How long can Instagram Reels be? Here's how to change the duration of your short-form video

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How long can Instagram Reels be? Here's how to change the duration of your short-form video
It's easy to share an Instagram Reel in a variety of ways.CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images
  • Instagram Reels can be 15 or 30 seconds long.
  • Reels is a short-form video format that is similar to TikTok.
  • To choose the duration of your reel, tap the length on the left side of the screen before you begin recording.

Instagram Reels are short-form videos on Instagram, not unlike (and clearly inspired by) TikTok videos. Users can upload videos that include music and video effects to share with their friends and followers.

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How long Instagram Reels can be

Reels can be either 15 or 30 seconds in length. By default, Instagram Reels are 15 seconds long. To change that, tap the "15" on the left side of the screen before you start to record. You can switch between 15 and 30 seconds right up until you begin recording, but after you begin, it's locked in at the selected length.

How long can Instagram Reels be? Here's how to change the duration of your short-form video
To change the length of your Instagram Reel, tap the time marker icon on the left side of the screen.Dave Johnson/Business Insider

How the length of Instagram Reels compares to other video formats

Instagram's intention is that reels are brief, so they are shorter than most other Instagram video formats. Regular Instagram videos can be up to a minute in length, IGTV videos can be as long as 15 minutes, and livestream videos can be as long as an hour. For all the details, see our guide to Instagram video length.

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Reels are also shorter than the other major short-form video platforms, including TikTok and Snapchat Spotlight, both of which let you record videos twice as long - up to one minute.

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