LR/Instagram no longer works. Here's what to use instead.
LR/Instagram, the free Lightroom Classic plugin that published straight to Instagram, no longer works. Its own website says "currently plugin does not work", and has since at least July 2019.
Below: the evidence, why it stopped, and the ways to get photos from Lightroom onto Instagram that work today. Last checked 5 November 2026.
the plugin's site: uploads fail with an error after an Instagram change on 21 August. "We are investigating."
earliest archived copy of the current notice: "Instagram has updated their protocol and currently plugin does not work."
latest archived copy: the same notice, and the same download, version 0.6.1594.
Want the Publish button back? WedSchedulePro is a Lightroom Classic plugin: click Publish and your photos go to your queue, ready to post on the days you choose. See how it works →
Does LR/Instagram still work in 2026?
No, going by its developer. The service note quoted above is still on lrinstagram.com's latest archived copy (8 August 2026), and the download is the same version 0.6.1594 the site offered in January 2019. You can still find the zip and install it, and Lightroom will list it under Publish Services, but the developer says uploads don't go through. If yours still posts, you're the exception, and the same notice applies.
Why did LR/Instagram stop working?
The developer's answer is one line: "Instagram has updated their protocol." LR/Instagram signed in with your Instagram password: its own help section said "you need to authenticate with a password" (archived copy, 16 July 2019). Today, apps that post to Instagram for you go through Instagram's official publishing API, which works with Business and Creator accounts only (Meta's content publishing guide). Switching a personal account to Creator is a free switch in the Instagram app.
Can Lightroom Classic post to Instagram on its own?
No. Adobe's page on publishing photos online covers email, Flickr and Adobe Stock; Instagram isn't on it. The full set of ways to get from Lightroom to Instagram is in our Lightroom to Instagram guide.
What can I use instead of LR/Instagram?
| Way | Posts from Lightroom Classic without exporting? | Schedules? | You need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Export, then post on instagram.com | No: export a JPEG first | No (to schedule from a computer, use Meta Business Suite, free) | A browser. Steps and export settings |
| Sync to Lightroom mobile, share from your phone | No: syncs a copy | No | The Lightroom app and an Adobe plan with sync |
| Export, then a scheduler such as Later or Buffer | No: export, then upload | Yes | An account with the scheduler. How scheduling works |
| WedSchedulePro (a Lightroom Classic publish plugin) | Yes: click Publish in Lightroom | Yes, the queue posts on the days you choose (Solo plan and up) | A Business or Creator account. The plugin is free on every plan, Free included. Launching soon; the waitlist is open |
- Choose instagram.com if you post now and then and don't mind exporting.
- Choose Lightroom mobile if your edits already sync and you post from your phone.
- Choose a scheduler after export if you already use one for everything else.
- Choose WedSchedulePro if you want what LR/Instagram did, a Publish button in Lightroom Classic, plus a queue that posts on your days.
“I wasn't looking for LR/Instagram. I was looking for any way to post to social media straight from Lightroom, and I couldn't find a plugin that still worked. So we built one, and it grew into a whole scheduling tool.”
Is WedSchedulePro the same as LR/Instagram?
No. We're not connected with LR/Instagram or Capture Monkey, and it isn't a fork of their code. Both are Lightroom Classic publish plugins, so the workflow will feel familiar: set up a publish collection once, drag photos in, click Publish. The difference is where the photos go: ours go to your queue, which posts them through Instagram's official publishing API on the days you choose.
Sources (read 5 November 2026): lrinstagram.com via the Wayback Machine: 6 Sep 2018, 16 Jul 2019, 8 Aug 2026; Adobe, publishing photos online; Meta, content publishing; Instagram, posting from a computer.
LR/Instagram is a product of Capture Monkey. Instagram is a trademark of Meta. WedSchedulePro isn't affiliated with either.
