How long can a video be on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook? Every limit for 2026
Video length limits for every platform, in the app and through the API: 20-minute Instagram reels, 60-minute TikTok uploads, 3-minute YouTube Shorts and more.
10 minute read By SocialHelper team
An Instagram reel can be up to 20 minutes, a TikTok upload up to 60 minutes, a LinkedIn video 15 minutes, a post on X 20 minutes and a YouTube Short 3 minutes. Facebook dropped its length limit for reels in 2025. Those are the limits in each platform’s own app. A scheduler or AI tool posts through the platform’s API instead, and often gets less. That’s 15 minutes for an Instagram reel, 90 seconds for a Facebook reel and 10 minutes on TikTok, or less if the creator’s own cap is lower.
The lengths below come from each platform’s help centre or developer documentation, checked on October 17, 2026. The file limits come from the code SocialHelper runs to check a video before it publishes it.
Video length limits at a glance
A video length limit is the shortest and longest video a platform accepts in one post. Most platforms publish two sets. The app limit is what you can post from the platform’s own app or website. The API limit is what other software, such as a scheduler or an AI assistant, can post for you. A YouTube Short is a square or vertical video of up to 3 minutes, and YouTube files anything longer or wider as a regular video (YouTube Help: Shorts).
| Platform | In the app | Through the API |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram reel | Up to 20 minutes | 3 seconds to 15 minutes, 300 MB |
| Instagram story | 60 seconds per clip; longer videos are split | 3 to 60 seconds, 100 MB |
| Facebook reel | No length limit | 3 to 90 seconds |
| Facebook Page video | No length limit (shared as a reel) | 20 minutes and 1 GB in one request; 45 minutes and 1.75 GB resumable |
| TikTok | 10 minutes recorded, 60 minutes uploaded | Up to 10 minutes, within each creator’s cap of 3, 5 or 10 |
| YouTube video | 15 minutes; 12 hours or 256 GB for verified accounts | Same, with a 256 GB file limit |
| YouTube Short | Up to 3 minutes, square or vertical | Same |
| 3 seconds to 15 minutes, 5 GB | 3 seconds to 30 minutes, 75 KB to 500 MB | |
| X | 0.5 seconds to 20 minutes; 125 minutes with Premium | Same as the app |
| Threads | Not published | Up to 5 minutes, 1 GB |
| 4 seconds to 15 minutes, 2 GB | Not published separately | |
| Snapchat | Not published | Story 5 to 60 seconds; Spotlight 6 to 60 seconds |
| Tumblr | Not published | 10 minutes, 500 MB |
Video length by platform
How long can a video be on Instagram?
An Instagram reel can be up to 20 minutes long when you post it from the app. Instagram’s help centre says “You can record and edit videos up to 20 minutes with Instagram Reels” and adds that “Reels over 3 minutes won’t be recommended to new audiences” (Instagram Help). Apps that post through the API get less. Meta’s developer reference allows reels of 3 seconds to 15 minutes and up to 300 MB (Instagram Platform: IG User Media). Reels should be at least 720 pixels and 30 frames per second, in any shape from 1.91:1 to 9:16 (Instagram Help: Reel sizes).
How long can Instagram stories be?
A story video up to 60 seconds long appears as one clip. Instagram’s help centre says “Longer videos will be broken up into multiple clips”, and on iPhone you can trim them in the app (Instagram Help: Stories). Through the API, a story video can be 3 to 60 seconds and up to 100 MB, according to the same developer reference as reels.
How long can a reel be on Facebook?
A Facebook reel has no length limit in the app. On June 17, 2025, Meta said that “all videos on Facebook will be shared as reels” and that “Reels on Facebook will also not have any length or format restrictions” (Meta Newsroom). The Reels Publishing API still lists 3 to 90 seconds, and 60 for a reel shared as a Page story (Meta Video API: Reels). A regular Page video sent in one request, as a file or a link, “cannot exceed 1 GB in size and 20 minutes in duration” (Graph API reference). An upload sent in parts can reach 45 minutes and 1.75 GB. SocialHelper sends Facebook Page videos in one request, so the 20-minute limit is the one that applies.
How long can a TikTok video be?
