Free Instagram tool
Instagram Reels Size Checker
A Reel can run 20 minutes in the app, but scheduling tools publish through an API that stops at 15 minutes and 300 MB. Drop a file in and see which of those it clears.
Last updated: 2026-10-25
Instagram Reels have two sets of limits, and the one you meet depends on how you post. In the app a Reel runs from 3 seconds to 20 minutes. The publishing API that scheduling tools use stops at 15 minutes and 300 MB, and the Instagram help center publishes no file size of its own.
Then there is the recommended length. Instagram only recommends Reels of 3 minutes or less to new audiences, so a longer Reel is accepted but is shown mostly to people who already follow you. The checker reports that as information, not as a failure.
Shape is the last check. 1080 x 1920 at 9:16 fills the screen, anything from 9:16 to 1.91:1 is accepted, and the video has to be at least 720 pixels wide. Your file is measured in your browser and never uploaded.
Your file never leaves your browser. The dimensions are read on your device and nothing is uploaded to us.
Pick a file and every Instagram format is checked against it at once.
The full spec sheet is below, so you can read the numbers without uploading anything.
Instagram video and image specs
Every Instagram surface with its own limits, in one place. These are the platform ceilings, so an upload that clears them still has to clear whatever your publishing tool allows.
Instagram Feed image
| Max file size | 8 MB |
|---|---|
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1350 |
| Minimum size | 320 pixels wide |
| Aspect ratio | 4:5 recommended, 1:1.25 to 1.91:1 accepted |
| File types | JPG, PNG |
- Portrait 4:5 takes the most vertical space in the feed, which is why it beats square for reach on the same image.
- Instagram re-compresses every upload to 1080 pixels wide, so exporting at 4K only makes the upload slower.
- The Instagram app itself now accepts portraits up to 3:4 (1080 x 1440). The publishing API that scheduling tools use still stops at 4:5.
Instagram Reel
| Max file size | 300 MB |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 seconds to 20 minutes |
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1920 |
| Minimum size | 720 pixels wide |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 recommended, 1:1.78 to 1.91:1 accepted |
| Bitrate | Up to 25 Mbps |
| File types | MP4, MOV |
- A Reel can run up to 20 minutes in the app, but Instagram only recommends Reels of 3 minutes or less to new audiences. The publishing API that scheduling tools use stops at 15 minutes.
- 300 MB is the file ceiling in the publishing API that scheduling tools use, so compress anything heavier before you queue it.
- Meta's ads guidance keeps text and logos out of the top 14 percent, the bottom 35 percent and 6 percent of each side, because the interface covers those areas.
Instagram Story
| Max file size | 100 MB |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 seconds to 60 seconds |
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1920 |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 recommended, 1:10 to 10:1 accepted |
| Bitrate | Up to 25 Mbps |
| File types | MP4, MOV, JPG, PNG |
- The app splits a longer clip into 60 second cards for you. Scheduled uploads are rejected instead, so cut them first.
- A still image posted to a Story is displayed for 5 seconds and does not need to be a video.
Instagram Carousel
| Max file size | 300 MB |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 seconds to 60 seconds |
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1350 |
| Aspect ratio | 4:5 recommended, 1:1.25 to 1.91:1 accepted |
| File types | JPG, PNG, MP4, MOV |
- Between 2 and 20 slides per carousel, and images and video can be mixed freely.
- Images inside a carousel still follow the 8 MB feed image cap. The larger ceiling applies to the video slides.
- Every slide is cropped to the aspect ratio of the first one, so export the whole set at the same size.
Specs verified 2026-07-31. Networks adjust these without announcing them, so re-check anything you are about to build a whole shoot around.
Instagram export tips
- Keep a Reel you plan to schedule under 15 minutes and 300 MB. Compress anything heavier before you queue it rather than after it fails.
- Aim for 3 minutes or less if the Reel is meant to find new viewers. That is the length Instagram recommends for reaching people who do not follow you yet.
- Keep text and logos out of the top 14 percent, the bottom 35 percent and 6 percent of each side. That is Meta's published guidance for Reels ads, where the interface covers the frame, and the app itself can differ by device and app version.
Frequently asked questions
How long can an Instagram Reel be?
Up to 20 minutes in the app, with a 3 second minimum. Reels published through the API that scheduling tools use stop at 15 minutes, and Instagram recommends 3 minutes or less for reaching new audiences.
What is the maximum file size for a Reel?
The Instagram help center publishes no file size for Reels. The only official number is 300 MB, the ceiling in the publishing API that scheduling tools use, so that is the one this checker applies.
What size should an Instagram Reel be?
1080 x 1920 at 9:16, and at least 720 pixels wide. Instagram accepts anything from 9:16 to 1.91:1, but only vertical fills the screen.
Does this tool upload my video?
No. The file is read in your browser through a temporary link, the same way a local video player opens it. Nothing reaches Postify or anyone else, which is also why a large file is checked instantly.
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