You saw others posting long videos on Instagram and thought you could do the same, but to your surprise, Instagram didn’t allow it. Why is that? How long can a video be on Instagram? Let us debug the Instagram video length.

Do you also face this? There are so many formats of content on Instagram.

Content Formats Available on Instagram
Reels 🎬
Stories 📖
Feed Video 🖼️
Live 🔴
Carousels 📚

Do you get confused about the ideal length and dimension of each of the content formats to bring maximum engagement? Then, just keep along the blog.

We will understand the dimensions, aspect ratio, and length of each of the formats.

What is aspect ratio?

Aspect ratio is the relationship or the ratio between the width and height of a video or image.

Width/Height= Aspect ratio

  • It affects how content is displayed on different platforms.

 affects how content is displayed

What are Dimensions?

Dimensions are also the relationship between the height and width of the image or video, but they are measured in pixels.

Higher dimensions = Higher quality

Lower dimensions = Lower quality

What is the length of a content format?

The length of a content format determines how long a video, Reel, Story, or Live session can last before it gets cut off or split into segments.

Instagram Video Length and Dimension

There are many video formats present on Instagram.

  • In-Feed
  • Instagram Story
  • Instagram Reel
  • Instagram Live Video
  • Instagram Video Ad

Instagram video length limit for In-Feed videos 

Instagram In-Feed videos

Instagram In-Feed Videos are regular Instagram posts in video format.

  • They appear in the feed and post grid on a user’s profile.

Instagram In-Feed Video Specifications

Minimum Video Length

3 seconds

Maximum Video Length

60 minutes (when you upload from desktop)

Maximum Video Length

15 minutes (when you upload from mobile)

Aspect Ratio

4:5 or 9:16

Recommended Dimensions

1080 × 1350 px

Instagram Video Length Limit For Stories

  • Instagram stories are short, temporary videos that appear on the top.
  • They vanish after 24 hours.

temporary videos that appear on the top

Instagram Stories Specifications

Minimum Video Length

15 seconds

Maximum Video Length

60 seconds (split into 15-sec segments)

Aspect Ratio

9:16 (Full-Screen Vertical)

Recommended Dimensions

1080 × 1920 pixels

 Instagram Stories Specifications

Length of an Instagram Video for Reels

Instagram reels are short videos that can have multiple effects, music, and other creative elements, mostly done for entertainment purposes.

  • They have a dedicated section on Instagram, both on the Explore feed and on users’ profiles.

dedicated section on Instagram

These are the most popular content format on Instagram.

Instagram Reels Specifications

Minimum Reel Length

15 seconds

Maximum Reel Length

3 minutes

Aspect Ratio

Between 1.91:1 and 9:16

Minimum Resolution

720 pixels

Minimum Frame Rate

30 FPS (frames per second)

Instagram Reels Specifications

Instagram Video Length Limit For Live Videos

  • When someone shares content in real-time on Instagram, it is called Instagram Live.
  • An account must be at least 30 days old to host live. Also, many guidelines should not be violated while being live.

Instagram Live Specifications

Minimum Video Length

No minimum length

Maximum Video Length

Up to 4 hours

Aspect Ratio

9:16 (Full-Screen Vertical)

Recommended Dimensions

1080 × 1920 pixels

What is the maximum length of a video ad on Instagram?

Here are the video ad specifications.

Ad Type

Max Length

Aspect Ratio

Reels Ad

Up to 15 minutes

9:16

In-Feed Video Ads

Up to 60 minutes

4:5 or 9:16

Story Ads

Up to 30 seconds

9:16

Ads on the Explore Page

Up to 60 minutes

4:5 or 9:16

Instagram Profile Feed Ads

Up to 60 minutes

4:5 or 9:16

Length Of Other Content Formats On Instagram

Instagram Carousel

Carousels are multiple photos or videos that users can see in a single post by swiping.

Instagram Carousel Specifications

Image Format Requirement

All images in a carousel must be the same shape

Supported Image Formats

Square: 1080 × 1080 pixels (1:1) Landscape: 1080 × 566 pixels (1.91:1) Portrait: 1080 × 1350 pixels (4:5)

Maximum Frames per Carousel

Up to 20 images or videos

Video Resolution

Minimum: 600 × 600 pixels Maximum: 1080 × 1080 pixels

Maximum File Size

Images: 30 MB per image Videos: 4 GB per video

What Should Instagram’s Photo Size and Ratio be?

