Instagram Explains How Users Can Share Longer Reels

Aisha Beau Frisbey / Threads

In a recent video, Instagram explained how users can post videos longer than 90 seconds. While sharing videos via Reels is limited to 90 seconds, users can upload longer videos from the Post tab. However, these longer videos won't be eligible for recommendation in the Explore or Reels tab.

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Why It Matters: After speculation that Instagram was emulating TikTok by encouraging creators to post longer videos, the platform revealed that longer Reels (over 90 seconds) actually hinder distribution. Instagram now clarifies why this is the case, namely that these longer videos aren't eligible for recommendation experiences.

Although less discoverable, longer videos can still be valuable for creators and brands. However, when sharing these types of videos, they should anticipate that they may not perform as well as shorter Reels and should measure their performance accordingly.