Published on January 9th, 2025
When it comes to Instagram, timing is everything. In a fast-paced social media environment, posting your content at the right time can make all the difference between your post getting lost in the feed and it becoming a viral sensation.
With billions of active users worldwide, Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes fresh content, making it essential to know when your audience is most likely to engage with your posts.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll reveal the best times to post on Instagram in 2025, based on data from over 2 million posts, and provide strategies to help you boost your reach and engagement on the platform.
Why Timing Matters on Instagram
Posting on Instagram is not just about creating visually appealing content – the timing of your posts plays a critical role in how well they perform.
Instagram’s algorithm favors timely posts, meaning content shared during peak engagement times has a better chance of being seen by a larger audience.
To get the most out of your efforts, you need to understand when your followers are active and engaging with content.
How We Determined the Best Time to Post
To uncover the optimal times to post on Instagram, we analyzed over 2 million posts sent through Buffer over the last year.
The key metric we focused on was reach—not just likes or comments. Reach is a more reliable indicator of how many people see your content, especially given Instagram’s algorithmic timeline, which doesn’t show posts in chronological order anymore.
We also considered the fact that Instagram’s algorithm highly values “sends per reach,” meaning how often users share posts with others through direct messages (DMs).
With this in mind, our analysis was based on median reach per follower count to ensure the data was relevant for both new and established Instagram accounts.
The Best Time to Post on Instagram in 2025
General Findings:
- Weekdays: The ideal time to post on weekdays is around 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. These time slots consistently showed the highest reach, indicating that users are most active during the afternoon and evening.
- Weekends: On weekends, the reach drops significantly compared to weekdays. However, 6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday remains the optimal time for posting.
Here’s a quick look at the best times to post on Instagram by day of the week:
Monday to Friday:
- Best Time: 3 p.m.
- Other Good Times: 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 5 p.m. are also effective but slightly less optimal than 3 p.m.
Saturday:
- Best Time: 6 p.m.
- Other Good Times: 3 p.m. and 2 p.m. are also effective, though the reach is lower compared to weekdays.
Sunday:
- Best Time: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Avoid: Early mornings and mid-day as they show the lowest reach.
Why Are 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. the Best Times?
The peak times of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays align with when Instagram’s core audience (18-34-year-olds) is most likely to be active.
These users typically engage with content during breaks at work or after finishing their day.
For instance, many 9-to-5 workers are likely to scroll through their feed as they wind down their day or take breaks in the afternoon. The evening is also when people have more free time to engage with content.
Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram
If you’re focusing on Reels to boost your Instagram presence, between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays is the best time to post.
Reels are designed for entertainment, so users are more likely to engage with them when they have some downtime during the afternoon.
The Instagram algorithm favors Reels content because it often reaches a broader audience, including those who don’t follow you.
This makes it an excellent tool for increasing your visibility and gaining followers.
What About Instagram Stories and Feed Posts?
For Instagram Stories, the timing varies depending on the day. However, similar to general posts, the afternoon and evening hours (around 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.) tend to work well. Feed posts, on the other hand, show their best performance around 3 p.m. on weekdays.
While feed posts may not always get as much engagement as Reels, they are still crucial for maintaining an active and engaged audience, and they can generate significant reach when posted at the optimal time.
The Best Day of the Week to Post on Instagram
According to our analysis, Monday and Friday are the best days to post on Instagram. These days tend to see higher engagement and reach compared to the rest of the week.
Conversely, Sunday is the least optimal day for posting, as reach is noticeably lower. Many Instagram users tend to take a break from social media or are too busy with weekend activities to engage on Sundays.
Content Types: Reels, Carousels, or Images?
When it comes to engagement, Reels take the lead, followed by carousels and then images.
Video content tends to perform significantly better than static images or carousels, particularly when it comes to reach and engagement.
Instagram itself emphasizes Reels as the most effective format for growing your audience and reaching new users.
However, if your goal is to increase engagement (likes, comments, and shares), carousels may be more effective.
They encourage more interaction from users who want to swipe through all the slides, boosting engagement levels.
Experimenting with Your Posting Strategy
While the best times to post can provide a great starting point, the ideal time for your specific audience may vary. It’s essential to test different times, track performance, and adjust your posting schedule accordingly.
Tools like Buffer can help automate this process, allowing you to experiment with different time slots and analyze performance data to find what works best for your audience.
Conclusion: Maximize Your Instagram Reach in 2025
Knowing the best time to post on Instagram in 2025 is crucial for maximizing your content’s reach and engagement.
By posting at the right times—whether it’s 3 p.m. on a weekday or 6 p.m. on the weekend—you can ensure your content reaches the largest possible audience.
However, keep in mind that audience behavior can vary, so it’s always a good idea to test your posts at different times to discover what works best for your unique followers.
With consistent testing, data analysis, and strategic timing, you can significantly improve your Instagram performance and reach new audiences in 2025.
