Instagram is testing Reels up to 10 minutes long

According to new reports, Instagram is testing the option to create Reels up to 10 minutes long.

The test, first spotted by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, allows users to create longer Reels using Instagram’s in-app camera.

#Instagram is working on the ability to create #Reels up to 10 minutes long 👀 pic.twitter.com/jQTUM9fPsM

— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) August 30, 2023

(These tests are still internal, so don’t be surprised if you can’t find the 10-minute option in your Instagram app.)

Longer Reels would allow content creators to post more in-depth content and eliminate the need to split longer videos into multiple parts.

At the moment, Instagram Reels can officially be from 15 to 90 seconds long — if you record your Reel using Instagram’s camera.

However, if you’re uploading Reels through a third-party scheduling tool (like *ahem* Hootsuite), your Reel can be anywhere from 3 seconds to 15 minutes long.

Instagram’s more formal move toward long-form video content looks like an attempt to compete with TikTok, which introduced 10-minute videos in February 2022.

Longer videos also put Instagram in direct competition with YouTube, which has been making inroads into the short-form video space with its Shorts format.