Late Saturday night, 11 PM to 1 AM Eastern, was the strongest window on Instagram (+39%) and X (+45%) and one of the two best on TikTok and YouTube. Sunday was the best day on all four platforms, and noon, the busiest hour everywhere, ran below average everywhere. Here are the best and worst times for every platform, day and content category.
We took every public post on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X in Socialpruf's Discover database from the last three months, 2.93 million posts from 19,510 accounts, and asked one question of each: did it do better or worse than that account's typical post? Then we grouped the answers by the hour they were published. Because every post is measured against its own account, a creator with 5,000 followers counts the same as a global brand, and the result is a set of times any account can test.
Key findings
- Late Saturday night is the strongest window on social media. Posts published Saturday 11 PM – 1 AM ET beat their account's normal by 39% on Instagram and 45% on X, and it was one of the two best windows on TikTok (+18%) and YouTube (+19%).
- Sunday is the best day to post on all four platforms (+6% to +8% against an average day). Friday is the weakest on Instagram (−4%) and YouTube (−5%), Thursday on TikTok (−3%).
- The busiest hour is never the best. Noon ET is the most crowded hour on every platform, with 7–9% of all posts, and it runs 2–6% below normal. The strongest hours, 11 PM and midnight, carry only 2–3% of posts.
- 58–62% of posts go out between 9 AM and 6 PM ET, the hours with the weakest results on every platform.
- What you post about moves your best time. American football peaks late Saturday on Instagram (+47%) and X (+69%) and Sunday evening on YouTube (+42%); fashion peaks on Sunday evening on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube; gaming and tech peak on weekday afternoons.
Dataset: 2,930,159 posts · 19,510 accounts · Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X · posts published July 28 – October 23, 2026 · all times Eastern (ET) · each post compared with its own account's typical post
The best times to post on social media in 2026
| Platform | Best time (ET) | Best day | Worst time (ET) | Busiest hour | Posts | Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 11 PM – 1 AM (+39%) | Sunday (+8%) | Friday, 12 – 2 PM (−9%) | 12 PM (−3%) | 1,005,634 | 8,545 | |
| TikTok | Saturday, 12 – 2 AM (+22%) | Sunday (+6%) | Tuesday, 3 – 5 AM (−11%) | 12 PM (−2%) | 506,111 | 5,580 |
| YouTube | Sunday, 8 – 10 PM (+25%) | Sunday (+8%) | Tuesday, 3 – 5 AM (−13%) | 12 PM (−3%) | 368,858 | 3,567 |
| X (Twitter) | Saturday, 11 PM – 1 AM (+45%) | Sunday (+8%) | Friday, 12 – 2 PM (−11%) | 12 PM (−6%) | 1,049,556 | 1,818 |
Read every figure as "compared with that account's typical post". +39% means Instagram posts published in that window earned 39% more engagement than the same accounts usually do. Engagement is likes, comments, shares and saves. TikTok's "Saturday, 12 – 2 AM" is the small hours of Saturday, straight after Friday night; its Saturday 11 PM – 1 AM window was a close second (+18%).
The weekend beats the working week
InstagramBest day: Sun- Mon+1%
- Tue−1%
- Wed−2%
- Thu−3%
- Fri−4%
- Sat+5%
- Sun+8%
TikTokBest day: Sun- Mon±0%
- Tue−2%
- Wed−1%
- Thu−3%
- Fri−2%
- Sat+4%
- Sun+6%
YouTubeBest day: Sun- Mon+2%
- Tue−1%
- Wed−2%
- Thu−3%
- Fri−5%
- Sat+3%
- Sun+8%
X (Twitter)Best day: Sun- Mon+7%
- Tue−5%
- Wed−4%
- Thu−5%
- Fri−5%
- Sat+7%
- Sun+8%
| Day | TikTok | YouTube | X (Twitter) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | +1% | ±0% | +2% | +7% |
| Tuesday | −1% | −2% | −1% | −5% |
| Wednesday | −2% | −1% | −2% | −4% |
| Thursday | −3% | −3% | −3% | −5% |
| Friday | −4% | −2% | −5% | −5% |
| Saturday | +5% | +4% | +3% | +7% |
| Sunday | +8% | +6% | +8% | +8% |
Sunday is the best day to post everywhere, and Saturday is second on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Results slide through the week, from Monday to a low on Thursday or Friday. X has the widest swing: Monday is as strong as Saturday (+7%), and every day from Tuesday to Friday sits at −4% or −5%.
