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What’s the Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram? The Basics
Discover the best time to post Reels on Instagram in 2025, including data-backed tips for Australia, India, weekends, and daily strategies. Boost engagement with our analytics-driven guide.
Do you like playing Instagram? Do you like posting Reels on it? Do you know that posting Reels at the wrong time may result in even great content not being recommended by the algorithm, so your fans and other users will not see it? Instagram's algorithm mechanism will prioritize Reels over static pictures or text-only posts in 2025, so choosing the right time to post is very important. But there is a problem: the audience on Instagram is global, they span time zones, occupations, and lifestyles, so when is the best time to post Reels on Instagram? Post too early, and your Reels will be ignored by users who are in a hurry. Post too late, and your Reels will be ignored by some users who go to bed early.
In addition, a study by 2024 later found that Reels posted during peak hours receive 3 times more engagement than Reels uploaded during non-peak hours. However, at least 62% of creators still consider their posting time. But if you consider it for a long time, it may lead to missing the best time to post, thus wasting your carefully crafted Reels.
It's okay! This article will give you some relevant directions. You’ll learn the best times to post Reels on Instagram today, tailored specifically for regions like Australia and India, and weekend-specific strategies. Check it out!
Why Posting Time On Instagram Matters?
Why is it so important to know when to upload Instagram Reels? There are generally several reasons:
Increase initial user engagement and gain exposure to more traffic
Instagram's algorithm is highly dependent oninitial user engagement. That is, the speed at which your Reels get likes, shares, and comments after they are published. Because the algorithm will prioritize content with a high interaction rhythm, if your Reels performs well in the first few minutes or hours of release, it will be pushed into a larger traffic pool later, so it is more likely to be promoted to more users. Therefore, if you choose a suitable release time, it can help you capture the earliest wave of traffic, so that your content will be recommended more.
Data Insight: A viral reel that reaches 1,000 views in the first hour is likely to perform 5x better than a regular video (Social Media Today, 2024).
Tip: You can take time to survey your fans to see when they are active, and to maximize exposure, try to release it within the first hour of the peak fan activity period!
Keep in line with the activity habits of users and fans
The approximate times that most users check Instagram are as follows:
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Lunch break (12 pm to 2 pm)
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Commuting time (8-9 am and 5-7 pm)
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Nighttime relaxation (9 pm to 11 pm)
Users' Instagram habits and their daily activities will also affect the best time to post. For example, posting during lunch breaks or around 10 or 11 p.m., because people have more free time to rest and check their phones, can increase the possibility of exposure to your content. The active hours of different occupational groups vary greatly. For example, students prefer late night (12 AM-2 AM), while office workers concentrate on commuting in the morning and evening.
In short, uploading your work when your audience is most active can maximize the chances of your work being exposed to them.
Get more traffic in the traffic pool
Instagram is a platform full of fierce competition. It has over 2.4 billion monthly users. There are so many users, and everyone wants a piece of the traffic pool. By posting content during the best upload time for Instagram Reels, you can increase your chances of standing out in the sea of shared content. If you post during non-peak hours, your Reels may receive less attention, reducing the possibility of exposure and popularity.
Adapt to different time zones for fans
If your users are distributed in different regions and time zones, I think you must understand the release time of their local content and their free time. Because the time difference is the most likely factor for you to miss exposure opportunities, so, try to figure out the time zone of your fans as much as possible. If you have fans in India and the United States, you can try to release different reels in periods suitable for these two regions to see how it works.
The Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram
Because people's schedules and living hours are different in each region and time zone, but the principle you need to adhere to is to choose times when most users tend to check their phones, read posts, and watch videos during their rest time.
Click on the image to learn about the Best Time to Post Reels on Instagram!👇
https://wegic.ai/blog
Image by TechJury
Weekdays (9 am-12 pm)
The mornings on weekdays are usually the best time to post. Whether they are drinking coffee or taking the subway to work. Generally, this time allows you to establish more connections with a wider audience. People usually check Instagram updates during the morning and afternoon commutes before continuing to work.
Weekends (10 am-1 pm)
The time period for posting works on weekends is not so fixed. Because on Saturdays and Sundays, people are usually more relaxed, so the time to check Instagram is more abundant and random. Maybe some people are on social media all day, so they also have more time to interact with content. You can choose to post reels near noon or in the afternoon, or even in the evening.
Late afternoon (4 pm-6 pm)
This time period is perfect for users who have just finished a long work or a long study, and they want to relax by browsing Instagram. So this is also a good time to post reels.
Global average (based on 2024 Hootsuite data)
The best time to post in most parts of the world is 11 am to 2 pm local time (lunch break and commuting time).
Not a good time to post: 12 am to 6 am, most people are asleep during this time, and only a few people will be looking at their phones, so try not to post content at this time.
