Instagram Reels length, size and format limits (2026)

Instagram Reels can be up to 20 minutes long when you post in the app, but only up to 15 minutes (and at least 3 seconds) when a scheduler posts through Instagram's API. Instagram accepts aspect ratios from 1.91:1 to 9:16 in the app and recommends 9:16 for API uploads. The Help Center asks for at least 720 pixels and 30 FPS. Instagram doesn't publish a maximum file size for the app. Through the API, the limit is 300 MB.

One more number that matters: Instagram says Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences.

Last checked: September 29, 2026.

I run a scheduler, so I read Meta's spec pages more often than is healthy. Below is every Reels limit I could find on Instagram's own pages, with a link to each one. Where Instagram doesn't publish a number, I say so instead of guessing.

Instagram Reels limits at a glance

The app column comes from Instagram's Help Center articles on recording a reel, reel size and aspect ratios, and hashtags. The API column comes from Meta's IG User Media reference, which is where the Content Publishing specs live.

In-app limits vs upload limits

Instagram's Record a reel article says you can "record and edit videos up to 20 minutes with Instagram Reels", made of one or more clips that add up to 20 minutes. The same article adds the caveat most people miss: "Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences."

So 20 minutes is the hard limit, and 3 minutes is the practical one if you want reach beyond your followers.

You'll also still see "up to 3 minutes" in search results. That's the page's old summary text. The article body itself says 20 minutes.

For the file itself, the size and aspect ratio article says:

• Aspect ratio between 1.91:1 (wide) and 9:16 (tall).
• A minimum frame rate of 30 FPS.
• A minimum resolution of 720 pixels.
• Technical details for people who want them: progressive scan, High profile, closed GOP, 4:2:0 chroma subsampling, and stereo audio at 48 kHz or 96 kHz.

Instagram doesn't publish a maximum file size for uploads in the app. I've seen numbers quoted on other sites, but none of them come from Instagram, so I'm not repeating them here.

Limits when posting through the API

Schedulers can't use the app. They post through Instagram's Content Publishing API, which has its own, stricter spec. From the Reel specifications:

• Container: MOV or MP4, no edit lists, moov atom at the front of the file.
• Video codec: HEVC or H.264, progressive scan, closed GOP, 4:2:0 chroma subsampling.
• Audio codec: AAC, 48 kHz sample rate maximum, mono or stereo, 128 kbps.
• Frame rate: 23 to 60 FPS.
• Picture size: maximum 1920 pixels wide. Aspect ratio between 0.01:1 and 10:1, with 9:16 recommended "to avoid cropping or blank space".
• Video bitrate: variable, 25 Mbps maximum.
• Duration: 3 seconds minimum, 15 minutes maximum.
• File size: 300 MB maximum.

Two other API rules worth knowing. Instagram accounts are limited to 100 API-published posts in a 24-hour moving period, and the API only serves professional accounts, meaning Business and Creator accounts. A personal account can't be posted to by any scheduler that uses the official API.

If you're scheduling Stories too, the API limits are tighter: 3 seconds to 60 seconds, and 100 MB maximum, per the same Story video specifications.

Caption, hashtag and mention limits

The API reference says a caption can have a maximum of 2,200 characters, 30 hashtags, and 20 @ tags.

The Help Center now disagrees on hashtags. Instagram's hashtag article says: "You can use up to 5 tags on a post. If you include more than 5 tags on a single photo/video, your comment won't post."

Meta hasn't updated the API reference to match, and I can't tell you from their docs what the API does with a sixth hashtag. The safe move is to follow the stricter number: 5 hashtags or fewer.

None of the Help Center articles I read state an in-app caption length. The 2,200-character figure is the API's.

Cover image rules

In the app, Instagram recommends a cover of 420 x 654 pixels (a 1:1.55 ratio) in PNG or JPG. It also warns that you currently can't edit the cover after you've uploaded the reel. You pick the cover from a frame of the video or upload your own image, as described in the Record a reel article.

Through the API, the rules for a Reels cover photo are different:

• JPEG only, up to 8 MB.
• 9:16 is recommended. If the image isn't 9:16, Instagram crops the middle 9:16 rectangle.
• If the reel is also shared to the feed, Instagram crops the middle 1:1 square for the feed version.
• You can pass a cover image (cover_url) or a frame offset in milliseconds (thumb_offset). If you send both, the image wins. If you send neither, the offset defaults to 0, the first frame.

The practical takeaway: keep faces and text in the centre of your cover so both crops work.

Common mistakes

• Posting a 10-minute reel and expecting new viewers. It can be up to 20 minutes, but Instagram says reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences.
• Assuming the app limits apply to your scheduler. A 16-minute reel works in the app and fails through the API. So does a 400 MB file.
• Using a lot of hashtags. The API docs still say 30. Instagram's Help Center says 5.
• Uploading a horizontal video as a reel. It's allowed, but Meta recommends 9:16 specifically to avoid cropping or blank space.
• Sending a video under 3 seconds through the API. That's below the API minimum.
• Putting important text at the edges of the cover. The 9:16 and 1:1 crops will cut it off.

Posting to all three

If you post the same vertical video to Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, the limits don't line up neatly. The TikTok limits and YouTube Shorts limits pages have the details, and how to post one video to TikTok, Reels and Shorts covers the workflow. The short version: a 9:16 video, 1080 pixels wide, 30 to 60 FPS, 3 minutes or shorter and under 300 MB, fits all three.

Where Postminion fits

I built Postminion because I was spending an hour a day re-uploading the same video to five different apps.

Postminion posts Reels through Instagram's official API, so the API column above is what applies. Its composer takes one video per post, up to 3 minutes and 500 MB. That covers most Reels, since most Reels are well under 3 minutes anyway.

Two honest caveats:

• Longer reels need the Instagram app. Anything over 3 minutes won't fit in Postminion.
• Instagram's API stops at 300 MB, even though Postminion's uploader accepts up to 500 MB. If you're posting to Instagram, export under 300 MB. Some quick maths: a 3-minute video at Instagram's 25 Mbps maximum bitrate is about 560 MB, so for a full 3 minutes keep the average bitrate around 13 Mbps or lower.

Postminion also lets you pick a cover frame, which it sends to Instagram as the reel's cover, and write a different caption for each account. It works with Business and Creator accounts only. How to schedule Instagram Reels walks through the whole process, and the Instagram scheduler page has the overview.

Try Postminion free for 7 days.

FAQ

How long can an Instagram Reel be in 2026?

Up to 20 minutes in the Instagram app, according to Instagram's Help Center. Through the API that schedulers use, the limit is 15 minutes, with a 3-second minimum. Instagram says reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences.

What is the maximum file size for an Instagram Reel?

Instagram doesn't publish a file size limit for uploads in the app. Through the Content Publishing API, the limit is 300 MB.

What is the best aspect ratio for Instagram Reels?

9:16. The app accepts anything from 1.91:1 to 9:16, and the API accepts a much wider range, but Meta recommends 9:16 to avoid cropping or blank space.

How many hashtags can you use on a Reel?

Instagram's Help Center says up to 5 per post. The API reference still says 30. Use 5 or fewer to be safe.

Can I schedule a Reel longer than 3 minutes with Postminion?

No. Postminion's composer takes videos up to 3 minutes and 500 MB. For longer Reels, post directly in the Instagram app.