You’re reading the first post in a two-part series about uploading photos to Instagram from Windows, which goes against nature.

(If you’re on a Mac, full Instagram how-to over here, separate post.)

These posts go a little something like this:

1. How to Install Bluestacks on Windows, and how to install Instagram on Bluestacks [you are here] 
2. How to get Instagram to see your Windows file system and all photos you have saved there [to be published in 24 hours]

Let’s dig in:

1. Go to Bluestacks.com, choose + download the Windows package.

2. Double-click the .exe, Windows will be all, “are you sure,” and you’ll be all “get outta my face.” Continue.

3. Keep the defaults.

4. Let it do its thing.

5. After install, Bluestacks will start on its own, and then restart itself. You didn’t do anything wrong. Then it will start fullscreen. If that makes you uncomfortable, you can toggle that. 

6. Click “Top 25 Apps,” then scroll down until you see Instagram. Click + launch Instagram (not installed yet).

7. Now Bluestacks is “searching” for Instagram. There will be a bunch of results. Choose the first result in left-most column. (the 1mobile store, not that we care.)

8. It will download and install with no more intervention from you.

9. Click the “My Apps” icon. Look, there’s your (newly installed) Instagram! Hey girl.

10. Launch Instagram. Yay, it exists. But dang, it’s sideways.

11. But we can fix it. Click the settings icon, then “Change App Size.” Then toggle Instagram to “tablet.”

12. It’s fixed. Login.

13. Now we’re gonna change Instagram settings to look at the file system, not just use the camera. 

wait

for

it. 

Boom. there you go. Uncheck “Use Instagram’s Advanced Camera.”

Now Instagram can look for files, which is why we’re all here.

The next post will cover how to get Instagram to see your Windows file system. Stay tuned. Post goes up in 24 hours.

[If you’re looking for Windows Instagram hack instructions, start here.]

You’re reading the third post in a three-part series about uploading photos to Instagram from a Mac, which goes against nature.

This series goes a little something like this:

1. How to Install Bluestacks on a Mac and install Instagram on Bluestacks [day one]
2. How to get Instagram to see your Mac file system and photos you have saved there, method one [day two]
3. How to get Instagram to see your Mac file system and photos you have saved there, using Dropbox [you are here]

I don’t want to ruin the suspense, but this post is 99% about Dropbox, which you’ve probably already heard of AND probably already use (even if you don’t use Dropbox, you likely use an extremely similar service like Box.net or Google Drive).

But this post is about looking at Dropbox in a way maybe you haven’t considered before.

Dropbox as a way to get photos from your desktop/laptop Mac, to Instagram.

Hi Dropbox. Hey girl. Hey.

Many agencies and organizations already use Dropbox internally, and this post is for them. If you don’t already use Dropbox, I’m not here to talk you into it.
Go back to yesterday’s post about getting photos right from the Mac files system. It will suit your needs.

But you’re here. I’m here. Let’s do this.

I’m assuming you’ve already installed Dropbox on your Mac. If not, you know where to go. Dropbox.com.

I’m not going to go step-by-step about how to install an on your Mac. Plus you’re reading this because you’re already using Dropbox. 

1. Since you already have Dropbox installed on your Mac, let’s install it on Bluestacks, AKA, The Magic Fake Android on Your Mac. Go home, and click search. (You haven’t installed Bluestacks yet? Go to the beginning, then come back here.)

2. Search for “dropbox” 

3. Choose the first result, click Install.

4. Now we have another results page. (gah! we just chose something, i know). Again, click the first option in the left-hand column, from the 1mobile store.

5. Dropbox downloads and installs on its own. Let it do its thing.

6. Close this leftover window that shouldn’t be here.

7. Click home/ go to My Apps. Launch your newly-installed Dropbox app.

8. Click next. (Note: welcome screens change a lot. Don’t trip if it doesn’t look exactly like this by the time you read this tutorial.)

9. Login to your Dropbox account

10. Click next to jump out of this photo offer thingy.

11. Click skip to jump out of this photo offer thingy.

12. Dropbox is installed in your phone. Click home and then launch your Instagram app in My Apps.

13. Click the camera icon to take a picture.
 

14. Choose the Photo Gallery option. (You see where this is going.)
 

15. Well, well, well. Look what we have here, an option to use Dropbox! (Which is is linked what you have on your Mac, which lets you manage stuff on your Mac, which is the point of this post and series!).

16. Click it. Browse the file system. Look, it’s the same file system that’s on your Mac’s (Dropbox folder).

Boom. Dropbox is your boyfriend.

You’ve now abstracted the act of managing/preparing/editing photos, from the act of uploading them to Instagram.

Aaaaand scene.

[Update, December 28th, 2012. If you’re trying to get this working on a Mac, stop reading this post!. Go over to this new post. Bluestacks has been updated for the Mac.]

[Update, January 7th, 2013: New Windows instructions here.]

At this point in time, Instagram’s perceived value and rightful place in brand management’s social media arsenal is secure. I’m not gonna get into its compelling story in this post.

That said, Instagram’s current mobile-centric workflow introduces some pain points for marketers. At the time of this writing, you can interact with Instagram on the web, but only to comment, Like, and follow folks. You cannot upload/add new photos through the Instagram’s web interface.

Enter this hack.

As I tweeted this morning, you can run Instagram from a desktop computer, it just takes a little bit of (one time) set up.

The short version is that you’re running an Android emulator, Bluestacks. Though it is available for both Windows and Mac OS X, the Mac version is still in alpha, and involves more hacking. I won’t be covering Mac specifics in this post, but the basic concept applies there, too.).

[Update, December 28th, 2012. If you’re trying to get this working on a Mac, stop reading this post!. Go over to this new post. Bluestacks has been updated for the Mac.]

 Bluestacks is not the only Android emulator out there, but it’s by far the easiest one I’ve seen. Some app installs are as easy as double-clicking an icon. Unfortunately, Instagram has some system requirements that preclude it from getting installed that way. It’s not hard to install, just a little confusing if your brain isn’t already trained to think that way. (You get redirected to a web page with a link to a package… that you just have to click to install.)

By far the coolest/most immediate value of having Instagram on your desktop computer is that you can move a bunch of photos that you captured/edited outside of your phone, to Instagram.

It really works. Some folks have had trouble with this. (I’ve left North’s reblog intact- they link to somebody who had trouble.) But it’s worked for me.

If you’ve been dying to get a bunch of assets into your Instagram, I recommend checking it out.

If you wanna hear more crazy social media workarounds, you should follow me on Twitter. I’m @bluechoochoo.

And of course… tell me about any Instagram workflows you’re proud of.

northlab:

Thank you Andrea Lopez for the the tip this morning.

http://ezseonews.com/ says:

As a marketer, the built in tools are a little limited.  You can apply a filter to your image, but for better results you might like to edit the image on your PC or Mac first.  The problem then becomes how do you transfer it from your computer to Instagram. 

If you have a PC, there is a beta product that can help.  It’s an Android emulator for the PC.  You install it, then browse the Android marketplace for any apps you want to run, right there on your PC.  You can install Instagram and then directly upload photos from your PC to Instagram – at least in theory.