The busiest hours are the weakest
Instagram: when posts go out vs. how they doShare of all posts published
Engagement vs usual
| Platform | Busiest hour | Share of posts | Engagement | Strongest hour | Share of posts | Engagement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 PM | 8.6% | −3% | 11 PM | 2.3% | +20% | |
| TikTok | 12 PM | 7.9% | −2% | 12 AM | 1.9% | +14% |
| YouTube | 12 PM | 8.2% | −3% | 11 PM | 2.7% | +13% |
| X (Twitter) | 12 PM | 7.2% | −6% | 11 PM | 3.2% | +23% |
Most accounts post when they're at work, not when their audience is free. Noon ET is the single busiest hour on every platform, and 58–62% of all posts go out between 9 AM and 6 PM ET. Those are the hours with the weakest results. Feeds are ranked, and every post competes with everything published around it, so a crowded hour is a harder place to stand out. The late evening has a fraction of the posts and an audience with time to watch, comment and share.
Best time to post on each day of the week
| Day | TikTok | YouTube | X (Twitter) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 12 – 2 AM (+13%) | 1 – 3 AM (+13%) | 12 – 2 AM (+9%) | 10 PM – 12 AM (+17%) |
| Tuesday | 10 PM – 12 AM (+8%) | 11 PM – 1 AM (+9%) | 10 PM – 12 AM (+7%) | 7 – 9 AM (+8%) |
| Wednesday | 11 PM – 1 AM (+15%) | 1 – 3 AM (+12%) | 11 PM – 1 AM (+14%) | 10 PM – 12 AM (+13%) |
| Thursday | 11 PM – 1 AM (+17%) | 11 PM – 1 AM (+15%) | 10 PM – 12 AM (+14%) | 11 PM – 1 AM (+18%) |
| Friday | 11 PM – 1 AM (+20%) | 11 PM – 1 AM (+22%) | 10 PM – 12 AM (+8%) | 11 PM – 1 AM (+21%) |
| Saturday | 11 PM – 1 AM (+39%) | 12 – 2 AM (+22%) | 11 PM – 1 AM (+19%) | 11 PM – 1 AM (+45%) |
| Sunday | 12 – 2 AM (+32%) | 12 – 2 AM (+18%) | 8 – 10 PM (+25%) | 12 – 2 AM (+28%) |
All times ET. A window that starts at 11 PM runs past midnight into the next day.
On almost every day, the best window falls between 10 PM and 3 AM ET. The exceptions: X on Tuesday, where the morning (7 – 9 AM) wins, and YouTube on Sunday, where 8 – 10 PM is the best window of the whole week.
