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What’s the best time to post on Instagram if you want your content to (actually) get seen?
To find out, the Hootsuite team partnered with Critical Truth to analyze over 1 million social posts to uncover the best times to post on Instagram by day, industry, and time zone.
Whether you want to grow faster, drive more engagement, or reach new audiences, these are the best times to post on Instagram in 2025 — plus insights to help you find your own perfect posting schedule.
Key Takeaways
- Getting your timing right on Instagram can make a major difference in engagement, especially if your followers are active in different time zones.
- The best time to post on Instagram by day is 3–9 PM on Mondays, 5–8 AM and 3–7 PM on Tuesdays, 5 PM on Wednesdays, 4–5 PM on Thursdays, 4 PM on Fridays, 11 AM and 5 PM on Saturdays, and 12–3 PM on Sundays.
- Morning posts perform best for industries like consumer goods, retail, marketing, and media.
- Afternoon posts work better for sectors like construction, finance, hospitality, and government.
- Your best time to post depends on your industry, audience habits, and time zone.
What is the best time to post on Instagram by day of the week?
According to Hootsuite’s 2025 social media analysis, Instagram engagement peaks during early mornings and early evenings — especially early in the week.
Here’s how engagement looks day by day, based on data from over one million posts.
Note: Unless stated otherwise, the time of day was localized across 118 countries where sample data came from, i.e. the graphs below are accurate across time zones.
Best time to post on Monday
The best time to post on Instagram on Monday is between 3 PM and 9 PM.
Engagement ramps up later in the day as people shift out of work mode and catch up on what they missed over the weekend. Avoid posting after 10 PM, when activity drops off.
Best time to post on Tuesday
The best times to post on Instagram on Tuesday are from 5 AM to 8 AM and from 3 PM to 7 PM.
A morning post can reach early risers checking their feeds before work, while an afternoon slot captures users winding down after hours.
Best time to post on Wednesday
The best time to post on Instagram on Wednesday is 5 PM.
Evenings see higher activity as people look for inspiration, motivation, or a mental break.
Best time to post on Thursday
The best time to post on Instagram on Thursday is between 4 PM and 5 PM.
Engagement builds late in the afternoon as people start wrapping up their workweek and browse for evening plans or weekend ideas.
Best time to post on Friday
The best time to post on Instagram on Friday is around 4 PM.
An evening post can catch people as they finish work, scroll during their commute, and shift into weekend mode.
Best time to post on Saturday
The best times to post on Instagram on Saturday are at 11 AM and around 5 PM.
These windows align with leisurely mornings and early-evening downtime. Avoid posting early in the morning (before 8 AM) when users are least active.
Best time to post on Sunday
The best times to post on Instagram on Sunday are between 12 PM and 3 PM. Midday posts perform well as people relax at home or recap their weekends.
Avoid early mornings (before 8 AM) and evenings after 9 PM, when users are logging off and getting ready for the week ahead.
If you’re just starting off on Instagram and don’t have a lot of past data or audience insights to work with, try posting around these peak times.
As your account grows, we recommend tweaking your posting schedule to fit your specific audience’s activity patterns. Use Hootsuite’s Best Time to Post heatmaps to learn exactly when your audience is online and most likely to engage.
Always post at the right time
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What is the best time to post on Instagram by industry?
Different industries have different rhythms — and LinkedIn engagement tends to follow them. Below, we’ve broken down the best posting windows for 10 major industries:
Construction, mining, and manufacturing
According to the most recent data, the best times to post on Instagram in the construction, mining, and manufacturing industry are:
- 3 pm to 6 pm on Tuesdays
- 2 pm to 5 pm on Wednesdays
- 4 pm to 6 pm on Thursdays
This industry tends to see stronger engagement in the late afternoon, when work slows down and people are more likely to check their phones.
Dining, hospitality, and tourism
The best time to post on Instagram in the dining, hospitality, and tourism industry is 11 am to 3 pm on Wednesdays. Monday and Tuesday lunch hours (10 am – 3 pm) also see noticeable spikes.
A lunchtime post on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday could reach people as they hunt for lunch spots or dinner reservations. It’s also a strong window to connect with travelers researching weekend getaways or saving inspiration for their next trip.
Consumer goods and retail
The best times to post on Instagram in consumer goods and retail are:
- 7 am to 11 am on Mondays
- 5 pm to 7 pm on Tuesdays
- 9 am on Thursdays
- 6 am to 10 am / 5 pm to 9 pm on Fridays
People tend to scroll while sipping their morning coffee or winding down with a little shopping fix in the evening.
Financial services
The best times to post on Instagram for financial institutions are:
- 11 am to 2 pm on Wednesdays
- 11 am to 4 pm on Fridays
A lunch post on Friday could catch people when they’re thinking about payday splurges or weekend plans.
Government
The best time to post on Instagram for government agencies and officials is from 12 pm to 3 pm on Thursdays.
A Thursday lunchtime post is the most optimal time for catching people up on news and updates.
