Best Time to Post on Social Media in 2026

Getting more reach and impressions on social media means more eyes, and ideally, more engagement on your content. One way to make this happen? Posting when your audience is most active. This is what social media pros mean when they talk about the “best time to post.”

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, though. The best time to post depends on your audience, platform, and how they interact with your content. Some social networks offer general insights, but tracking each profile’s peak times manually can be a headache.

That’s where this guide comes in. We’ll break down the best times to post on each social media network in 2026, using data from Metricool’s Social Media Studies, including our latest deep dives on LinkedIn and TikTok. You’ll also get a look at how Metricool’s “Best Times” feature works inside the planner, so you can find the right posting times for your audience. 

Best Time to Post: At A Glance 

While each user’s audience has different optimal times, having a cheat sheet for general “best times” can boost your impressions and engagement. Keep in mind this data is based off professional accounts:

• Instagram: 8:00 PM on Tuesdays and Sundays
• Facebook: 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM on Mondays and Wednesdays
• Twitter/X: 9:00 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
• TikTok: 6:00 PM on Mondays and Tuesdays
• YouTube: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM on Mondays and Tuesdays
• LinkedIn: 110:00 PM on Thursdays and Fridays

Best Time to Post on Instagram 

With Instagram’s massive user base, it can be difficult to pinpoint when your followers are more active. However, Metricool’s 2026 Instagram Study found that 06:00 to 09:00 is the sweet spot, with 8:00 PM sticking out with the most views. However, 2:00 PM is also a popular time on Instagram with many users scrolling during their lunch break.

Wednesday is the leading day to post on Instagram, while Friday and Tuesday are close behind. The worst day to post is Saturday, followed by Sunday and Thursday, according to our data. Download the full Instagram Study below to find the best times, trends, data analysis, and best practices:

Source: Metricool’s Instagram Study

Metricool offers “best times” for Instagram, calculated from specific users’ follower behaviors. This is indicated in the planner with a color-coded system, darker shades representing better times, and lighter shades representing worse times. Users can also toggle on exact percentages to analyze their best time to post.

Source: Metricool 

Best Time to Post on Facebook 

Facebook’s posting behavior is similar to Instagram, especially with cross-posting in play. The sweet spot for general posts is between 12 p.m. and 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, with Monday and Wednesday being the most active days.

But what about Facebook Reels? According to our Short-Form Video Study, the best time to post Reels is midnight on Saturday. Late-night scrollers seem to love this slot.

Metricool also shows your best Facebook posting times, marked in blue. You’ll see when your audience is online and can schedule content accordingly to boost reach.

Source: Metricool 

Best Time to Post on X (Twitter)

Metricool’s X Study looked at more than 2 million posts and found that the best time to post is 9:00 PM. Users are more active in the evening, while morning posts get less traction.

📌 Best days: Tuesday and Wednesday
🚫 Avoid: Sundays, when views tend to drop

Source: Metricool’s X Study

Download the full X study for free, filled with data, trends, and best practices to grow an account and presence on X. 

The “Best Times” for X are shown in gray in Metricool’s planner. This feature is included in Premium plans due to API access, and you can turn on exact percentages for a deeper look.

Source: Metricool 

Best Time to Post on TikTok 

TikTok thrives on high engagement and fast-moving content. Posting when your audience is active can help push your video to the For You Page. In our 2026 TikTok study, which covered more than 2 million posts from more than 92,000 accounts, we found that the best time to post is 6:00 PM through 8:00 PM.

📌 Top days: Sunday (evening), followed by Monday

🚫 Skip: Friday and Saturday, when activity drops

Source: Metricool

Best Time to Post on YouTube 

YouTube is the second-biggest platform after Facebook, with close to 2.5 billion monthly users. Timing matters here (especially with Shorts and long-form content).

According to our data:

• Overall best time for YouTube (Videos + Shorts): 4:00 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
• YouTube Shorts: 1:00 PM on Sundays, and 5 p.m. is also popular
• Long-form videos: 9:00 PM. sees the most views, with Monday and Thursday being strong posting days
• Another spike: 9:00 AM also performs well for long-form videos

Publishing at the right time on YouTube can make a big difference in views and engagement. While there’s no one-size-fits-all time slot—since activity levels shift throughout the day—Metricool helps you stay ahead by tracking when your audience is most active. You’ll get personalized data to plan and schedule your content more effectively.

Source: Metricool 

Best Time to Post on LinkedIn 

LinkedIn is where professionals go to build their presence and grow their network.

Based on Metricool’s latest LinkedIn Study that analyzed 673,658 posts from 63,108 accounts, the best time to post is during the working day, regardless of the day of the week, though the ideal window shifts depending on the day. Audience demographics and location can also play a role, so treat these as a starting point rather than a fixed rule. Here’s what the data shows for each day of the week.

• Monday: 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
• Tuesday: 11:00 AM
• Wednesday: 11:00 AM
• Thursday: 9:00 AM–12:00 PM
• Friday: 10:00 AM
• Saturday: 10:00 AM
• Sunday: 10:oo AM

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday consistently deliver the strongest results for reach and engagement. These are a good starting point, but your own audience data in Metricool will tell you what works best for your specific profile.

📌 Best days: Thursday and Friday lead the pack, with the highest number of posts and engagement on these days

🚫 Days to skip: Saturday and Sunday, when LinkedIn activity drops significantly; most users aren’t checking LinkedIn on their days off

Metricool’s Best Times to Post Feature

You’ll find the Best Times feature in the Metricool planner, available for Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn. The data is personalized to your account, based on your audience’s activity patterns.

To find it, head to the top right of the planner and look for the label “Best times.”

Source: Metricool 

From there, you can schedule and auto-publish content when your followers are most likely to be online. It’s a free feature for all Metricool users and a great way to boost reach and engagement without relying on paid ads.