Reference Segments and Markets
Fitness: 5 am to 7 am (morning motivation).
Entertainment: 8 pm to 10 pm (especially Friday nights).
Specific time arrangements for some popular areas (for reference)
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Best time to post Instagram Reels in Australia
Weekdays: 7 pm to 9 pm AEST (after off-work chill time).
Weekends: 9 am to 11 am AEST (weekend morning routine).
Time to avoid: 2 pm to 4 pm (work time).
Stats: According to SocialPilot, Reels posted at 8 pm AEST are shared 27% more.
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Best time to post Instagram Reels on Saturdays in India
Golden time: 7 pm to 10 pm IST, as this is when they are generally resting and socializing.
Minor time: 10 am to 12 pm IST, when they are out and about and may not have as much time to spend on leisure and entertainment.
Tip: You can use Instagram Insights to explore changes in holiday habits in different regions, as this also takes up their rest time, affecting your posting time and frequency.
How to determine the best time to post Reels on Instagram?
Instagram Insights
It’s difficult to determine the best time to post Reels on Instagram. Of course, we can’t rely on our own data alone. We also need external forces, such as using Instagram’s built-in analysis tool: Instagram Insights. It is one of the most effective tools for determining the best time to post Reels on Instagram, so be sure to try it if possible!
Here’s how to use it:
Prepare a professional account: First, you need a business account or creator account to access Instagram Insights.
Go to Insights: Under your profile, click the “Insights” button.
View audience activity: Find information about when your fans are most active. This information is usually presented in the form of a chart, and you can view their activity by hour or day.
Learning requires a lot of practice: After determining the peak traffic hours, you can try posting Reels at different times to see which time is the best for your content type.
Image by Bazaarvoice
Later
If you’re a creator who manages multiple accounts, Later is a tool for you.
How it works: It syncs data from Instagram to analyze your Reels with the best results. It also automatically generates a “best time to post” calendar based on past user interactions with this post. It also supports bulk scheduling through a drag-and-drop interface.
Pro tip: Enable “golden time” mode to automatically post Reels within 3 hours when your audience is most active.
Price: Starting at $25/month (supports up to 3 social accounts).
Sprout Social
If you are a brand, have your own brand account and you need competitor analysis, then Sprout Social is a good choice for you.
Unique features:
Analyze competitor posting times: Sprout Social will compare the peak time of your Reels interaction with competing accounts.
Analyze user sentiment: Sprout Social will track whether positive/negative comments on your Reels surge during specific times.
Sync to other platforms: Sprout Social can set the publishing time of Instagram Reels to align with the time of Facebook or TikTok.
Here is a further dimension comparison of the three tools：
| Tool | Cost | Key Features | Suitable For |
| Later | $25/month | Automatically generates optimal posting times | Managers of multiple accounts |
| Sprout Social | $99/month | Competitor + comparison sentiment analysis | Brand marketing teams |
| Hootsuite | $49/month | Batch posting across multiple time zones | International businesses |
Use Instagram’s “best time to post” feature
This may not be suitable for everyone, it’s best if you have a business/creator account with 1,000+ followers.
Create content in batches as much as possible and schedule it reasonably
You can use Canva or CapCut to prepare as many Reels as possible in advance, and then you can also distribute them according to different times to test which period is the most effective.
Align with the living habits of people in different regions
For example: posting during a cricket match at 7 pm (IST) can increase the engagement of Indian audiences by 40%.
Reuse the best-performing Reels
For example, you can re-post reels that had good traffic before at a time when traffic is not peak, so as to earn a new wave of traffic and expand exposure again.
Conclusion: Seize the moment and start engaging at any time
The best time to post Reels on Instagram is backed by facts and data. Whether it’s Australia or India, your time should be consistent with the time of the region you are posting in. If you have the opportunity, you can also use Instagram’s native tools to improve your posting strategy.
Ready to return after reading the above? Start analyzing your Instagram Insights now to see how your Reels traffic is growing. The results will definitely exceed your expectations.
FAQs: Your Reels Timing Questions Answered
What’s the best time to post Reels on Instagram today?
A: Check Instagram Insights’ “Active Now” badge or aim for 11 AM – 2 PM local time.
Does posting late at night hurt reach?
A: Yes—most users sleep! Exceptions: Niche audiences like gamers or night-shift workers.
How do I manage multiple time zones?
A: Use tools like Buffer to auto-publish at ideal times for each region.
At what time should I post reels on Instagram?
Morning Time: Between 7 AM to 9 AM is considered one of the best periods to upload reels because users usually check Instagram first thing in the morning. Late Evening: From 7 PM to 10 PM is another ideal time, as people are more likely to be unwinding and scrolling through their feeds.
Written by
Kimmy
Published on
Apr 15, 2025
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