How Long Can Instagram Videos Be? 2025 Length Limits for Reels, Stories, Feed, and Live

How Long Can Instagram Videos Be? 2025 Length Limits for Reels, Stories, Feed, and Live

If you’ve ever recorded the perfect clip only to hit a mysterious time cap when posting, you’re not alone. Instagram’s video limits differ by format and can vary by account, region, and ongoing tests. This guide distills the current 2025 limits and practical tips so you can plan with confidence and avoid surprises.

Quick Answer Cheat Sheet

Important: Instagram actively tests features. Two accounts in the same market can have different limits on the same day. Always check your personal caps before scripting.

Reels Length in 2025

• The standard cap most accounts see: 90 seconds.
• Extended Reels tests: Select creators have access to 3-minute or even 10-minute Reels. These are limited-rollout tests and not guaranteed.
• Why the confusion? Instagram increasingly treats most short videos as Reels for discovery, but the in-app recorder and editor may still show a shorter “length selector.”

How to Check Your Personal Limit

1. Open the Instagram app and tap the plus icon to create a Reel.
2. Look for a duration selector (e.g., 15s, 30s, 60s, 90s, 3m, 10m). If you only see up to 90s, that’s your in-app cap.
3. Try uploading a longer prerecorded video. If it’s under ~15 minutes, Instagram may still process it in the Reels experience, but your on-screen editor might limit trimming to your cap.
4. If you need longer: Upload from desktop to explore feed/long-video options.

Best-Performing Reel Runtimes (Practical Guidance)

• Hooks and retention win; many accounts see strong completion rates at 20–45 seconds.
• Tutorials, recipes, and transformations often perform well at 45–90 seconds.
• For 3–10 minute tests, keep segments and chapters tight; aim for a strong 3-minute version even if you post longer.

Stories Video Limits

• Length per tile: Up to 60 seconds.
• Longer clips: Instagram auto-splits into consecutive 60-second segments.
• Daily cap: Roughly 100 Story tiles per 24 hours. If you post many auto-split clips, you can hit the cap quickly.
• Lifespan: Stories vanish after 24 hours, but you can save them into Highlights (which sit permanently on your profile until removed).

Tips

• Keep each 60-second segment self-contained with a hook and a payoff to reduce drop-off between segments.
• Use on-screen progress indicators (e.g., “Part 2/5”) to set expectations.

Feed and Long-Form Videos

Reel vs Regular Feed Video

• In many cases, videos under ~15 minutes default into the Reels experience for reach and discovery.
• Some accounts can still post “regular videos” that behave like traditional feed posts, especially when uploading from desktop.
• Eligibility for longer feed video (beyond your Reel cap) varies.

Desktop Upload Advantages

• Potential access to longer durations (up to 60 minutes for eligible accounts).
• Better handling of large files and high bitrates.
• More reliable metadata and thumbnail selection.

Maximum Lengths and Eligibility

• Many users report 3–15 minute caps on mobile uploads.
• Up to 60 minutes via desktop is typically available to eligible accounts (availability can depend on account standing, region, and current tests).
• If you see errors when uploading long videos, try: reducing file size/bitrate, switching to desktop, or segmenting content.

Recommended Aspect Ratios

Instagram Live

• Maximum length: Up to 4 hours per live session.

Replays and Saving

• You can save the live to your device and/or share a replay depending on current options in your region.
• Live Archive may hold recordings for a limited time (e.g., 30 days), after which they expire unless saved.

Repurposing

• Trim your Live into shorter clips for Reels (60–90s highlights) or feed posts (multi-minute recaps).
• Add captions and punchy intros to make highlights standalone.

Scheduling Tips

• Schedule your Live ahead of time to prompt reminders.
• Prepare an outline with blocks (e.g., Q&A at minute 15, demo at minute 25) to create repurposable chapters.

Ads and Branded Content

Paid placement limits can differ from organic posts:

• Reels ads, Stories ads, and Feed video ads often have distinct length caps and file specs.
• Specs change frequently based on Instagram and Meta Ads updates.

Safe, Up-to-Date Ways to Validate

1. Meta Ads Manager: Create a draft campaign and select your intended placements (Reels, Stories, Feed). The uploader and error messages will enforce current limits.
2. Meta Creative Hub: Use mockups; the tool often flags spec mismatches.
3. Export presets: In your editor, create export presets that match the strictest placement you plan to use.

Production Tips for Ads

• Default to 9:16 versions for Reels/Stories and prepare 1:1 or 4:5 crops for feed.
• Keep critical branding and captions within a central safe zone to avoid UI overlap.
• Favor front-loaded hooks (first 1–2 seconds) to combat skip behavior.