A TikTok video can be up to 60 minutes when you upload it in the app, or 10 minutes when you record it there (TikTok Support). For apps, TikTok’s Content Posting API says “All TikTok creators can post 3-minute videos, while some have access to post 5-minute or 10-minute videos” (TikTok for Developers). The longest video an app can send is 10 minutes, up to 4 GB. SocialHelper shows each creator’s cap in the TikTok settings when you write a post, and AI assistants can read it with the creator_info tool.
How long can YouTube Shorts be?
A YouTube Short can be up to 3 minutes long. Since October 15, 2024, YouTube’s help centre says, any video “with a square or vertical aspect ratio up to three minutes in length” counts as a Short. A Short over one minute with an active copyright claim of any type is blocked worldwide. A horizontal video is a regular video at any length.
How long can a YouTube video be?
A YouTube video can be up to 15 minutes by default. A verified account can upload longer videos, up to 12 hours or 256 GB, “whichever is less” (YouTube Help: Longer videos). The YouTube Data API accepts files of up to 256 GB as well (YouTube Data API: Videos insert). SocialHelper stores videos of up to 1 GB, so that’s the largest file it can send to YouTube.
LinkedIn video length limit
A LinkedIn video can be 3 seconds to 15 minutes long and up to 5 GB when you post it from LinkedIn. The mobile app accepts videos from 2 seconds (LinkedIn Help). LinkedIn’s Videos API allows longer videos but smaller files: “Three seconds to 30 minutes” and “Between 75kb and 500MB” (LinkedIn Videos API). SocialHelper posts videos to LinkedIn Pages and checks that they’re between 75 KB and 500 MB. Posts to a personal LinkedIn profile take photos only.
X (Twitter) video length
A video on X can be 0.5 seconds to 20 minutes and up to 8 GB. With X Premium it can run 125 minutes and 16 GB. X’s developer docs say “Post-video caps match the X app”, so the API and the app agree here (X API documentation). Videos in direct messages are shorter, at 140 seconds without Premium.
Threads, Pinterest, Snapchat and Tumblr
- Threads: Meta’s Threads API allows videos of up to 5 minutes and 1 GB (Threads API). A carousel can mix up to 20 photos and videos.
- Pinterest: Video Pins can be 4 seconds to 15 minutes and up to 2 GB, in Pinterest’s specs for ads and organic Pins (Pinterest Help). SocialHelper sends videos of up to 1 GB.
- Snapchat: Snapchat’s Public Profile API takes story videos of 5 to 60 seconds and Spotlight videos of 6 to 60 seconds (Snap for Developers), and both need at least 540 by 960 pixels. SocialHelper checks that size and a file limit of 60 MB.
- Tumblr: Tumblr’s API documentation limits a video to 500 MB and 10 minutes (Tumblr API docs). Accounts also have a daily limit on video uploads.
What SocialHelper checks before it posts a video
SocialHelper checks each video against the platform’s rules before anything is queued, and lists every problem at once. It verifies the file type, the file size and the number of videos a post can hold. These limits come from its code for each platform.
| Platform | Formats | Largest file | Videos per post |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook MP4 and MOV | MP4 and MOV | 1 GB | 1 |
| Instagram MP4 and MOV | MP4 and MOV | 300 MB | 10mixed with photos |
| LinkedIn Pages MP4 | MP4 | 500 MB | 1 |
| Pinterest MP4 and MOV | MP4 and MOV | 1 GB | 1 |
| Snapchat MP4 | MP4 | 60 MB | 1 |
| Threads MP4 and MOV | MP4 and MOV | 1 GB | 20mixed with photos |
| TikTok MP4, MOV and WebM | MP4, MOV and WebM | 1 GB | 1 |
| Tumblr MP4 and MOV | MP4 and MOV | 500 MB | 1 |
| YouTube MP4, MOV, WebM, MPEG, AVI, WMV, FLV and 3GP | MP4, MOV, WebM, MPEG, AVI, WMV, FLV and 3GP | 1 GB | 1 |
Snapchat stops at 60 MB and Instagram at 300 MB, while most others take a gigabyte.
The limits SocialHelper checks before posting, read from its code for each platform. Where a platform accepts larger files than SocialHelper stores (1 GB), the bar shows the lower limit.
