Now posting photos on Instagram gets easier and faster with the new iOS share extension

It’s now possible to share photos and videos directly to Instagram on iOS without having to first launch the app. Instagram version 8.2 includes an iOS extension that lets you share both photos and videos from Photos and other iOS apps directly to Instagram. The feature also lets you write a caption to accompany the photo or video, but filters and other editing features will still require launching the full app.

To enable the new Instagram share extension, update to the latest version then launch an app like Photos, tap the share button and swipe to the far right of the colored app icons then tap ‘More’. Toggle Instagram on, arrange it on the list where you’d like it placed, then tap done. Now Instagram will appear in the share sheet where sharing photos is supported. This works in Apple’s Photos app as well as other apps including Google Photos and the official Reddit app.

Third party app extensions have been possible since iOS 8 was introduced in 2014, and an official Instagram share extension has been widely requested since then. Prior to iOS 8, Apple offered integration with Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and Vimeo, but other third-party apps weren’t built in to the share sheet. Next up on the feature request list for Instagram: an official iPad app please.