Instagram Reels update: Videos can now be up to 3 minutes long

Instagram has tested extending Reels limit to as much as 10 minutes but has held off on rolling that out
An undated image of Instagram Reels. — Shutterstock
An undated image of Instagram Reels. — Shutterstock

Instagram is set to allow you to upload Reels, up to 3 minutes long, doubling the 90-second limit the platform had in place before.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri credits today’s change to users’ feedback, saying that the 90 seconds “is just too short.” That’s a big turnaround for Mosseri, who said in July last year that the platform wouldn’t pursue long-form videos because it could compromise the platform’s “core identity to connect people with friends.”

Moreover, it comes as TikTok, which started letting 3-minute videos in 2021, is gearing up to go dark on Sunday in response to an imminent US ban.

Instagram has been slow to bump the length of Reels, it’s been more than two years since it started allowing minute-and-a-half videos.

The social media platform Instagram has tested extending the limit to as much as 10 minutes but has held off on rolling that out, leaving the ability to post long videos to non-Reels posts.

This approach indicates that Instagram is balancing user requirements for longer content with its identity as a platform for concise, engaging videos.