What the 2026 data says
Shorts run on a different clock from long videos: evenings from 6 to 11 p.m. perform best, Friday is the strongest day and 12–5 p.m. is weakest on most days.
| Finding | |
|---|---|
| Top slots (Buffer 2026) | Friday 4 p.m., Friday 6 p.m., Friday 7 p.m. |
| Best days | Friday, Saturday, Thursday |
How to find your own best time
- Start with two or three of the slots above, in your audience's time zone.
- Post at each for two to three weeks with similar content.
- Compare reach or views after 48 hours in your analytics, and keep the winner.
Your analytics also show when your followers are online: Instagram Insights (Most active times), TikTok Studio (Followers tab) and YouTube Studio (When your viewers are on YouTube). Those beat any average.
Sources: Buffer: Best time to post on YouTube (1.8M videos, 2026). Checked November 13, 2026.