Instagram Reels and TikTok video size limits (October 2026)

Here’s what Instagram and TikTok publish themselves, as of October 2026. Where a platform doesn’t publish a number, the table says so. Most “Reels size limit” figures you’ll find elsewhere are guesses or old numbers.

The Instagram columns come from Instagram’s Help Center, plus Meta’s developer documentation where it’s marked API. The TikTok column comes from TikTok’s developer documentation. Sources are listed at the end.

Instagram, as of October 2026

Length. Instagram’s Help Center says you can record and edit reels up to 20 minutes, from one clip or several. The same page adds a note worth reading twice: “Reels over 3 minutes won’t be recommended to new audiences.” Anything longer is effectively for people who already follow you.

Shape and quality. Instagram’s Reel size page allows any aspect ratio between 1.91:1 (wide) and 9:16 (tall). It says reels should be at least 30 fps and at least 720 pixels. For a reel that fills a phone screen, that means 9:16 at 1080 × 1920.

File size. The Help Center doesn’t state a file-size limit for reels uploaded in the app. Meta’s developer documentation, which governs uploads through scheduling tools and other apps that use Instagram’s API, is specific:

If you post through a scheduler, those are the numbers that count.

Stories. Instagram’s story tips page says you can trim any video longer than 60 seconds before it’s shared. The API caps a story video at 60 seconds and 100 MB.

One setting worth turning on. Instagram can upload reels at the highest quality, which takes longer. Per the Help Center: tap your profile picture, tap Menu in the top right, then under Your app and media tap Media quality and turn on Upload at highest quality.

TikTok, as of October 2026

TikTok’s help center doesn’t publish an upload size or length limit. Its developer documentation is the most specific official source:

• Length: “All TikTok creators can post 3-minute videos.” Some accounts can post longer ones. The TikTok app shows your account’s maximum when you upload.
• Formats: MP4 (recommended), MOV or WebM, with H.264 (recommended), H.265, VP8 or VP9.
• Frame rate: 23 to 60 fps.
• Resolution: from 360 to 4,096 pixels on each side.
• File size: up to 4 GB.

Some TikTok versions show a high-quality upload switch on the posting screen, under More options. It’s labelled “Upload HD” or “Allow high-quality uploads” depending on the version. It isn’t documented in TikTok’s help center, so if you don’t see it, it isn’t available to you.

Why your video looks worse after you post it

Both platforms re-encode what you upload into their own formats, at bitrates chosen for streaming to millions of phones. You can’t skip that step. What you control is how much work they have to do.

• A huge file gets crushed hardest. A 4K, 60 fps phone recording at tens of megabits per second has to lose most of its data. Instagram’s API won’t accept more than 1,920 pixels of width or 25 Mbps of video, which tells you how little of a 4K upload’s extra detail survives to the viewer.
• The wrong shape gets cropped or padded. Outside 1.91:1–9:16 on Instagram you’ll see cropping or blank bars.
• Low frame rates can look choppy. Instagram asks for at least 30 fps.

So the cleanest upload is already what the platform wants: 1080 × 1920, 9:16, 30 fps (or 60 fps on TikTok for fast motion), H.264, AAC audio at 48 kHz, at a sensible bitrate. Their processing has less left to change, which leaves fewer artifacts.

Giving them a clean file with Ninja

Ninja has one-tap presets for Instagram Feed, Instagram Reels, Instagram Story and TikTok. Each sizes the video on your phone, with no upload:

1. Pick the clip in Ninja, or share it in from your gallery or editing app.
2. Fix the shape first if you need to. Use Crop (free) to cut a horizontal clip down to 9:16, and Trim (free) to keep reels under the 3-minute recommendation limit.
3. Choose the preset for where it’s going. The live estimate shows the size before anything is encoded. To check a long clip first, calculate the file size before you upload.
4. Posting through a scheduler? Instagram’s API caps reels at 300 MB and stories at 100 MB, below the Instagram presets’ file cap. Use Target size and type a number just under the limit, such as 290 MB. The TikTok preset’s 287 MB cap is far inside TikTok’s documented 4 GB.
5. Compare, then post. The Reveal shows the original and the result at the same moment, so you can check edges and text before you upload.

Which preset for which post

Frequently asked questions

How long can an Instagram Reel be?

Up to 20 minutes, per Instagram’s Help Center. Reels over 3 minutes won’t be recommended to people who don’t follow you, so 3 minutes is the practical limit for reach.

What’s the file size limit for Reels?

Instagram doesn’t publish one for uploads in the app. Through Instagram’s API, the limit is 300 MB for reels and 100 MB for stories.

What’s the TikTok file size limit?

TikTok’s developer documentation lists up to 4 GB, 23–60 fps, and 360–4,096 pixels per side. Your account’s length limit shows in the app when you upload.

Why is my reel blurry after posting?

Usually because the platform had to throw away a lot of data: a 4K or very high-bitrate upload, the wrong shape, or a low frame rate. Turn on Upload at highest quality, and upload at 1080 × 1920, 9:16, 30 fps.

Sources

Every limit above was checked against these on 18 October 2026. Platforms change them; if one has moved, tell us.

1. Instagram Help Center — Record a reel on Instagram
2. Instagram Help Center — Reel size & aspect ratios on Instagram
3. Instagram Help Center — Tips for uploading, recording and editing your Instagram story
4. Meta for Developers — Instagram Platform: IG User Media (Reels and Story video specifications)
5. TikTok for Developers — Content Posting API: Media Transfer Guide (video restrictions)