In the Instagram app
- Tap + and choose Post.
- Tap the select multiple icon, then tap your photos in the order you want them to appear.
- Edit the slides — all together, or tap one to edit it on its own.
- Write your caption and tap Share.
From your computer
- Log in at instagram.com and click Create.
- Add several photos in the upload dialog.
- Reorder them if you need to, crop, and click Next until you reach the caption.
- Write the caption and click Share.
More on posting from a desktop, including scheduling, is in how to post on Instagram from your computer.
On a schedule — and to Bluesky as well
The Instagram app can also schedule a carousel, up to 30 days ahead, from a public account. To schedule further out, or to put the same photos on Bluesky without uploading them twice, use a cross-posting scheduler. With SOSPosting:
- Upload the photos in the composer in the order you want — Instagram and Bluesky both keep that order.
- Tick Instagram, and Bluesky if you want it there too.
- The AI writes one Instagram-style caption that both networks start from. Bluesky allows 300 characters and SOSPosting cuts anything longer when it publishes, so trim Bluesky's copy in Generate & review first.
- Publish now, or schedule it up to 60 days ahead.
Limits worth knowing before you post
- Up to 10 photos through a tool. Meta's publishing API caps a carousel at 10 items. The app allows more, so a 12-photo set has to be posted by hand or trimmed.
- Bluesky takes 4 images per post. That is a limit of the Bluesky protocol itself. SOSPosting sends Bluesky the first four, and the composer tells you before you publish.
- Keep one shape. Instagram shows every slide in the same frame, so mixing square, portrait and landscape photos gets some of them cropped.
- Photos only, for now. Instagram lets you mix videos into a carousel; carousels in SOSPosting are photo-only.
- A professional account is required for any tool to publish to Instagram — see the setup guide.
See the Bluesky and Instagram pairing for what each network turns the post into, and the Instagram and Bluesky integration pages for connecting them.
Frequently asked questions
How many photos can an Instagram carousel have?
It depends on how you post it. The Instagram app allows more photos than publishing tools can send: Meta's publishing API, which every scheduling tool uses, caps a carousel at 10 items.
Can you schedule an Instagram carousel?
Yes. The Instagram app can schedule one up to 30 days ahead from a public account. Meta Business Suite and scheduling tools can too, but they need an Instagram professional (Business or Creator) account. In SOSPosting you upload the photos in order, tick Instagram and pick a time up to 60 days ahead.
Can you post a carousel on Instagram from a computer?
Yes. On instagram.com, choose Create and add several photos in the upload dialog. You can reorder them before you share.
Can I mix photos and videos in a carousel?
Instagram itself allows it. Carousels in SOSPosting are photo-only today.