Home »Blog»Growth»How Long Can a Reel Be on Instagram? Your Reel FAQs Answered

How Long Can a Reel Be on Instagram? Your Reel FAQs Answered

Posted on 4th Apr, 2025.

TL;DR (The Short Version)

Reels are short videos you upload to Instagram as an alternative to images.
Instagram Reels can be up to three minutes long.
Conciseness is always key with Instagram Reels, but 3-minute Reels can be necessary depending on the content type.
Read on for more Reels FAQs, answered!

How Long Can an Instagram Reel Be?

As of April 2025, Instagram allows users to create Reels that are up to 3 minutes long, which is longer than previous time limits on Reels. This update provides more flexibility for content creation, enabling more in-depth storytelling and creative expression, but still retaining the short-form video content style rather than switching to long-form like YouTube.

How to Choose the Length of Your Reel

Open the Reels camera.
Tap the length icon on the left side of the screen.
Select your desired duration: options now include 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds, and 3 minutes.

Smikky Top Tip: If you're editing a video outside of Instagram and uploading it as a Reel, ensure the final cut adheres to the 3-minute limit to avoid any issues during the upload process.

Are Longer Reels Better?

The optimal length depends on your content and audience engagement. While longer reels are useful for conveying extra content, conciseness should always be your top priority. Too much filler and fluff in your videos will see your audiences tuning out halfway through.

Short Reels (15–30 seconds): Ideal for quick tips, trends, comedy scenes or entertaining snippets.

Medium Reels (60–90 seconds): Suitable for tutorials, behind-the-scenes looks, or mini-vlogs.

Longer Reels (up to 3 minutes): Perfect for detailed storytelling, interviews, product demonstrations, or educational content.

Regardless of length, capturing your audience's attention early remains crucial, so cut out any unnecessary fluff during the edits process. Short and snappy content can bring in more likes since shorter attention spans mean concision performs well.

Reels Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is an Instagram Reel?

An Instagram Reel is Instagram's answer to TikTok - short-form video content in vertical video format. Reels can include music, text, filters, effects, voiceovers, and more, all within a video that can be up to 3 minutes long. You can record clips within the app or upload edited videos from your device, which many people choose to do with their TikTok content.

Reels are shown in the Reels tab, on your profile grid, on the main Feed, and may also appear in the Explore feed, with the latter making virality more likely.

Can I post a 3-minute Reel on Instagram?

You can post a Reel that's up to 3 minutes long on Instagram, but bear in mind, sometimes shorter is better. You can either record directly in the app or upload a pre-recorded video that fits the time and format requirements. This extended length (the time limit for Reels was once 90 seconds) gives you more freedom for storytelling, tutorials, product demos, or mini-vlogs.

Other common video length choices include 30 seconds and 60 seconds, while some bloggers choose to repurpose their TikTok content for Reels.

Even if you plan on making your video three minutes long, don't forget to include an initial hook to keep viewers engaged throughout.

Can you post existing videos as Reels?

You can post existing videos as Reels, and it's a great idea if you have pre-made content and want to save time on creating more. Just remember to make sure your video is vertical, 3 minutes or under, and is in MP4 format. You can trim, add music, text, or effects during the upload process to give your video that “Reels” feel or jazz up a plain video. Editing on an external app also works well.

What is the difference between a Reel and a Post on Instagram?

While both Reels and Posts allow you to share content with your audience on Instagram, they serve different purposes and offer different formats.

Reels are short, vertical videos designed for quick, engaging, and often entertaining content. They can be up to 3 minutes long and are discoverable beyond your followers through the Explore page and the dedicated Reels tab. Posts, on the other hand, are the traditional way of sharing content to your main Instagram feed. These can include photos or videos (in various orientations, not limited to vertical).

Instagram Reels have taken over the once image-heavy app, and it's now a rival for the likes of TikTok. If getting more followers is your goal, posting high-quality Reels should be your go-to plan.