Best time to post on Instagram
Instagram engagement by day and hour (ET)Best: Saturday, 11 PM–1 AM · +39%| Day | 12am | 1 AM | 2 AM | 3am | 4 AM | 5 AM | 6am | 7 AM | 8 AM | 9am | 10 AM | 11 AM | 12pm | 1 PM | 2 PM | 3pm | 4 PM | 5 PM | 6pm | 7 PM | 8 PM | 9pm | 10 PM | 11 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | +21% | +3% | +4% | +7% | +6% | +3% | +5% | +5% | +4% | +3% | −1% | +3% | ±0% | −4% | ±0% | −3% | −6% | −2% | −4% | +1% | +1% | +9% | +12% | +13% |
| Tuesday | +10% | +4% | +1% | −2% | +1% | +2% | ±0% | +7% | +5% | +2% | ±0% | −4% | −4% | −6% | −2% | −3% | −4% | −3% | −6% | +1% | +1% | ±0% | +10% | +7% |
| Wednesday | +11% | +18% | +1% | −2% | +8% | −2% | +2% | −2% | +2% | +1% | ±0% | −4% | −4% | −5% | −6% | −3% | −6% | −7% | −6% | −6% | +2% | +3% | +7% | +19% |
| Thursday | +10% | +12% | +6% | −3% | +1% | +1% | +7% | +1% | +1% | ±0% | −3% | −1% | −5% | −8% | −7% | −5% | −8% | −7% | −8% | −7% | −2% | +5% | +7% | +18% |
| Friday | +16% | +12% | −4% | −2% | −4% | −3% | −6% | −3% | ±0% | −1% | −8% | −6% | −9% | −9% | −8% | −7% | −7% | −4% | −6% | −3% | +1% | +6% | +12% | +17% |
| Saturday | +27% | +24% | +10% | −5% | +2% | −1% | +3% | ±0% | −1% | −4% | −3% | −2% | ±0% | −2% | −2% | +4% | +8% | +4% | +5% | +9% | +12% | +16% | +25% | +42% |
| Sunday | +40% | +27% | +15% | +1% | +1% | +1% | +2% | +3% | +2% | +4% | +2% | +3% | +3% | +3% | +4% | +4% | +8% | +8% | +8% | +16% | +17% | +16% | +24% | +21% |
- Best times: Saturday 11 PM – 1 AM (+39%), Saturday 12 – 2 AM (+24%) and Sunday 10 PM – 12 AM (+22%), all ET.
- Best days: Sunday (+8%) and Saturday (+5%). Weakest: Friday (−4%).
- Worst time: Friday 12 – 2 PM (−9%). Most weekday afternoons are below normal.
- Views follow the same pattern: the best window for views is also Saturday 11 PM – 1 AM (+30%).
Instagram is the clearest case of the busy-hours effect: noon carries 8.6% of all posts at −3%, and 11 PM carries 2.3% at +20%.
Best time to post on TikTok
TikTok engagement by day and hour (ET)Best: Saturday, 12 AM–2 AM · +22%| Day | 12am | 1 AM | 2 AM | 3am | 4 AM | 5 AM | 6am | 7 AM | 8 AM | 9am | 10 AM | 11 AM | 12pm | 1 PM | 2 PM | 3pm | 4 PM | 5 PM | 6pm | 7 PM | 8 PM | 9pm | 10 PM | 11 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | +5% | +19% | +14% | +3% | +6% | +2% | ±0% | +13% | −2% | +3% | +2% | +5% | +4% | −4% | ±0% | +1% | −3% | −4% | −3% | −5% | −2% | +1% | +1% | −3% |
| Tuesday | +2% | −7% | +11% | −15% | −12% | +4% | −1% | −5% | +8% | +4% | −2% | ±0% | −3% | −6% | −4% | −1% | −3% | −1% | −1% | −2% | −1% | −5% | −1% | +10% |
| Wednesday | +11% | +17% | +11% | −2% | +11% | −1% | +2% | ±0% | +5% | +1% | +2% | −3% | −5% | −2% | −2% | +3% | −1% | −6% | −3% | −6% | −6% | −3% | −5% | +5% |
| Thursday | +6% | ±0% | +3% | −1% | +3% | −2% | +5% | −2% | ±0% | +2% | −4% | −3% | −5% | −10% | −3% | −4% | −3% | −7% | −5% | −7% | −3% | +1% | +10% | +11% |
| Friday | +23% | +6% | −2% | −6% | −6% | +1% | +2% | ±0% | −2% | +2% | −3% | −3% | −4% | −9% | −5% | −6% | −7% | +4% | −3% | −1% | +2% | +10% | +1% | +20% |
| Saturday | +31% | +18% | +38% | +7% | +1% | −4% | +4% | +1% | +3% | +1% | −1% | +1% | +3% | +1% | +3% | −2% | +6% | ±0% | +1% | −2% | +4% | +5% | +13% | +20% |
| Sunday | +20% | +21% | +9% | +6% | ±0% | −1% | +4% | +8% | +6% | ±0% | +3% | +4% | ±0% | −1% | ±0% | +1% | +5% | +7% | +1% | +17% | +17% | +14% | +14% | +19% |
- Best times: Saturday 12 – 2 AM (+22%), Saturday 11 PM – 1 AM (+18%) and Sunday 7 – 9 PM (+16%), all ET.