Choose the Right Format

By Goal

• Reach: Reels (90s or less). Use trends, quick transformations, and strong hooks. Consider short Live clips repurposed as Reels.
• Engagement (comments, shares): Reels and carousel posts. Ask a clear question in the caption; use on-screen CTAs.
• Education (tutorials, explainers): Multi-part Stories, 60–90s Reels with chapters, or long feed video (3–10+ mins) if available.
• Conversion (DMs, link in bio/shop): Stories with link stickers, Reels with pinned comment CTAs, and Live demos that showcase product benefits.

By Content Length

• Under 30 seconds: Reels. Ideal for teasers, punchlines, product reveals.
• 30–90 seconds: Reels. Great for how-tos, before/after, listicles.
• 2–10 minutes: Feed/long video (if eligible) or Live snippets. Otherwise, split into a Reel series.
• 10+ minutes: Live, then edit highlight cuts. Alternatively, host full length on YouTube or your site and drive traffic.

Editing to Fit Time Caps

Scripting and Pacing

• Write a 1–2 sentence hook that states the payoff immediately.
• Use a three-act micro-structure: Hook (0–3s), Value (core content), Recap/CTA (final 3–5s).
• Trim pauses, remove filler, and tighten transitions.

Cutting Techniques

• Jump cuts to maintain energy.
• Beat-based cuts synced to music for Reels.
• B-roll overlays to compress explanations without losing clarity.
• On-screen text and auto-captions for silent viewers.

Rapid Cutdowns (Turn Long to 60–90s)

1. Identify 1–3 takeaways.
2. Pull the strongest 20–30 second segment for the hook.
3. Add context via captions, not narration.
4. End with a CTA (e.g., “Comment ‘guide’ for the full version”).

Workarounds for Longer Stories

• Multi-part series: Plan a 3–5 part sequence; label each tile “Part X/Y.”
• Sequencing with carousels: Tease in Stories, deliver detail in a feed carousel, and save both to a Highlight.
• Go Live, then repurpose: Use Live for deep dives and cut short, crisp highlights for Stories/Reels.
• Off-platform continuation: For 10+ minute content, host the full video on YouTube or your website and drive with link stickers.

FAQs and Troubleshooting

Why did my video post as a Reel?

• Instagram routes most short videos into the Reels experience by default for discovery. If your clip is under ~15 minutes, it may become a Reel even if uploaded as a “video.”

Why does my friend have 3–10 minute Reels and I don’t?

• Feature tests roll out by region, device, app version, and account cohort. Keep your app updated. Try logging out/in and testing on another device. Otherwise, wait for broader rollout.

What’s the daily Stories limit?

• Roughly 100 tiles per 24 hours. Auto-split segments each count as one tile.

My long video won’t upload—what can I do?

• Try desktop upload.
• Reduce bitrate and ensure H.264 video + AAC audio in an MP4 container.
• Keep file size reasonable (under a few GB).
• Shorten the video slightly; some accounts hit soft caps before the theoretical max.

Recommended Export Settings (Safe Baseline)

• Codec: H.264, High profile, Level 4.1
• Container: MP4
• Frame rate: Match source (commonly 24/25/30 fps); constant frame rate preferred
• Bitrate: 8–12 Mbps for 1080p; 4–6 Mbps often sufficient for Stories
• Audio: AAC, 48 kHz, 128–192 kbps stereo
• Color: Rec. 709

Example ffmpeg command:

ffmpeg -i input.mov -c:v libx264 -profile:v high -level 4.1 -pix_fmt yuv420p -r 30 -b:v 8M -maxrate 10M -bufsize 16M -c:a aac -b:a 160k -ar 48000 output.mp4

How do I stay updated on changes?

• Periodically check your in-app length selectors for Reels and Stories.
• Test uploads from both mobile and desktop.
• Use Meta Ads Manager or Creative Hub for current ad specs; they’ll block invalid uploads and reveal current caps.

Bottom Line

• Reels: 90 seconds for most; 3–10 minutes exist in tests for some.
• Stories: 60 seconds per tile, auto-split, ~100 per day.
• Feed/Long Video: Multi-minute uploads vary; desktop can unlock longer caps, up to 60 minutes for eligible accounts.
• Live: Up to 4 hours, with replay and repurposing options.

Plan your content to the shortest likely cap you have today, then repurpose longer formats (Live, desktop feed videos) where available. That way, you’ll ship consistently—and make the algorithm work for you.