Why can’t I post more than 10 photos on Instagram? 

You have clicked so many photos, and all are damn good, and you want to post all of them on Instagram, but wait, Instagram is not allowing you to select more than ten photos!. This feels depressing, right? But, you have often seen people posting eleven, fifteen, and sometimes even twenty photos, and wonder why can’t I post more than 10 photos on Instagram?

We can understand your pain, which is why we have brought this blog for you. In this blog, we have listed ten reasons why you cannot post more than ten photos. Let’s go one by one. Just posting photos is not enough for social media now; you need to be regular and post according to the current trends and events. But easier said than done, handling everything on your own can be stressful. You should definitely try out our smart tool for free.

11 reasons why you are unable to post more than 10 photos on Instagram.

Instagram has not mentioned this in its help articles. Still, it has announced via Threads that users can now post up to twenty photos. Many people are posting twenty photos, and you can also do the same easily.

Since August 2024, Instagram has increased the limit to twenty photos. Many people say the limit was increased as its competitors have also done so. Whatever might be the case, it’s a win for users like us.

And we should take the maximum advantage of this.

Here are the top 11 most probable reasons why you are unable to post more than twenty photos.

But before going through all the reasons, let us make sure of two important things

1. Your device is updated to its latest version of OS.
2. After uploading photos on Instagram, you give it some time before moving to another action.

1. You are using the Instagram Lite app

1. Many of us have storage problems along with low data problems. To tackle all these issues, Instagram launched Instagram Lite. Instagram Lite just uses 2 MB – 5MB of storage and can run easily on slow networks.

2. But, because of this, it has some limitations like fewer filters, effects, and editing power. You cannot go live on Instagram Lite. Also, while uploading photos, Instagram Lite does not allow you to post more than ten photos.

So, if you are using Instagram Lite, try switching to the Instagram App and then upload photos.

2. You are uploading pictures from the Desktop

1. Instagram is designed to run on Mobile devices. Users can use it on desktops, but the desktop version is best for browsing, light postings, and checking notifications, DMs, etc.

2. Some clients are only able to post a single photo via Desktop. In some cases, only five images can be posted via the desktop version.

If you are posting using a desktop, switch to the original version of Instagram on mobile devices.

3. You are not selecting the “Select Multiple” option while posting

Instagram is a user-friendly app without strict rules for posting. You can easily select multiple photos and upload them at once. However, at times, we’ve noticed that only a single photo gets posted, even after selecting multiple images.

So, make sure to choose that “select multiple” option while posting on Instagram.

Here is how you can upload multiple photos

• Click “ in the middle of your home screen or tap the “” icon in the uppermost right corner

• Then you can click on “Post”
• Click on the symbol “”

• After that, you can select multiple photos or videos and click on “Next”

Note

Always remember to upload the media in the highest quality.

• Open your Instagram and click on your profile picture at the bottom right.
• Now, click on the three vertical bars in the rightmost upper corner (hamburger icon)

• Go to “Data usage and media quality.”
• Turn off “Data Saver”.
• And turn on “Upload at the highest quality.”

4. You are uploading the file. Which has some issues

1. If you are selecting files and they are not getting uploaded, there can be some issues with the files you are uploading.

• The file is corrupted.
• The file is not in the correct format.
• Instagram supports file formats like “PNG”, JPEG, JPG, BMP, etc. We recommend using formats like JPEG or PNG.
• The size is too small or too large. The file size should be between 8 MB and 30MB. The photo’s aspect ratio is between 1.91:1 and 3:4.

If you are uploading a photo in the wrong size, Instagram may crop the photo to make it fit into the recommended size. 

5. Glitches happen on Instagram

1. Sometimes, Instagram functions oddly; it mostly happens due to issues like

• Server Overload
• Technical Glitches & Bugs
• Server Maintenance / Upgrades
• Network Issues (CDN Failures)
• Integration Issues with Meta (Facebook), etc.

2. We all remember the infamous Instagram outage that happened in 2021 (On October 4, 2021, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger all went offline for about 6–7 hours worldwide. It was one of the biggest outages in social media history.)

So, if you have been facing problems while uploading photos, then this might be the issue.

Note

• You can check online if others are facing the same issue or not. Go to Reddit, X ( Twitter), Downdetector, Is It Down Right Now? Website Down or Not?, etc., to know the current status.
• And if you find that Instagram is down, you should wait for 30 minutes to 60 minutes before uploading.