- Best days: Sunday (+6%) and Saturday (+4%). Weakest: Thursday (−3%).
- Worst time: Tuesday 3 – 5 AM (−11%).
TikTok's pattern is the flattest of the four: no day is more than 6% from average, and its best windows are smaller than Instagram's or X's. Friday night into Saturday is where it peaks.
Best time to post on YouTube
YouTube engagement by day and hour (ET)Best: Sunday, 8 PM–10 PM · +25%| Day | 12am | 1 AM | 2 AM | 3am | 4 AM | 5 AM | 6am | 7 AM | 8 AM | 9am | 10 AM | 11 AM | 12pm | 1 PM | 2 PM | 3pm | 4 PM | 5 PM | 6pm | 7 PM | 8 PM | 9pm | 10 PM | 11 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | +10% | +11% | +2% | −3% | +2% | +3% | +1% | +9% | +4% | +1% | +6% | +4% | +1% | −2% | +1% | −4% | −2% | −1% | ±0% | −3% | +8% | +9% | +9% | +9% |
| Tuesday | +7% | −6% | −5% | −17% | −16% | −2% | −4% | +4% | +6% | ±0% | ±0% | +1% | −1% | −4% | +3% | −5% | −5% | −2% | −1% | −8% | +8% | +4% | +9% | +6% |
| Wednesday | +2% | +27% | −10% | +8% | −3% | −10% | −2% | +4% | +1% | −2% | +1% | −3% | −6% | −3% | −4% | −4% | −5% | −5% | −8% | −4% | +9% | +4% | +8% | +18% |
| Thursday | +11% | +7% | −19% | −1% | −7% | ±0% | −4% | +1% | −5% | −1% | −6% | −1% | −6% | −8% | −5% | −7% | −8% | −6% | −8% | −3% | +4% | +11% | +12% | +20% |
| Friday | +8% | −1% | −5% | −11% | −10% | −12% | −9% | +1% | −2% | −9% | −6% | −8% | −8% | −11% | −4% | −7% | −8% | −1% | −5% | −5% | +8% | +4% | +13% | +3% |
| Saturday | +4% | +10% | −4% | −21% | +4% | −1% | −3% | +5% | +3% | +3% | +3% | −1% | +1% | +1% | +7% | +1% | +2% | +6% | −2% | +7% | +4% | +6% | +14% | +22% |
| Sunday | +21% | +20% | +6% | +11% | −2% | −3% | +3% | −6% | +1% | +5% | +3% | +4% | +4% | +5% | +3% | +2% | +9% | +13% | +3% | +21% | +31% | +23% | +16% | +14% |
- Best times: Sunday 8 – 10 PM (+25%), Saturday 11 PM – 1 AM (+19%) and Thursday 10 PM – 12 AM (+14%), all ET.
- Best days: Sunday (+8%) and Saturday (+3%). Weakest: Friday (−5%).
- Worst time: Tuesday 3 – 5 AM (−13%).
YouTube is the only platform whose best window isn't late Saturday night. Sunday evening wins, for engagement and even more for views (+31%), the hours when people settle in to watch.