Length is the one limit SocialHelper leaves to the platform, because the platform measures it when it processes the video. Threads, for example, reports a video that’s too long as INVALID_DURATION (Threads API: Troubleshooting). SocialHelper turns that into “Threads accepts videos up to 5 minutes long” and marks that account as failed. It doesn’t retry, since the same video would fail again. The other accounts in the post go ahead. SocialHelper posts photos but not videos to X, LinkedIn, Telegram, Discord, Bluesky, Mastodon and Google Business Profile.
Why apps and schedulers get shorter limits
- The API has its own spec. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn publish separate rules for videos posted by apps, and those rules don’t always change when the app does. Facebook’s app dropped its reel limit in 2025, while the Reels API still says 90 seconds.
- Some limits belong to the creator. On TikTok, an account may post 3, 5 or 10 minutes, so the same video can work for one creator and fail for another. Apps read each creator’s cap as
max_video_post_duration_sec(TikTok: Query creator info). - Uploads come in one piece or in parts. Facebook’s 20-minute limit applies to a video sent in one request. Sent in parts, it can reach 45 minutes.
- Shape changes the format. On YouTube, a vertical 2-minute video becomes a Short and a horizontal one doesn’t. Instagram takes reels from 1.91:1 (wide) to 9:16 (tall).
How to make one video fit every platform
- Cut it to 6 to 60 seconds. That range fits every app and API limit in the table, even Snapchat Spotlight and Instagram stories.
- Film vertical, at 9:16. Instagram, Threads and Facebook reels recommend it, YouTube treats it as a Short, and LinkedIn accepts anything from 1:2.4 to 2.4:1.
- Export MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio at 30 frames per second. Every platform here accepts that combination, and 30 frames per second meets Instagram’s recommended minimum for reels.
- Keep the file small for the strictest platform. Under 60 MB covers Snapchat, and under 300 MB covers Instagram.
- Trim it before you schedule it. SocialHelper’s composer can trim or mute a video in the browser and pick the cover frame (Help: Photos and videos). Its checks then show which accounts can’t take the file, before anything is posted.
Frequently asked questions
Can you post a 5-minute video on Instagram?
Yes, as a reel. The app takes reels of up to 20 minutes, and apps posting through the API can send up to 15. Instagram says it won’t recommend reels over 3 minutes to new audiences, so a 5-minute reel mostly reaches people who already follow you.
Can you post a 5-minute video to an Instagram story?
Yes, from the app. Instagram automatically breaks a video longer than 60 seconds into several story clips. Through the API, a story video can be 60 seconds at most, so a scheduling app can’t publish it in one piece.
Why is my Short uploading as a regular video?
Because it’s longer than 3 minutes or wider than it is tall. YouTube classifies only square or vertical videos of up to 3 minutes as Shorts, and a horizontal video, such as 16:9, is always a regular video.
Can you make a 3-minute video on TikTok?
Yes. TikTok’s developer documentation says every creator can post 3-minute videos, including through apps, and some can post 5 or 10 minutes, so a 2-minute video is well within the limit. Uploads in the TikTok app itself can run to 60 minutes.
What are Instagram’s video specs?
Reels posted through the API need MOV or MP4 files with H.264 or HEVC video and AAC audio. They can be 3 seconds to 15 minutes long, at 23 to 60 frames per second, up to 1,920 pixels wide and 300 MB. Meta recommends 9:16 to avoid cropping. The Instagram API guide covers how the upload works.
How we checked these numbers
The file types, sizes and counts in the table and chart come from SocialHelper’s platform integrations, the code that checks each post before it goes out. When a platform changes a limit and we update that code, this page changes with it. The TikTok, LinkedIn Pages, Pinterest and Snapchat integrations are new. Live now: TikTok and Pinterest. LinkedIn Pages and Snapchat are built and waiting on approval from the platform, and appear in the dashboard once approved.
We analyzed each platform’s help centre and developer documentation on October 17, 2026, then ran a fact check of every length and size on this page against them. Each section links the page it comes from. For the counting rules behind captions, see social media character limits.
Spotted a limit that has changed? Contact us and we’ll correct it.
