An Instagram Reel can be 3 seconds to 20 minutes long when you record and edit it in the Instagram app. Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to people who don't follow you, so if you want your Reel to reach new people, 3 minutes is the longest it can be.
Key takeaways
- Reels can be 3 seconds to 20 minutes long when you record and edit them in the Instagram app.
- Reels over 3 minutes aren't recommended to new audiences, and in Sociable AI's study of over 7,200 Reels from more than 1,200 creators, they got about 40% fewer views than the same creators' shorter Reels.
- Under 3 minutes, length made little difference to views, and 2 to 3 minute Reels got the most comments and likes per view.
Instagram Reel length limits in 2026
The max length of an Instagram Reel depends on how you upload it. Here are the limits for the Instagram app and for scheduling tools, plus the limit for boosting a Reel as an ad.
| How you upload it | Shortest | Longest |
|---|---|---|
| Recording and editing in the Instagram app | 3 seconds | 20 minutes |
| Posting through a scheduling tool | 3 seconds | 15 minutes |
| Boosting a Reel as an ad | n/a | 90 seconds |
As we just mentioned, a Reel over 3 minutes won't be recommended to people who don't follow you, whichever way you post it.
In the app, you can record one clip or several clips that add up to 20 minutes.
Reels were capped at 90 seconds until January 2025, when Instagram raised the limit to 3 minutes. Instagram's Help Center now says 20 minutes.
Why 3 minutes is the limit that matters
Three minutes is the limit that matters because Instagram's Help Center says Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences, even though Instagram accepts Reels of up to 20 minutes. Recommended content is what Instagram shows to people who don't already follow you. In other words, a Reel over 3 minutes can still reach your followers, but Instagram won't recommend it to anyone else.
In our study, Reels over 3 minutes got about 40% fewer views than the same creators' 15 to 30 second Reels.
Under 3 minutes, length made little difference to views. Reels of every length from under 15 seconds to 2 to 3 minutes got about the same views, and the drop started at 3 minutes. All this is to say, going from 30 seconds to 2 minutes doesn't cost you views, and going from 2 minutes 30 seconds to 4 minutes does.
If your video needs more than 3 minutes, cut it to 3 minutes or split it into parts.
How long should an Instagram Reel be?
An Instagram Reel should be 2 to 3 minutes long if you want the most engagement. That was the best length for comments and likes per view in our study, and it stays within Instagram's 3-minute recommendation limit.
Longer Reels got more engagement per view. Reels of 2 to 3 minutes got about 65% more comments and about 32% more likes per view than 15 to 30 second Reels, with no drop in views. Reels under 15 seconds got about 21% fewer comments per view than 15 to 30 second Reels.
Though, the Reels we measured were mostly much shorter than that.
- The typical Reel in our sample ran about 37 seconds.
- About 1 in 7 ran past 90 seconds.
- Under 1% ran past 3 minutes, and the longest ran about 15 minutes.
In other words, most of the Reels in our sample were far shorter than the length that got the most engagement. The numbers for every length band are in our study on the best length for Instagram Reels engagement. If you have 2 to 3 minutes of material, use it.
How to post a 2 to 3 minute Reel on Instagram
To post a 2 to 3 minute Reel, pick the maximum length in the Reels camera before you record, or upload a finished video.
- Open the Reels camera and tap the duration option at the bottom of the screen to choose your maximum length before you start recording. Choose 3 minutes or less so the Reel can still be recommended to new audiences.
- Record one clip or several clips. Together they can add up to 20 minutes.
- Or upload a video you've already made from your device and edit it in the Reels editor.
Comments reach people who don't follow you too
Keeping your Reel at or under 3 minutes keeps it eligible to be recommended to people who don't follow you. A comment on someone else's Reel can reach those people too, and the earlier you leave it, the more likes it gets. In our data, comments left in a Reel's first hour earned about three times the likes of comments left a few hours later. Sociable AI users have earned nearly 1.4 million likes this way, reaching well beyond their own followers.
Sociable AI monitors Reels across your niche in their first hours and flags the ones likely to go viral. We draft a comment that fits the post, you approve it, and the comment goes up while the Reel is still climbing.
Try Sociable AI and put your next comment in front of people who don't follow you yet.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum length for an Instagram Reel?
The minimum length for an Instagram Reel is 3 seconds. That applies whether you record in the app or post through a scheduling tool.
Can a scheduling tool post a 20-minute Reel?
No. Scheduling tools post through Meta's system, which accepts Reels of up to 15 minutes. For anything longer, post from the Instagram app.
Can you boost a 3-minute Reel?
No. Instagram only lets you boost Reels of 90 seconds or less, in a full-screen vertical (9:16) format.
How long can a Reel be on Facebook?
Reels on Facebook have no length limit. Meta says all videos on Facebook are being shared as Reels, with no length or format restrictions.
How does that compare with TikTok and YouTube Shorts?
YouTube Shorts can be up to 3 minutes, the same as Instagram's recommendation limit. TikTok lets you upload videos of up to 10 minutes.
What size should an Instagram Reel be?
Instagram accepts Reels with an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16, with a minimum frame rate of 30 frames per second and a minimum resolution of 720 pixels. The recommended cover image is 420 by 654 pixels.
Can you post a video longer than 20 minutes on Instagram?
Not as a Reel. Instagram is testing a separate horizontal format called Features, which allows videos of up to 90 minutes, with a small group of creators in the US.