Best time to post on X (Twitter)
X (Twitter) engagement by day and hour (ET)Best: Saturday, 11 PM–1 AM · +45%| Day | 12am | 1 AM | 2 AM | 3am | 4 AM | 5 AM | 6am | 7 AM | 8 AM | 9am | 10 AM | 11 AM | 12pm | 1 PM | 2 PM | 3pm | 4 PM | 5 PM | 6pm | 7 PM | 8 PM | 9pm | 10 PM | 11 PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | +19% | −7% | +7% | +14% | +12% | +21% | +13% | +19% | +13% | +15% | +14% | +2% | +7% | +3% | +4% | +5% | −2% | +4% | +1% | −4% | +4% | +6% | +12% | +24% |
| Tuesday | +3% | −10% | +7% | −1% | +2% | +6% | −2% | +7% | +10% | −5% | −8% | −7% | −8% | −5% | −5% | −11% | −9% | −7% | −3% | −6% | −3% | +1% | ±0% | −1% |
| Wednesday | +1% | −10% | −12% | +18% | +8% | ±0% | +2% | +4% | +3% | −5% | −5% | −6% | −7% | −12% | −6% | −10% | −9% | −6% | −7% | −5% | −2% | +5% | +15% | +12% |
| Thursday | +10% | +9% | +1% | +6% | +1% | −5% | ±0% | +3% | +3% | −2% | −8% | −9% | −8% | −9% | −7% | −8% | −11% | −5% | −12% | −10% | −5% | +2% | −1% | +25% |
| Friday | +4% | −4% | −5% | +1% | −6% | −6% | −3% | +4% | −4% | −2% | −6% | −8% | −12% | −11% | −8% | −8% | −10% | −5% | −7% | −9% | −1% | +5% | +9% | +16% |
| Saturday | +30% | +19% | +15% | +7% | +5% | +13% | +11% | +6% | +15% | +1% | −11% | −10% | −4% | ±0% | −5% | +5% | +5% | +8% | +12% | +15% | +8% | +20% | +20% | +53% |
| Sunday | +33% | +24% | +28% | +11% | +1% | +8% | +20% | +8% | +5% | −4% | −4% | −5% | −7% | −2% | +5% | +5% | +18% | +12% | +17% | +27% | +7% | +10% | +12% | +25% |
- Best times: Saturday 11 PM – 1 AM (+45%), Saturday 12 – 2 AM (+25%) and Sunday 11 PM – 1 AM (+22%), all ET.
- Best days: Sunday (+8%), Saturday and Monday (both +7%). Weakest: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (all −5%).
- Worst time: Friday 12 – 2 PM (−11%).
X has the biggest swings of the four, from +45% to −11%, and it is the only platform where Monday is as strong as Saturday (+7%). Its accounts post the most, 1.05 million posts from 1,818 accounts, so the numbers rest on fewer, busier accounts than the other platforms.
Best time to post by content category
Every post in the dataset is tagged by topic with AI. These are the best two-hour windows for 19 of the 27 categories we track, in ET, with the lift against each account's typical post.
