> Source: https://www.trackmedia.app/blog/how-long-can-an-instagram-reel-be · Last updated: 2026-10-06

# Instagram Reels length, size and aspect ratio

Instagram's Help Center says a Reel can run up to 20 minutes in the app, while Meta's API reference says 15. Here are the length, size and ratio limits.

*Guides · Published 2026-10-06*

How long an Instagram Reel can be depends on where you publish: Instagram's Help Center says you can record and edit a Reel up to 20 minutes long in the app. Meta's developer reference for publishing through the API gives a different Instagram Reels length: 15 minutes at most and 3 seconds at least.

This guide lists the current limits for Reel length, aspect ratio, resolution, file size and format, and for Stories and carousels too. Every number was copied from an Instagram or Meta page read on October 6, 2026, and each is attributed where it appears.

## How long can an Instagram Reel be?

Instagram's Help Center article [Record a reel on Instagram](https://help.instagram.com/2720958398006062) says: "You can record and edit videos up to 20 minutes with Instagram Reels." Under the heading "How long your reel can be", it adds that you can record one clip or several clips that add up to 20 minutes, and that the progress bar at the top shows how much you have recorded. The same article warns that "Reels isn't currently available to everyone", and that some accounts can see reels but not record them.

The same article carries a second rule that matters for reach: "Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences." So 20 minutes is the most the app accepts, and 3 minutes is the length Instagram says its recommendations treat as the cutoff for people who do not follow you.

### Do Instagram's own pages agree?

No. Instagram's About page for [Reels](https://about.instagram.com/features/reels) says you can "create multi-clip videos up to 3 minutes". The Help Center article is the more specific how-to page and gives 20 minutes, so we list it first; Instagram does not say which page is newer. Its [creators FAQ](https://creators.instagram.com/faq?locale=en_US) repeats the 3-minute figure for recommendations: "We recommend videos to unconnected audiences that are 3 minutes or less." Because Instagram's own pages disagree, trust the progress bar in your own app over any page, including this one if a number matters to you.

### What is the minimum Reel length?

Instagram's Help Center pages that we read do not state a minimum for the app. Meta's [IG User Media reference](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/instagram-platform/instagram-graph-api/reference/ig-user/media) says Reels published through the API need a duration of "15 mins maximum, 3 seconds minimum". Treat 3 seconds as the floor if you publish through an API.

## What is the difference between app limits and API limits?

The Instagram app and Meta's publishing API publish to the same Reels tab, but the two sets of published numbers are not identical. Here is what each source says, as of October 6, 2026. The app column comes from Instagram's Help Center page [Reel size and aspect ratios on Instagram](https://help.instagram.com/1038071743007909) and the Record a reel article. The API column comes from the Reel Specifications section of the IG User Media reference, a page Meta marked as updated on September 28, 2026.

| Spec | Instagram app | Meta API |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maximum length | 20 minutes | 15 mins |
| Minimum length | Not stated | 3 seconds |
| Aspect ratio | Between 1.91:1 and 9:16 | Between 0.01:1 and 10:1, 9:16 recommended |
| Frame rate | Minimum 30 FPS | 23-60 FPS |
| Resolution | Minimum 720 pixels | Maximum 1920 horizontal pixels |
| File size | Not stated | 300MB maximum |

Only one of these rows is a true conflict: the app's 20-minute limit is longer than the API's 15. The frame rates overlap, since 30 FPS sits inside the API's 23 to 60, so a 30 FPS export meets both. Meta does not explain the length gap on either page. If you publish through an API, plan to the lower number.

![Bar chart on one scale of the longest video each Instagram format allows: Reel in the app 20 minutes, Reel through Meta's API 15 minutes, Reel length recommended to new audiences 3 minutes, Story video through Meta's API 60 seconds.](https://www.trackmedia.app/assets/img/blog/how-long-can-an-instagram-reel-be-fig1.svg)

*Longest video length by format, using numbers from Instagram's Help Center and Meta's IG User Media reference.*

## What size and aspect ratio should an Instagram Reel be?

Instagram's Help Center says you can upload a Reel "with an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16". Meta's API reference calls its required range "between 0.01:1 and 10:1" and recommends 9:16 "to avoid cropping or blank space". The safe choice for both routes is a vertical 9:16 video.

Here is a worked example using those ranges. A 16:9 widescreen clip is about 1.78:1, so it falls inside the range the Help Center lists, though it will not fill a vertical screen. A 21:9 clip is about 2.33:1, which is wider than 1.91:1, so it falls outside that range. We did not test what the app does with it, so crop or re-export it first.

### What resolution does a Reel need?

The Help Center page says Reels "should have a minimum frame rate of 30 FPS" and a "minimum resolution of 720 pixels". It does not say whether the 720 refers to width or height. Meta's API reference sets the other end: a maximum of 1920 horizontal pixels. By our own arithmetic, a 9:16 video that is 1080 pixels wide is 1080 by 1920, which is inside that ceiling. Neither page names 1080 by 1920 as a recommended size, so treat it as an example, not an Instagram rule.

### What size is a Reel cover photo?

The Help Center recommends cover photos of 420px by 654px (a 1:1.55 ratio) and says you cannot edit a cover after you upload it. Meta's API page recommends 9:16 for the cover, says a different ratio is cropped to the middle 9:16 rectangle, and says a Reel shared to the feed uses the middle 1:1 square. Its API cover must be a JPEG of 8MB or less.

## What file size and format can a Reel be?

Meta's API reference lists 300MB as the maximum Reel file size. The Help Center's Reel pages that we read do not state an in-app file size limit, so we cannot tell you one for uploads from the app.