 6. You are facing some internet issues

1. When you have a poor internet connection, your device cannot send the content to Instagram servers, and Instagram servers cannot do the transfers.
2. It can happen that you are able to scroll through the content on Instagram, but are unable to upload content.
3. You can check your WIFI connection, switch to a cellular connection, or restart your device to regain connection.

7. Your device is getting hung.

1. If you are performing multiple tasks, or multiple apps are running in your background, or due to the phone’s software or storage shortage, or any other reason, your phone can get hung.
2. Instagram needs a free passage way to operate, and due to the phone’s hanging, it might not be able to upload your photos.
3. You can pause any unnecessary apps running in the background, delete unused apps, and restart your device to give Instagram some free space to operate smoothly.

Note:

1. It is also important that you clear your app’s cache from time to time to prevent blockage.

8. You have not given Instagram permission for the camera, photos, and videos.

1. Instagram needs permissions like camera, photo, and video before uploading. Without it, it cannot pick or upload photos.
2. Instagram is not an in-built app. The camera and gallery are sensitive touchpoints in anyone’s device. Therefore, Instagram asks for permission while getting installed.
3. If you had not enabled the permission, you can do that by going to the “app settings”. Also, before uploading to Instagram, it would ask you for permission (if you had not given it earlier).

9. The Login token of Instagram has expired.

1. When you log in to any app, a token is created. But sometimes this token can get broken due to any of the following reasons:

• If the Instagram cache is cleared again and again
• If you are using Instagram from different devices.
• If Instagram suspects any dubious activity.

3. If the token has expired, Instagram may not authenticate your actions, and the upload can fail.

4. You can log out of Instagram and log in again using your ID and password, and you can also restart your device. This will help Instagram in authenticating your account.

10. Your Instagram app is outdated.

1. If you are using an older version of Instagram, then the new features will not be available in your app.
2. Outdated apps cannot communicate properly with the servers and also have bugs.
3. So, you can update your app to the latest version available and then try uploading photos.

11. Instagram has not pulled in the update in your region

1. Although many people are able to upload 20 photos, this feature might not have been rolled out in your region.

• Instagram, like  Google, rolls out all its updates phase by phase, and your turn might not have come by now.
• You have to be patient rather than thinking again and again about why can’t I post more than 10 photos on Instagram,  wait till the update is available in your area.

What to do if nothing works?

When you have already tried all the tricks and you still cannot post multiple photos, but other people in your region are doing it, then try contacting the Instagram Help Center.

• Open your Instagram, then click on your profile picture at the bottom right. 
• Now, click on the three vertical bars in the rightmost upper corner (hamburger icon)

• Then click on “settings”
• Scroll down and reach “Help”

• Go to “Report a Problem”
• Go to “Report a technical problem”
• Click on “Include and Continue”

• Then type your problem in the box.

Instagram would look into the problem and help you out.

Why should you add multiple photos to your Instagram post or story?

One photo cannot convey it all. Multiple images will do the job. Here are some reasons why you should post multiple photos.

1. People want to know more.

On social media, people want to know more about others’ lives, get more ideas about their surroundings, their work, and them. So posting more photos gives them a good chance to explore more

2. Multiple photos keep users hooked for a long time

Yes, when you give people more, they will spend more time on your posts. The audience will look at every photo and get a whole glimpse of the topic. Instagram analytics would register more time spent by the audience on your post.

3. Can emphasize details also

Suppose you are an ice-cream parlour, you want to show all your flavours, ingredients used, pricing, delivery options, offers, etc, then multiple photos give ample space for expressing all the details.

4. If you can’t make reels, multiple photos say it all.

In these busy times, you are somehow unable to make reels; there should be no tension, as multiple photos will convey the story. Just try to post the photos in a good order to improve storytelling. Do not forget to add music.

5. Help in inciting interest from the audience.

As we discussed earlier, multiple photos would hold the audience for a longer time, and this will help boost the engagement. For every photo, the audience can comment or share their reaction.

6. Gives more room for experimentation

• You can combine 20 photos and videos and post
• You can tell a story, users swipe and see the next photo to get the story
• You can conduct polls
• You can share multiple tips and tricks
• You can share Before and After pictures or videos
• You can do “Swipe to Reveal”
• You can share Mini Infographics or Stats. Etc.

There is a lot you can do by posting multiple photos.

Key Takeaways

It is really frustrating when one can’t upload more than 10 images. But rather than thinking Why can’t I post more than 10 photos on Instagram, you now have 11 effective solutions. You need to keep calm and go one by one, and surely you will also be able to post more than 10 images.