The Free and Easy way to Schedule Reels and Posts on Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you looking for a free and easy way to create and schedule posts on Instagram? Then this step-by-step guide is for you! In this post, I will walk you through how to create and schedule Reels and Posts inside the Instagram app. It’s easy!

Want to skip the read and jump to the short video tutorial? Click here for the youtube video:

Note: The steps below only apply if you’re trying to schedule posts and Reels on the Instagram mobile app.

The steps below only apply if you’re trying to schedule posts and Reels on the Instagram mobile app.

If you’re looking to schedule your content in advance on a desktop browser, check out the Meta Business Suite.

The first thing to do is log in to your Professional Instagram account.

The first thing to do is log in to your professional Instagram account on your mobile app.

You must have a professional business account for this feature so if you don’t have one, In settings & Privacy, find “Account” and tap Switch to Professional Account. Pick a category that best describes your business, then select Business. You’re all set, you’ve got an Instagram business account.

In order to create a new post, tap the + icon on the bottom of your screen.

Once logged in, you can start creating a post, reel or story from your home screen by tapping the + icon on the bottom of your screen.

When you tap this button, it will bring up multiple options for creating new content: Start Creating a Post, Start Creating a Reel and Start Creating a Story.

This tutorial is about scheduling posts or reels. Just tap on one of those options to start creating.

Short on ideas Download this list of video ideas as a PDF

After creating your reel or post, but right before you post it, scroll down until you see “Advanced Settings” and tap on it

After creating your reel or post, but right before you post it, scroll down until you see “Advanced Settings” and tap on it

Tap “Schedule.”

Choose a date and time for when you want the post to go live. 

Tap Done

Tap “Done” when you finish scheduling your first post! Then, repeat these steps for any additional posts that need scheduling (or reels).

Tap the back button.

Tap the back button in the top left corner to return to the original pos

Tap Schedule to schedule the post or Reel.

Remember to enter your captions and hashtags before scheduling it!

Q + A: How can I  manage scheduled posts and Reels on Instagram?  

You can manage scheduled posts and Reels on Instagram in a few easy steps:

Tap the hamburger/pancake menu icon on your profile

Tap on Scheduled Content

Reschedule, Share now or Delete your scheduled posts by tapping the three dots next to any post you have scheduled

Q + A: What kind of account do you need to schedule your posts? 

You must have a professional account on Instagram to schedule your posts. If you have a personal profile, it’s not possible to schedule your posts.

Q + A: How many posts can I schedule in a day? 

Q: Can I schedule more than one post in a day?

A: You can schedule up to 25 posts per day, which means you could have 1-5 posts going out each hour if you wanted. Which is nuts in my opinion, but possible.

Q + A: How far in advance can I schedule posts? 

You can schedule content up to 75 days in advance. 

Q + A: Can I schedule Stories? 

If you want to schedule your Stories, then you’ll need to use the meta business suite / content planner. In that tool, you can schedule reels and posts and stories–and it’s pretty easy too!

Need content ideas, captions, and a way to organize it all? Get an easy marketing planner!

You’re probably wondering, “What if I’m not a creative person?” Well, that’s okay! The Easy marketing planner can help you come up with content ideas and captions. Then, it will help you organize your posts so they’re ready to go when the time comes!  The Easy Marketing Planner allows you to do this quickly and easily.