Instagram Will Allow Reels Up to 3 Minutes Long

Instagram has announced that it will allow users to post Reels videos up to 3 minutes long, doubling the previous limit of 90 seconds. The information was announced by Adam Mosseri, Director of Instagram, who emphasized that the change came from user feedback that 90 seconds "is too short."

This is a big change from Mosseri, who said last July that Instagram would not pursue longer videos because it could impact the platform's 'core' of connecting people with friends.

The decision comes as TikTok, which has allowed three-minute videos since 2021, prepares to face a ban in the US. TikTok is scheduled to go dark on Sunday when the ban officially takes effect.

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Is Instagram Late to the Reels Race?

Instagram's expansion of the Reels length limit is a bit late. It's been more than two years since the platform allowed 90-second videos. Instagram previously tested increasing the limit to 10 minutes, but has yet to roll it out, limiting longer videos to non-Reels posts.

Expanding the Reels to three minutes could help Instagram attract more users, especially as TikTok threatens to disappear from the US market. However, success will depend on whether Instagram can maintain a seamless user experience.

If TikTok is indeed banned in the US, this could create a huge opportunity for competing platforms like Instagram, YouTube Shorts, or RedNote (Xiaohongshu). But whether Instagram can actually take advantage of this opportunity to replace TikTok will depend on many other factors.

If TikTok disappears, what will be the opportunity for Instagram?

TikTok currently has about 170 million users in the US, most of them young people. If the platform disappears, these people will find new places to create and consume short-form content. Instagram Reels, on the other hand, has a big advantage because it is already integrated into the Instagram ecosystem, a social network familiar to many TikTok users.

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Instagram's decision to raise the limit to three minutes helps the platform better cater to the demand for longer content, one of TikTok's previous strengths. At the same time, if Instagram can provide better tools for creators, such as editing features, unique effects, and monetization opportunities, it could attract TikTok's creative team.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 20 January 2025