Instagram Reels Length Limit (2026)
Reels can run up to 20 minutes, but only Reels of 3 minutes or less are recommended to non-followers. Limits, specs and history from Instagram's help pages.
An Instagram Reel can be up to 20 minutes long. Instagram's help center says you can record one or several clips "that add up to 20 minutes," but it adds a catch: "Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences" (Instagram Help). So there are really two limits. Twenty minutes is what Instagram will accept. Three minutes is the most a Reel can run if you want it shown to people who don't already follow you.
Checked against Instagram's help pages and creator FAQ on September 30, 2026. Instagram changes these limits without much notice, so check the linked pages before you plan a series around them.
Instagram Reels limits at a glance
| What | Limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum length | 20 minutes, recorded as one clip or several | Instagram Help |
| Longest Reel recommended to non-followers | 3 minutes | Instagram for Creators FAQ |
| Aspect ratio | Between 1.91:1 and 9:16 | Instagram Help |
| Minimum frame rate and resolution | 30 FPS and 720 pixels | Instagram Help |
| Cover photo | 420 x 654 px recommended (1:1.55); can't be changed after upload | Instagram Help |
The same 20-minute figure appears in the app instructions and in the instructions for posting from a computer at instagram.com, where you pick Select from computer and can trim the start or end of the clip before sharing (Instagram Help).
The 3-minute line is the one that matters
Instagram is direct about this. Its creator FAQ lists "Reels over 3 minutes" among the things that can limit distribution and says: "We recommend videos to unconnected audiences that are 3 minutes or less" (Instagram for Creators). The creator tips page puts it more bluntly: "Keep your reels short. In order to be recommended, they must be 3 minutes or less" (Instagram for Creators).
"Unconnected audiences" means people who don't follow you. Public Reels can show up in places like Feed, the Reels viewer and Explore (Instagram Help), and recommendations are how they reach people outside your follower list. A 12-minute Reel can still reach your followers, but it won't be recommended to anyone else.
Your account's privacy setting matters too. On a private account, only approved followers can see your Reels, whatever their length (Instagram Help).
What this means in practice:
- To grow your audience, keep Reels at 3 minutes or less.
- To serve people who already follow you, such as a full tutorial, a product walkthrough or a replay, a longer Reel is fine. Just don't expect it to reach anyone new.
- If you have a long video, cut the strongest moments into several Reels under 3 minutes rather than posting it whole. Our guide to turning long videos into Shorts covers how to pick moments, and the same method works for Reels.
How the Reels limit changed
Reels started short and have grown in steps:
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| August 5, 2020 | Reels launch with "15-second multi-clip videos" | |
| July 21, 2022 | Meta says new video posts shorter than 15 minutes will be shared as Reels. At the time, recommendations applied to Reels under 90 seconds | Meta |
| January 18, 2025 | Adam Mosseri raises the limit from 90 seconds to 3 minutes | Engadget |
| Mid-2025 | Instagram's help page changes from "up to 3 minutes" to "up to 20 minutes," then adds the note that Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences | Help page archived June 21, 2025 and July 9, 2025 |
Instagram didn't publish a blog announcement for the 20-minute change that we could find, so the dates above come from archived copies of its own help page.
Some older posts still say 60 seconds, 90 seconds or 15 minutes. All of those are out of date.
What if your video is longer than 20 minutes?
Instagram's help pages don't say what happens to a file over 20 minutes, so don't rely on it being accepted. Trim it before you upload, or split it:
- Trim in Instagram. In the Reels editor, tap Edit video to reach the timeline, where you can use the trimmers on each clip to change its length (Instagram Help).
- Split it into a series. Each Reel of 3 minutes or less is eligible to be recommended. One long upload isn't.
- Post the full version elsewhere. If the whole recording matters, put it on YouTube and use Reels as trailers for it. YouTube's own short-form limit is different; see how long YouTube Shorts can be.
If your source is a landscape video, you'll also need to reframe it for the 9:16 Reels screen. See how to convert horizontal video to vertical.
Turning one long video into several Reels
Cutting clips by hand works but takes time. AI clipping tools transcribe the recording, suggest moments that stand on their own and reframe them to 9:16. Exemplary AI (our product) does this with AI Clips: upload a video of 10 minutes or more, or paste a YouTube link, choose a clip duration of 3 minutes or less, and you get vertical clips with animated captions that you can edit and download as MP4 files. Clip durations are targets, not hard caps, so check each clip's length before you post it as a Reel.
If you're trying a new format, you can test it on people who don't follow you yet; see our guide to Instagram trial reels. And add captions to your Reels so they work for anyone watching with the sound off.
FAQ
How long can an Instagram Reel be in 2026?
Up to 20 minutes, from one clip or several. Instagram says Reels longer than 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences (Instagram Help).
Can I upload a 10-minute Reel?
Yes. Anything up to 20 minutes can be posted as a Reel. A 10-minute Reel will reach your followers, but Instagram only recommends Reels of 3 minutes or less to people who don't follow you.
Why isn't my long Reel getting views?
If it runs over 3 minutes, Instagram won't recommend it to non-followers, so only your followers are likely to see it. Other things Instagram says can limit distribution are third-party watermarks, unoriginal content, and content that goes against its Recommendation Guidelines (Instagram for Creators).
Is there a minimum length for a Reel?
Instagram's help pages don't set one.
What size should a Reel be?
Vertical 9:16 is the standard. Instagram accepts aspect ratios from 1.91:1 to 9:16, with at least 30 FPS and 720 pixels of resolution (Instagram Help).
Did Instagram Reels used to be 90 seconds?
Yes. The limit was 90 seconds until January 18, 2025, when Instagram raised it to 3 minutes (Engadget). The help center moved to 20 minutes in mid-2025.