| Category | TikTok | YouTube | X (Twitter) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American football | Sat 11 PM – 1 AM (+47%) | Sat 1 – 3 AM (+9%) | Sun 7 – 9 PM (+42%) | Sat 11 PM – 1 AM (+69%) |
| Soccer | Sat 9 – 11 PM (+24%) | Thu 10 PM – 12 AM (+36%) | Thu 10 PM – 12 AM (+41%) | Sun 6 – 8 PM (+35%) |
| Basketball | Sat 12 – 2 AM (+19%) | Mon 11 PM – 1 AM (+12%) | Thu 12 – 2 AM (+17%) | Sat 12 – 2 AM (+43%) |
| Baseball | Thu 11 PM – 1 AM (+27%) | Fri 11 PM – 1 AM (+14%) | Thu 12 – 2 AM (+10%) | Thu 11 PM – 1 AM (+39%) |
| Hockey | Sat 10 PM – 12 AM (+21%) | Fri 10 AM – 12 PM (+10%) | Thu 8 – 10 PM (+9%) | Wed 9 – 11 PM (+30%) |
| Combat sports | Sat 11 PM – 1 AM (+58%) | Sat 11 PM – 1 AM (+20%) | Sun 12 – 2 AM (+39%) | Sat 11 PM – 1 AM (+55%) |
| Film & TV | Sat 12 – 2 AM (+46%) | Fri 11 PM – 1 AM (+64%) | Sat 4 – 6 AM (+21%) | Fri 11 PM – 1 AM (+56%) |
| Music | Sat 12 – 2 AM (+48%) | Sat 1 – 3 AM (+49%) | Tue 2 – 4 PM (+16%) | Fri 11 PM – 1 AM (+66%) |
| Celebrity & pop culture | Sun 9 – 11 PM (+24%) | Sat 10 PM – 12 AM (+22%) | Wed 10 AM – 12 PM (+16%) | Sat 9 – 11 PM (+115%) |
| Fashion | Sun 8 – 10 PM (+45%) | Sun 7 – 9 PM (+30%) | Sun 7 – 9 PM (+31%) | Sat 9 – 11 PM (+82%) |
| Beauty | Sun 9 – 11 AM (+10%) | Sat 8 – 10 PM (+9%) | Mon 10 AM – 12 PM (+7%) | Mon 12 – 2 PM (+5%) |
| Food & cooking | Sun 7 – 9 PM (+13%) | Sat 7 – 9 PM (+16%) | Sat 11 AM – 1 PM (+9%) | Mon 12 – 2 PM (+23%) |
| Comedy | Tue 7 – 9 PM (+21%) | Sat 11 AM – 1 PM (+19%) | Wed 2 – 4 AM (+18%) | Wed 2 – 4 PM (+21%) |
| Fitness & wellness | Mon 9 – 11 AM (+11%) | Fri 9 – 11 PM (+11%) | Sat 12 – 2 PM (+5%) | Sun 12 – 2 PM (+18%) |
| Travel | Fri 4 – 6 AM (+13%) | Sun 3 – 5 PM (+9%) | Sat 9 – 11 AM (+5%) | Fri 8 – 10 PM (+18%) |
| News & politics | Wed 10 PM – 12 AM (+20%) | Wed 9 – 11 PM (+17%) | Fri 9 – 11 PM (+26%) | Sun 5 – 7 PM (+37%) |
| Business & finance | Sat 10 PM – 12 AM (+8%) | Mon 10 AM – 12 PM (+11%) | Sat 9 – 11 AM (+11%) | Sat 9 – 11 AM (+34%) |
| Tech & AI | Wed 2 – 4 PM (+17%) | Wed 1 – 3 PM (+13%) | Tue 8 – 10 AM (+8%) | Sun 7 – 9 AM (+32%) |
| Gaming | Thu 9 – 11 AM (+14%) | Tue 2 – 4 PM (+10%) | Tue 2 – 4 PM (+12%) | Wed 7 – 9 PM (+32%) |
Three patterns stand out:
- Sports follow the schedule. American football peaks late Saturday on Instagram and X, after the college games, and on Sunday evening on YouTube, after the NFL's. Combat sports peak on fight night, Saturday 11 PM – 1 AM, on three platforms. Baseball's best window is Thursday night on Instagram and X.
- Lifestyle keeps to the weekend evening. Fashion's best window is Sunday evening on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Food peaks on Saturday or Sunday evening on Instagram and TikTok.
- Work topics keep office hours. Tech & AI peaks on weekday afternoons on Instagram and TikTok, gaming on Tuesday afternoon on TikTok and YouTube, and business on Monday morning on TikTok. These are the categories where the general "post late at night" rule doesn't hold.
Categories with fewer posts carry less certainty, which is why we weight every window by the number of posts behind it.
What this means for brands, creators and agencies
- Test the evening before you test the lunch hour. The default advice, post at lunch on a weekday, puts your post in the most crowded hour of the week. On every platform, late evening and the weekend did better.
