The short answer: Instagram is a free app for sharing photos and short videos with people you choose. Download it from your phone’s App Store or Google Play, sign up, follow your family, and tap the + button to share a photo. Protect your account with a strong password and two-step sign-in. Treat any message that asks for money or a login code as a likely scam.
Note: Instagram changes its buttons often, so the names below may look a little different on your phone.
Getting started
- Install Instagram from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android). Check that the developer is listed as Instagram before you tap Install.
- Open it and sign up with your email address or phone number, or with your Facebook account if you have one.
- Choose a username and a strong password you don’t use anywhere else.
- Find family and friends with the search (magnifying glass) button, then tap Follow.
How to share a photo
- Tap the + (Create) button.
- Choose Post, then pick a photo from your phone’s photo library.
- Tap Next. You can add a filter or just tap Next again.
- Write a caption if you like, then tap Share.
To send a photo to just one person instead of everyone, use the paper-airplane (messages) button and pick the person.
Keep your photos among family
- In your profile settings, look for Account privacy and turn on Private account. Then only people you approve can see your posts.
- Don’t post your home address, travel dates while you’re away, or photos showing your boarding pass, ID or bank cards.
- The FTC says scammers can use details posted on social media, like names, where you live and family members, to make their stories more believable (FTC).
Scams to watch for
Social media is where people lost the most money to fraud in 2025: more than $2 billion reported to the FTC (FTC, 2026). Watch for:
- Messages from a “friend” asking for money, gift cards or a code they “sent you by mistake.” Call the friend on a number you know before you do anything.
- Investment or crypto “opportunities” from new followers.
- Messages that say your account will be deleted unless you click a link. Instagram won’t ask for your password in a direct message.
If your account gets hacked
Signs include posts or messages you didn’t send, or a password that suddenly stops working. Follow the FTC’s steps (FTC):
- Use the app’s account-recovery option (“Forgot password?”) to get back in.
- Change your password and sign out of all other devices.
- Turn on two-factor authentication.
- Check that your recovery email and phone number are still yours.
- Tell your friends and family that messages from your account may have been fake.