Healthcare, pharma, and biotech
The best times to post on Instagram for organizations in the healthcare sector are:
- 1 pm to 3 pm on Mondays
- 9 am to 12 pm on Thursdays
- 8 am to 11 am on Saturdays
Midday breaks and weekend mornings give this sector the strongest engagement.
Marketing agencies
The best times to post on Instagram for marketing agencies are:
- 9 am to 11 am on Mondays
- 8 am to 10 am on Fridays
These windows catch other marketers when they’re planning campaigns or wrapping up the week.
Media and entertainment
The best times to post on Instagram in the media and entertainment industry are:
- 1 pm on Sundays
- 7 am to 8 am on Tuesdays
- 5 pm on Wednesdays
- 2 pm to 4 pm on Fridays
Engagement spikes when people have downtime (think: morning commutes, after-work scrolls, and lazy weekend afternoons).
Nonprofit
The best times to post on Instagram in the nonprofit sector are:
- 10 am to 1 pm on Wednesdays
- 2 pm to 5 pm on Thursdays
Midweek posts perform best as people take a break and connect with causes they care about.
Utilities and energy
The best times to post on Instagram in the utilities and energy industry are:
- 2 PM – 5 PM on Tuesdays
- 1 PM – 3 PM on Thursdays
Engagement peaks in the afternoon when people are catching up on industry news and updates.
What is the best time to post on Instagram by time zone?
Arabia Standard Time
The best time to post on Instagram in Arabia Standard Time is from 2 pm to 4 pm on Thursdays.
Atlantic Standard Time
The best time to post on Instagram in AST is from 7 am to 10 am on Thursdays.
Central European Time
The best times to post on Instagram in CET are:
- 7 pm to 8 pm on Mondays
- 4 pm to 6 pm on Thursdays
Central Standard Time
The best times to post on Instagram in CST are:
- 11 am on Wednesdays
- 8 am to 12 pm on Saturdays
Eastern Standard Time
The best time to post on Instagram in EST is 11 am on Saturday.
Mountain Standard Time
The best time to post on Instagram in MST is 9 am on Saturdays.
Pacific Standard Time
The best time to post on Instagram in PST is also 9 am on Saturday.
Coordinated Universal Time
The best times to post on Instagram in UTC are:
- 2 pm to 7 pm on Mondays
- 4 pm to 7 pm on Tuesdays
- 11 am to 4 pm on Thursdays
What factors influence the best time to post on Instagram?
The best time to post on Instagram depends on more than your content or posting schedule. It’s shaped by your audience, your industry, and even how Instagram’s algorithm surfaces your content.
Here’s how those figures play out:
Your audience’s routines and habits
Every audience scrolls differently. The trick is figuring out when your followers are most likely to have their thumbs on the screen.
For example, an online sneaker shop might catch late-night scrollers unwinding after work, while a wellness coach could see early-morning spikes as followers check Instagram before heading to the gym.
You really can’t know when your audience is most active on Instagram without looking into your data. Only then will you see what your specific audience tends to do (and not do) online.
Pro tip 💡: Social listening is one of the best ways to understand your audience.
The built-in Instagram Insights tool will give you some data about when your audience is most online.
Or, you can take advantage of the best time to post on Instagram suggestions and heat maps built into the Hootsuite platform.
As you read through your data, keep an eye on the following:
- Age groups: Younger audiences, like teenagers and young adults, tend to be online late at night and on weekends. Older users might check Instagram early in the morning or during lunch breaks.
- Work schedules: For working professionals, posting during commute times (early morning and late afternoon) or lunch breaks can get you the most engagement.
- Daily routines: Think about what your audience does each day. Fitness fans might check Instagram around their workout times, while parents might be more active during school hours.
The more you know about your audience’s habits, the better equipped you’ll be to reach them when they are most likely to interact with you. And interactions = results (well, most of the time, anyways).
Pro tip 💡: Use Hootsuite Analytics to learn about your audience’s habits and tailor your posting schedule to fit their routines.
Your industry
Your industry influences when your audience is actually online — and, by extension, the best times to post on Instagram.
If you’re targeting healthcare professionals, for example, you might see an influx of activity late at night, or super early in the morning. Meanwhile, knowledge workers tend to scroll before and after work, with a quick midday check-in around lunch.
Knowing those rhythms can help you post when your content fits naturally into their day.
To go deeper, use Hootsuite’s Industry Benchmarking tool to compare your posting times and engagement against others in your sector. You can also see what your competitors’ audience is doing (remember, they might be your audience one day, too).
Use this data to paint a picture of your ideal audience, and begin to learn how to target and engage them with your posting times.
Pro tip 💡: New to competitor research? Check out our competitor analysis template and guide to dig deep into industry data, trends, and tips.
Time zones
Instagram moves fast — and timing is everything. Posting when your audience is asleep means your content could get buried before they log on.
