Growth guide
Best time to post on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and more (2026 data)
Large 2026 studies point to weekday mornings and midday for Instagram, Threads and Facebook (Thursday at 9am tops Buffer’s studies for all three), Sunday mornings and evenings for TikTok, Sunday mornings for long-form YouTube and Friday afternoons for Shorts, and weekday afternoons for LinkedIn and X. But studies often disagree, and your own audience matters more than any average. Use these times as a starting point, then test with your analytics.
Best times by platform (2026 studies)
All times are local to the audience. Hootsuite’s figures are from its 2025 study.
| Platform | Best times found | Study |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 9am; Wednesday 12pm and 6pm. Friday and Saturday weakest | Buffer, 9.6M posts | |
| Monday to Thursday afternoons | Sprout Social, 307K profiles | |
| TikTok | Sunday 9am and Monday 1pm; Saturday best day; 6pm to 11pm strongest | Buffer, 7.1M posts |
| TikTok | Thursday 7am to 11am | Hootsuite, 1M+ posts |
| YouTube (long-form) | Sunday 10am; best days Sunday, Tuesday and Monday | Buffer, 1.8M videos |
| YouTube Shorts | Friday 4pm to 7pm | Buffer |
| Threads | Weekday mornings 6am to 11am; Thursday 9am top; Wednesday best day | Buffer, 2.5M posts |
| X | Tuesday to Thursday, 12pm to 6pm | Sprout Social |
| X | Wednesday to Friday, 9am to 11am | Hootsuite |
| Weekdays 3pm to 8pm; Wednesday 4pm top | Buffer, 4.8M posts | |
| Thursday 9am top; Wednesday best day; Saturday weakest | Buffer, 14M+ posts |
Why the studies disagree
- Different samples: brand accounts, creators, regions and industries behave differently.
- Different measures: engagement rate, reach or views.
- Averages hide your audience: if most of your followers are students in Australia, a “Thursday 9am” average from millions of other accounts may not help.
How to find your own best time
- Check your audience activity in your platform’s insights (Instagram and TikTok show when followers are most active).
- Pick two or three slots from the table that overlap with your audience’s active hours.
- Test each slot for two to three weeks with similar content.
- Compare reach or views in the first 24 hours, not likes alone.
- Keep the winner, then test again every few months: audiences change.
Does posting time still matter?
Less than it used to. Recommendation feeds show content for days, not hours, and a great video posted at a “bad” time will still find viewers. Timing helps most for content that relies on your followers (Stories, Threads, LinkedIn) and for timely content such as news and trends. Consistency and quality matter more.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to post on Instagram in 2026?
Buffer’s study of 9.6 million posts found Thursday at 9am the top slot, with Wednesday at midday and 6pm also strong; Sprout points to Monday to Thursday afternoons. Check when your own followers are online.
What is the best time to post on TikTok?
Studies disagree: Buffer found Sunday morning, Monday lunchtime and evenings strongest, with Saturday the best day; Hootsuite found Thursday mornings. Test both against your own analytics.
What day is best to post on social media?
Wednesday and Thursday come out top for Instagram, Threads, Facebook and LinkedIn in several studies, while TikTok and YouTube do well at weekends.
Does the time you post affect reach?
It helps, especially in the first hours for follower-driven formats, but recommendation feeds keep showing good content for days. Quality and consistency matter more than the exact minute.
Good to know: this guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rates and earnings are estimates, not promises, and platform rules change, so check the official pages we link to. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, X, LinkedIn and the other names mentioned are trademarks of their owners; Growth Club isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by them.