Instagram Reels Can Now Be Up To 30 Seconds In Length

Instagram Reels can now be double in length, get a 10-second timer, and also become easier to edit on your phone.

While TikTok’s future remains uncertain, Instagram is bringing some much-needed updates to Instagram Reels. Can it help get native Instagram users to jump on the short video bandwagon?

The most newsworthy feature is the length change. Instagram Reels began as 15-second videos but this has now been doubled to allow Creators to record up to 30 seconds of video. It may not seem like much to you, but there is a reason why so many Creators make videos of 30 seconds or more on TikTok…

A few Reels updates coming at you:
🤳 Create a reel up to 30 seconds
⏱ Extend the timer to 10 seconds when you’re recording
🎬 Trim and delete any clip pic.twitter.com/kVrCEnvC55
— Instagram (@instagram) September 23, 2020

The other new features are the ability to set the timer for 10 seconds now, allowing for much more creativity when shooting yourself. Instagram also made it easier to trim and delete any clip in a video. Combined with the new Instagram Reels length, this could give the push the feature is needing to bring in more users.

Tessa Lyons-Laing, Reels’ product director, explained users were requesting the changes and how that feedback is key to developing the perfect product for Creators: “We continue to improve Reels based on people’s feedback, and these updates make it easier to create and edit. While it’s still early, we’re seeing a lot of entertaining, creative content.”