For format, the API reference says the container must be "MOV or MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14), no edit lists, moov atom at the front of the file". It lists these further requirements:

- **Video codec:** HEVC or H264, progressive scan, closed GOP, 4:2:0 chroma subsampling.
- **Video bitrate:** VBR, 25Mbps maximum.
- **Audio codec:** AAC, 48khz sample rate maximum, 1 or 2 channels (mono or stereo).
- **Audio bitrate:** 128kbps.

The Help Center's "Additional technical details" section is written for people who have trouble uploading. It asks for progressive scan, High profile, 2 consecutive B frames, closed GOP with a GOP of half the frame rate, CABAC and 4:2:0 chroma subsampling, and stereo or stereo plus 5.1 audio at 96khz or 48khz. Where the two pages differ, such as the 96khz audio, an export that meets both lists is the safest.

The same page also describes a quality setting: in the app, go to your profile, tap **Menu**, tap **Media quality** under **Your app and media**, and turn on **Upload at highest quality**. Instagram says higher quality may take longer to upload.

## How long can a regular video, Story or carousel video be?

Stories are the one format with a clearly stated number. Instagram's help page on [sharing a photo or video to your story](https://help.instagram.com/1257341144298972) (iPhone version) says that a video up to 60 seconds long "will appear as one clip" and that longer videos "will be broken up into multiple clips". Meta's API reference gives Story videos 3 seconds minimum, 60 seconds maximum and 100MB maximum. For linking from a Story, see our guide to [adding a link to an Instagram Story](https://www.trackmedia.app/blog/how-to-add-link-to-instagram-story).

For regular feed videos, we could not find a separate length limit. Instagram's Help Center page [How do I post a video?](https://help.instagram.com/456185931138729) opens the Record a reel article, which suggests Instagram now routes video posting through Reels. We did not confirm that with Instagram, so treat it as our reading.

For carousels, Instagram's page [Share a post with multiple photos or videos](https://help.instagram.com/269314186824048) says you can share up to 20 photos and videos as one post. It also says videos in carousels "are not considered reels". It gives no per-video length. Meta's API, by contrast, allows a carousel of up to 10 images, videos or a mix of both, and says Reels cannot appear in carousels.

## What if my video is too long or the wrong shape?

1. **Check the length against your route.** In the app the Help Center limit is 20 minutes. Through an API, stay under 15 minutes. If you want new people to see it, Instagram says to keep it to 3 minutes or less.
2. **Trim or split it.** Instagram's computer steps include a **Trim** slider for the start and end of a clip. In the phone app you can reorder clips and use the trimmers on each clip.
3. **Reframe to 9:16.** Re-export a vertical version rather than letting Instagram crop it. For anything outside 1.91:1 to 9:16, re-export before you upload.
4. **Re-export the file.** Use MP4 or MOV with H264 video and AAC audio and a frame rate of 30 FPS. If the file is going through an API, also keep it under 300MB and no more than 1920 pixels wide. If publishing through an API ends in status `ERROR`, retry with a shorter, smaller copy.

## How TrackMedia handles Reels and these limits

TrackMedia can request an Instagram Reel through its API or a per-target override, and it then creates the container with the Reels media type. The web composer has no Reel option, so you cannot choose Reel there. [How publishing works in TrackMedia](https://www.trackmedia.app/#publish) covers what the composer does offer for Instagram.

TrackMedia's ready-or-blocked check for Instagram does not test a video's length, file size or aspect ratio, so it will not catch a Reel that is too long or the wrong shape. Check your file against the table above before you schedule. TrackMedia does not publish Stories. To see how a scheduled Instagram post appears after you queue it, read [how to see scheduled posts on Instagram](https://www.trackmedia.app/blog/how-to-see-scheduled-posts-on-instagram).

If you want to schedule your Instagram posts in one place, you can [start free with TrackMedia](https://go.trackmedia.app/signup).

## How we checked this

We opened each page below in a browser on October 6, 2026 and copied the numbers from it. We did not upload test videos to a live Instagram account, so we have not confirmed what the app does when a file breaks a limit. Instagram's pages already disagree with each other, so check the live pages if a number looks different.

- [Record a reel on Instagram](https://help.instagram.com/2720958398006062) (Instagram Help Center): 20 minutes, 3-minute recommendation. We read both the computer and iPhone versions.
- [Reel size & aspect ratios on Instagram](https://help.instagram.com/1038071743007909) (Instagram Help Center): aspect ratio, frame rate, resolution, cover size, technical details.
- [Instagram Reels: Create & Share Short Videos](https://about.instagram.com/features/reels) (About Instagram): the 3-minute figure.
- [Share a photo or video to your Instagram story](https://help.instagram.com/1257341144298972) (Instagram Help Center, iPhone version): the 60-second Story clip rule.
- [Share a post with multiple photos or videos on Instagram](https://help.instagram.com/269314186824048) (Instagram Help Center): carousel limit of 20 and that carousel videos are not Reels.
- [IG User Media](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/instagram-platform/instagram-graph-api/reference/ig-user/media) (Meta for Developers, Instagram Platform, updated September 28, 2026): Reel and Story video specifications, cover photo, carousel limits.
- [Content Publishing](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/instagram-platform/content-publishing) (Meta for Developers, Instagram Platform, updated June 30, 2026): carousels of up to 10, container status codes.

We could not verify a stated minimum Reel length or maximum file size for in-app uploads, a separate length limit for regular feed videos, or the length limit for videos inside carousels, so we do not give numbers for them. We also did not verify the history of earlier Reel length changes. TrackMedia's behavior comes from our own product and Instagram connector code, read the same day.