekdays. People are out living their lives, spending time with family, or taking breaks from their phones. This doesn't mean you should avoid weekends entirely, but save your most important content for weekdays.

The Worst Times to Post on Instagram

Knowing when not to post is just as valuable as knowing the best times. Here are the windows that consistently underperformed across multiple studies:

Worst time windows:

• Very early morning (12 AM - 5 AM) - Exception: 3-5 AM worked in some studies, but it's risky
• Late night (10 PM - 12 AM) - Most people are winding down or asleep
• Monday mornings (6 AM - 10 AM) - People are in "work mode," not scroll mode
• Friday evenings (8 PM onward) - Everyone's out enjoying their weekend
• Saturday all day - Lowest overall engagement; people are busy with weekend activities
• Sunday mornings (6 AM - 9 AM) - Sleep-in time

Days to avoid for important posts:

If you have a major announcement, product launch, or your best content, skip Saturday entirely. Five studies explicitly called it the worst day for engagement. Sunday is also risky unless you're posting in the evening sweet spot.

Based on the research, Saturday from 6 AM - 9 AM is probably the single worst time to post on Instagram. It combines the worst day with the worst time window when people are usually sleeping in.

How to Find Your Best Posting Times

While the data in this guide gives you a strong starting point, your specific audience might behave differently. Here's how to find your personalized best posting times:

Step 1: Use Instagram Insights

If you have a business or creator account, Instagram gives you free data about when your followers are most active.

How to access it:

1. Go to your profile and tap the menu icon
2. Select "Insights"
3. Tap "Total followers"
4. Scroll down to "Most Active Times"

You'll see a breakdown by day and hour showing when your specific audience is online. This is gold, use it!

Step 2: Start with the recommended times

Use the schedule from this guide as your starting point. Post at the suggested times for 2-3 weeks while tracking your performance.

Step 3: Test and compare

Post similar content at different times and compare the results. For example:

• Week 1: Post on Wednesday at 12 PM
• Week 2: Post on Wednesday at 8 PM
• Week 3: Post on Wednesday at 11 AM

Look at engagement rates (likes, comments, shares, saves) rather than just total numbers. A post with 100 likes and 15 comments might perform better than one with 150 likes and 3 comments.

Step 4: Use scheduling tools

Posting manually at optimal times is tough. Use tools like MeetEdgar to schedule your posts in advance. This ensures you never miss your best posting windows, even if you're busy or asleep.

Step 5: Track and adjust

Set a reminder to review your analytics monthly. Audience behavior can shift with seasons, trends, and changes in daily routines. What works in January might not work in July. From the data you collect, keep the top 2 performing windows, replace the lowest performer with a new time slot.

Pro tip: Don't change too many variables at once. Test one thing at a time (like posting time) so you know what actually made the difference.

FAQs

What time zone are these posting times based on?

The times in this guide are based on global data and should be applied to your audience's local time zone. For example, if the guide says to post at 12 PM and your audience is primarily in New York, post at 12 PM Eastern Time.

Does posting time really matter that much?

Yes, but it's not everything. Posting at the right time can increase your engagement by 20-50%, but great content will still outperform mediocre content regardless of timing. Think of optimal timing as the boost that helps your already-good content reach more people.

Should I post at the same time every day?

Not necessarily. Different days have different peak times (as shown in our schedule above). However, consistency helps train your audience to expect your content. Pick your best time slots for each day and stick with them for at least a month.

What is the best time to post Reels?

Instagram's algorithm treats Reels differently, pushing them to non-followers primarily through the Reels tab. While the recommended times in this guide apply to all content types, Reels have a unique discovery window and can gain traction hours or even days after posting. Generally, mid-week posts (Tuesday through Thursday) from mid-morning to early afternoon tend to perform best for Instagram Reels.

How long should I wait between posts?

‍Give your posts room to breathe (at least 4-6 hours between posts). Posting too frequently can actually decrease engagement as you compete with yourself.

Wrap-up

Finding the best time to post on Instagram doesn't have to be complicated. Start with the times we've identified in this guide. They're based on millions of posts and represent the patterns that work for most accounts.

But remember, these times are a starting point, not a guarantee. Your specific audience might behave differently based on their location, interests, and daily routines.

The key is to use this data as your foundation, then refine based on what you learn from your own analytics.

Once you know your peak times, queue your Instagram content to hit those windows automatically with MeetEdgar. Schedule posts, recycle evergreen content, and maintain a consistent cadence. Try MeetEdgar for free to turn the best time to post into consistent engagement.