Upgraded AI Performance in V8
Listed in Many Instagram creators have been puzzled about posting longer videos — and it’s not just hearsay. On Reddit, users frequently report sudden changes in how Instagram handles uploads:
"I don’t get why ig has to be like this im literally post 1 video that’s only 3 mins long and two other vids that are like 15 seconds and it keeps on cutting my 3 minute vid for no reason。" - reddit user.
"Whenever I share a reel to my stories, it always trims it down to a 15 second clip." - reddit user.
These experiences highlight a common frustration: Instagram’s video limits can be confusing, inconsistent, and sometimes change without notice, making it tricky for creators to plan their content.
In the sections below, we’ll break down the current video limits, explain why some videos get trimmed unexpectedly, and show the best ways to upload longer videos on Instagram.
The Length of Instagram Videos
Here is a breakdown of the maximum duration of a video that you can upload to Instagram:
- Instagram Story: The maximum length of video posted on IG story is 60 seconds.
- Instagram Reel: IG Reels can be up to 90 seconds long when created using the Instagram app's built-in Reels camera or uploaded from your gallery.
- Instagram Feed: When posting a video on the Instagram app from your mobile device, the duration is limited to 15 minutes.
- Live Video: You can host a live video for 4 hour on max on Instagram.
Why You Can’t Post Longer Videos on Instagram
Even though Instagram now allows Feed videos up to 60 minutes and Reels up to 20 minutes, some users still experience issues when uploading longer videos. Common reasons include:
- Account or device limits: Older accounts or certain devices may still default to shorter upload durations. This is why some Reels appear under 90 seconds.
- Upload method: Uploading via the Reels button or Reels camera can cause Instagram to automatically shorten videos to the default Reels duration.
- Feed-to-Reels conversion: Videos under 15 minutes uploaded to the Feed may appear in the Reels section, making them look shorter or behave like Reels.
- Technical glitches: Some Reddit users reported that videos over 15 minutes were trimmed unexpectedly, especially on desktop or older accounts. Most of these issues are usually resolved within a few days.
Tip: If your video is longer than the allowed limit, consider splitting it into shorter clips, using IG Live for full-length streaming, or sharing via a YouTube link.
How to Post Long Videos on Instagram Story
Instagram Stories can be up to 60 seconds per clip and disappear after 24 hours. If your video is longer, you’ll need to split it into multiple 60-second clips before posting. Here’s how to do it on computer, Android, and iOS.
#1. On Your Computer
Use VideoProc Converter AI to split long videos into 60-second segments: – to split your long clip into 60-second segments.
Steps:
Step 1. Download and install VideoProc Converter AI on your computer at the get-go.
Step 2. Fire up VideoProc Converter AI and select Video on the main interface.
Step 3. Click +Video at the top to load a video file from your computer.
Step 4. Choose Toolbox at the bottom and double-click on Split. In the Split Video menu, put a checkmark in the box of Split video every how long seconds, and type 60 in the field.
Step 5. Select Done to return to the last page and click on the RUN button to start splitting your video.
When the splitting is done, transfer the video clips to your mobile device and upload to your Story, or directly upload them to your Story from your computer.
Some of the Killer Features of VideoProc Converter AI:
- Split a long video clip into equal-length segments with no quality loss.
- Support landscape and portrait videos.
- Support almost all video formats, like MP4, MOV, H.264, AAC, etc.
- Render videos with hardware encoding.
- Other AI-driven video features: AI upscaling, AI stabilizing, cutting, cropping, rotating, etc.
#2. On Android
the Story Cutter app to split videos:
Step 1. Download and install Story Cutter from Google Play.
Step 2. Launch the app on your phone.
Step 3. Tap Gallery to import your video. You can even import videos to the app from online storage services like Dropbox and Google Drive.
Step 4. Select video length for your clip.
When the splitting is finished, video clips will be auto-saved to your Gallery and you can put them one after another to your Story.
#3. On iOS
Use the Split Video app from the App Store:
Step 1. Bring Split Video to your iPhone from App Store.
Step 2. Open Split Video once the installation is complete.
Step 3. Move the slider on the timeline to adjust clip length.
Step 4. Tap Select Video to open the video from your Camera Roll.
Step 5. Tap Split and Save Clips.
Once the splitting is done, you can find the clips saved in the Photos app.
How to Post a Long Video on Instagram Live
If you want to post a video over 15 mins, Instagram Live could offer a solution. Instagram Live enables you to share videos for up to 4 hours. You have two options when using this feature: live streaming in real-time or going live with a pre-recorded video. Thus if you choose the pre-recorded route, you can post longer videos on Instagram. See below how to post a longer video on Instagram via IG Live.
To live stream a pre-recorded video on Instagram, you need a streaming solution called OneStream Live. OneStream is a cloud-based platform that allows you to live stream pre-recorded videos or broadcast in real-time to various social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, Mixer, and over 45 others.
To use OneStream Live with Instagram, follow these simple steps:
Step 1. Connect your Instagram account to OneStream Live.
Step 2. Upload the long video to the platform.
Step 3. Schedule the video to go live on IG at your desired time.
The video will automatically go live on Instagram at the scheduled time.
How to Post Long Videos on Instagram via Embedded Link
Another solution to bypass Instagram's video length limits and post long videos on IG is to upload your video to YouTube and share the YTB link with your followers on Instagram for easy access. This way, you can easily post a long video on Instagram. To that end:
Step 1. Upload the long video on YouTube.
Step 2. Copy the YouTube video's link from the address bar, or click the 'Share' button and copy the link.
Step 3. Upload the video thumbnail on IG Story, click on the Media icon at the top bar, select the Link option, and paste the YouTube video URL you have copied. Tap Done to embed the YouTube link on IG story.
Step 4. Click on Share to upload the long video on Instagram.
Conclusion
Overall, Instagram allows you to upload a video for up to 15 minutes. And for posting longer videos on IG, you can split a long video into many 60-second segments with video editing software or video splitter apps and upload to your Instagram story, making them look like a continuous video. Of course, you can also start a live video for 4 hours on max, or upload the video to YouTube and embed the link on IG.
