Step 4 of 4 in Level 2: Make your first post

Upload your own photos or video and post them

Post your own photos or a video to Instagram and TikTok from your computer: upload them to Studio, add a caption, then publish or schedule.

About 3 minutes 5 steps Updated

Short answer

To post your own photos or video from a computer with Blackbox (blackbox.plus), click Studio in the left menu, then Upload your own. Drag in up to 10 pictures, PNG or JPEG, or one video, MP4 or MOV in H.264 under 100 MB. One picture makes a post; two or more make a carousel in the order shown, which you can change with the arrows. A video always goes out on its own, and to Instagram as a Reel. Add a caption if you have one, choose the brand under Filing under, and click Create the post. The files upload one at a time and the post opens with its Caption, Check and Post steps, where you tick Instagram, TikTok or both and press Publish or Schedule. WebP and GIF are not accepted, and phone videos saved as HEVC must be re-exported as H.264 first. Nothing in an upload is generated: your pictures go out as they are.

Before you start

A brand in Studio

A post files under a brand, and that decides which accounts it can go to. See Set up your brand kit in Blackbox.

Your files

Up to 10 pictures (PNG or JPEG), or one video (MP4 or MOV, H.264, under 100 MB).

An account to post to

Instagram or TikTok connected for that brand. See Connect your Instagram account to Blackbox.

How to upload your own photos or video and post them in Blackbox

  1. 01

    Open Upload

    Click Studio in the left menu. On the New tab, click Upload your own.

  2. 02

    Add your files

    Drag them onto the box that says Drop files here, or choose them — or click it to pick them. One picture makes a post; two or more make a carousel, in the order shown — use the arrows on each file to move it earlier or later. A video goes out on its own.

  3. 03

    Add a caption and pick the brand

    Type a caption if you have one; you can also write it on the next screen. Under Filing under, choose the brand it belongs to.

  4. 04

    Create the post

    Click Create the post. Files upload one at a time, then the post opens with its three steps: Caption, Check and Post.

  5. 05

    Post it

    Open step 3, Post, tick the accounts and click Publish or Schedule. See How to schedule Instagram posts.

Good to know

  • WebP and GIF are not accepted — an animated GIF would post as a still picture. Save them as PNG or JPEG.
  • Videos must be H.264. Many phone videos are saved as HEVC; re-export them as H.264 MP4 first.
  • A video posts to Instagram as a Reel.
  • Instagram takes pictures from 4:5 (portrait) to 1.91:1 (landscape). Square works.
  • Nothing in an upload is generated: your pictures go out as they are.

Questions people ask

Can I post to Instagram from my computer with this?
Yes — that is what it is for. Upload on your computer, then publish or schedule from Blackbox, with no phone needed. It needs Instagram connected with posting allowed.
My iPhone video was refused
iPhones usually record HEVC, and Instagram and TikTok need H.264. Export it again as H.264 MP4 (most video apps have the option) and upload that.
Can I mix photos and a video in one post?
No. A post is either one video or up to 10 pictures. Send the video as its own post.
The upload stopped partway
Click Try again. Nothing before the file that stopped is lost, and it picks up where it left off.
If the Instagram account shows as read-only
Reconnect it. Open Data, reconnect Instagram, and leave posting allowed when Facebook asks. Everything you have set up stays, and your reporting keeps working the whole time.

Stuck at any step? Send us a message and we'll do it with you on a call. All of Level 2: Make your first post