- Schedule for your audience's time zone, not your office's. Saturday 11 PM ET is 8 PM in Los Angeles and 4 AM on Sunday in London. A US audience and a UK audience need different schedules.
- Let your category decide. Sports and entertainment accounts should follow their schedules; business, tech and gaming accounts can keep to weekday hours.
- Measure against your own normal. A post that beats your typical post by 20% is a win, even if it isn't your biggest. That's the measure behind every number here, and it's the one to use when you test.
To see when your own posts beat your normal, and how your competitors' posts compare, Socialpruf tracks every post from the accounts you choose with its publish time and full metrics.
How we measured
- Posts: 2,930,159 public posts published July 28 – October 23, 2026 by 19,510 accounts on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X in Socialpruf's Discover database of creator, brand and media accounts. Posts from the last three days before measurement were left out while they were still gathering views.
- The typical post: for each account, the median engagement of its posts in the window. Accounts with fewer than five posts were left out.
- Lift: each post was scored as (engagement + 1) / (typical engagement + 1). An hour's lift is the geometric mean of its posts' scores, shown against the platform's typical post. Engagement is likes, comments, shares and saves; view lift is measured the same way.
- Best times: the best two-hour window, with each window's lift weighted toward normal by the number of posts behind it, so a quiet hour can't win on one lucky post. Hours with fewer than 30 posts were left out.
- Categories: AI topic tags on every post, grouped into 27 categories. A post can belong to more than one. A category needs at least 1,500 posts from 75 accounts on a platform to be ranked.
- Time zone: all times are Eastern (ET), converted for daylight saving per post.
- Limits: public organic posts only. Engagement depends on what is posted as well as when, and posts tied to events, like results published after a late game, may do better because of the event. The numbers show where each platform's audience responds best, not a guarantee for any one account.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to post on social media in 2026?
Saturday from 11 PM to 1 AM ET was the strongest window on Instagram (+39%) and X (+45%), and one of the two best on TikTok (+18%) and YouTube (+19%). YouTube's single best window was Sunday from 8 to 10 PM ET (+25%). Each figure compares posts in that window with the same accounts' typical posts.
What is the best day to post on social media?
Sunday, on all four platforms: +8% on Instagram, YouTube and X and +6% on TikTok, against an average day. Saturday was second on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
What is the worst time to post on social media?
Weekday working hours. Friday from 12 to 2 PM ET was the worst window on Instagram (−9%) and X (−11%), and noon, the busiest hour on every platform, ran 2–6% below normal. On TikTok and YouTube the weakest windows were in the small hours of Tuesday.
What is the best time to post on Instagram?
Saturday from 11 PM to 1 AM ET, with 39% more engagement than a typical post from the same account. Sunday was the best day (+8%) and Friday the weakest (−4%).
What is the best time to post on TikTok?
Saturday from 12 to 2 AM ET (+22%), followed by Saturday 11 PM – 1 AM (+18%) and Sunday 7 – 9 PM (+16%). Sunday was the best day.
What is the best time to post on YouTube?
Sunday from 8 to 10 PM ET, with 25% more engagement and 31% more views than a typical video from the same channel. Sunday was also the best day.
What is the best time to post on X (Twitter)?
Saturday from 11 PM to 1 AM ET, with 45% more engagement than the same accounts' typical posts. Sunday, Saturday and Monday were the best days; Tuesday to Friday were all 4–5% below average.
Is it better to post in the morning or the evening?
The evening, on every platform. The strongest single hour was 11 PM or midnight ET on all four, while the middle of the day, when most posts go out, was below normal. The exceptions are work topics: tech, business and gaming content did best on weekday mornings and afternoons.
How do I convert these times to my time zone?
Every time in this report is Eastern (ET). Over the period we measured, that meant subtracting 3 hours for Pacific time and 1 hour for Central, and adding 5 hours for UK time and 6 for Central Europe. Saturday 11 PM ET, the strongest window on Instagram and X, is 8 PM Saturday in Los Angeles and 4 AM Sunday in London.