If your followers span multiple regions, plan posts that straddle time zones. For example, posting at 6 a.m. PST (9 a.m. EST) captures both coasts at once, while 9 p.m. PST (9 a.m. in India) can reach international audiences. You get the drift.
Similarly, posting once in the morning for your North American audience, and again in the late evening for your overseas audience, can help open your content up to a more globalized audience.
As always, don’t go about this uninformed. Use your data as a guide to see when your audience is most online, and most engaged.
Instagram algorithm changes
Algorithm changes are the bane of every social media manager’s existence. One day you’re ranking high, and the next you might as well be invisible.
We get it.
But, keeping up with Instagram’s algorithm is key when figuring out the best times to post.
Here’s what the Instagram algorithm is prioritizing right now:
- Early interactions: Instagram’s algorithm loves posts that get lots of likes, comments, shares, and saves right after being posted. So, posting when your audience is most active can help boost your content.
- Relevancy: Instagram decides how relevant each piece of content is by analyzing its fit with trending topics and its timeliness. Posting at peak times ensures that your content is fresh and more likely to appear in their feeds.
- Content type: The algorithm also takes into account the type of content users interact with the most. If your audience prefers videos or Stories, posting these types at optimal times can help your content stand out.
Always stay updated with Instagram’s changes and adjust your strategy accordingly to keep your posts visible.
Current events
Even the best posting schedule can get thrown off by real life. Big events — whether they’re global, local, or industry-specific — can shift when your audience is online.
A holiday weekend might mean lower engagement during travel days. A major news story or local power outage could change when your followers are scrolling (or if they’re scrolling at all).
You may also find that a social media crisis, whether related to your brand or industry, or not, can affect how and when your posts are seen.
Holidays, school schedules, and political events can all influence the way people act online, so be on the lookout for any changes in engagement, and adjust your posting times accordingly.
How can I find my unique best time to post on Instagram?
Finding your unique best time to post on Instagram is easier than ever with Hootsuite. Here are two ways to do it:
Best Time to Publish
Hootsuite’s Best Time to Publish feature takes the guesswork out of scheduling your posts. It analyzes your past performance and audience engagement patterns to recommend the optimal times for your content.
Here’s how to use it in your dashboard:
Navigate to your Hootsuite dashboard and go to Analytics.
From the left menu, choose Best Time to Publish.
Choose the Instagram account you want to see Best Time to Post data on from the dropdown menu.
Here, you’ll see customized heatmaps that dig into your audience’s Instagram habits, plus recommendations on the best days and times to post.
Hootsuite provides specific time slots where your posts are likely to get the most engagement. These insights are based on your unique audience data, ensuring personalized advice.
You can also filter the data by your specific goals, whether it’s for reach, awareness, or engagement. This allows you to tailor the recommendations to what matters most for your Instagram strategy.
Recommended Times in Composer
When you’re ready to create a post, Recommended Times in Composer lets you find out when is the best time to post on Instagram directly in your drafted post.
Here’s how it works:
Start by crafting your Instagram post in the Composer. Add your image, caption, hashtags, and any other elements.
As you’re composing your post, choose Schedule for later in the bottom right corner. Then, select the date and time you’d like your post to go live.
Here, Hootsuite suggests the best times to publish right within the Composer. These suggestions are tailored based on your audience’s activity patterns and your previous post performance.
Choose one of the recommended times, or select a custom time that fits your strategy. With Hootsuite’s data-driven recommendations, you can be confident that you’re posting when your audience is most active.
Save time managing your social media presence with Hootsuite. Publish and schedule posts, find relevant conversions, engage your audience, measure results, and more — all from one dashboard. Try it free today.
FAQ: Best time to post on Instagram
Does posting time matter if we’re investing in paid promotion?
Yes. Paid campaigns perform better when timed around high engagement windows. Posting when your audience is most active helps boost performance and stretch your budget.
Our audience spans multiple regions and time zones. How do we decide when to post on Instagram?
Start by mapping your audience by region and time zone. Then, look for overlapping windows that target multiple key markets at once. Hootsuite’s Best Time to Publish and Recommended Times in Composer tools make it easy to spot when your followers are most active and schedule posts accordingly (no manual math required).
How can we prove that timing actually impacts results?
Look past surface metrics and focus on engagement rate, reach, and conversions. If you see steady lifts during certain time windows, that’s your cue that timing is helping your content travel further.
How often should we revisit our posting schedule?
It’s smart to review your posting schedule once or twice a year—or whenever something major changes (e.g., a new Instagram algorithm update or a bigger campaign push).
What’s the best day of the week to post on Instagram?
The best days to post on Instagram are Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, according to Hootsuite’s 2025 social media analysis.
What time is the worst time to post on Instagram?
The least effective times are typically early mornings (before 8 AM) and late nights (after 10 PM).
Get personalized recommendations for the best time to post on every network and manage your Instagram presence alongside other social channels with Hootsuite. From a single dashboard, you can schedule and publish posts, engage the audience, and measure performance. Try it free today.
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