Let us see what Instagram says about it

Instagram says that:

If you upload a photo with a width between 320 and 1,080 pixels

Instagram keeps it at the original resolution.

 

If your photo has an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 4:5

Instagram keeps it at the original resolution.

 

If your photo width is lower than 320 pixels

Instagram enlarges it to 320 pixels width.

If your photo width is higher than 1,080 pixels

Instagram resizes it down to 1,080 pixels width

Instagram Photo Specifications

Dimensions

320 and 1,080 pixels

Aspect Ratio

Between 1.91:1 and 4:5

What is Instagram cover photo size?

Recommended Instagram Cover Photo Specifications

Dimensions

 420 pixels by 654 pixels

Aspect Ratio

1:1.55 ratio

Instagram Cover Photo

Once you have uploaded the cover photo on Instagram, you cannot edit it.

How to Post a Long Video on Instagram?

If you post a long video on Instagram, then Instagram would trim the end of the video. Now you have the Instagram video length chart for all formats. But if you wanted to post long video on Instagram, then you can follow the below tips. 

1. Upload long videos as in-feed video or video post.

Rather than uploading the long videos as reels, you can upload the videos as in-feed posts.

The in-feed posts have a limit of 60 minutes. Instagram always wants its audience to stay on its platform longer.

  • Select the   icon in the middle of your homepage

icon in the middle of your homepage

  • Instead of selecting “Reel”, you can select “Post.”

Post

  • You can choose a long video from your phone and post it.

(Note- You can only use this method if you are uploading a video on Instagram and not making it via Instagram camera. Also, you can upload a video of upto 60 minutes. Now, Instagram in-feed videos will also appear as reels.)

2. You can use any 3rd party app like “Inshot” to trim your video.

  • You can “trim,” compress video quality or split long videos into short videos.

Inshot

How do you maximize engagement within the time limit on Instagram?

It is said that short form of content is more popular on social media. Due to the deteriorating attention span of users, content creators focus more on uploading short forms of content.

  1. Create interesting hooks

A lot of content creators use this trick; they start their videos with a very interesting hook. For example, a sudden event or anything which triggers anxiousness, etc.

  1. Create engaging thumbnails

When creating a thumbnail for your video, consider using a high-quality image that accurately represents the content of your video.

You can also add text or graphics to the thumbnail to make it more visually appealing. Remember, a book is judged by its cover, and an Instagram audience is easily drawn to good-looking photos.

 Having an engaging thumbnail can increase the chances of more people clicking on the videos.

  1. Have subtitles in your videos.

As more and more people watch Instagram videos without sound, you must keep subtitles loud and clear.

When a good orator narrates a story, people listen to it with full attention. This same concept applies everywhere. When you convey your message with good storytelling, the audience will love watching your content.

  1. Encourage comments and participation

Make your content interactive so that people can comment on it and share it. Interactive content can make people connect with you.

  1. Host Instagram Live

You can also host an Instagram Live if you want to share something that cannot be shared through regular Instagram videos. However, before going live, you should inform your followers in advance.

Host Instagram Live

FAQs

  1. Can I post a 3-minute video on Instagram?

Yes, you can post a 3-minute reel on Instagram. In 2025, Instagram extended the reel time limit upto 3 minutes.

  1. What is the longest video you can post on Instagram?

You can post a video of 60 minutes on Instagram. You can also host a live video of 4 hours on Instagram.

  1. How long can a video be on Instagram message?

Although Instagram hasn’t clarified anything about this matter, it has still been seen that Instagram does not allow videos longer than one minute and thirty seconds to be sent via messages.

  1. Are there any recommended video lengths for maximum engagement on Instagram?

Instagram Video Format

Recommended Length

Instagram Feed Videos 🖼️

15 sec – 1 min

Instagram Stories 📖

15 sec

Instagram Reels 🎬

7– 30 sec

5. Does Instagram compress my video while posting?

Yes, Instagram compresses your video if it is above the recommended dimensions. You should upload videos of good quality so that they appear good to the audience even after being compressed.

Key Takeaways

Now you have the correct and updated knowledge about Instagram video length and how long can a video be on Instagram. You should post content that is by Instagram’s dimensions and aspect ratio. This will make your content appear better.

But you should always remember that Instagram keeps changing its rules and limitations, and staying updated is necessary