Instagram expands reels to three minutes, introduces vertical grids

Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, announced an increase in Reels duration following creator feedback, and revealed a new vertical grid layout to better showcase vertically oriented content

author-image
BuzzInContent Bureau
New Update
Instagram-Reels-Guide

New Delhi: Instagram has announced that Reels, its short-form video feature, will now support videos up to three minutes in length. This change, effective from last week, doubles the previous maximum duration of 90 seconds, aiming to provide creators with more flexibility in their storytelling and content creation.

Adam Mosseri, Instagram's head, shared the news through an Instagram Reel and a Story, explaining that the increase in duration was in response to creator feedback indicating that the 90-second limit was too restrictive for sharing more comprehensive content. This move aligns Instagram Reels with competitors like YouTube Shorts, which also recently extended its video length to three minutes, although still lagging behind TikTok, which allows for videos up to 60 minutes.

Alongside the extension of Reels, Instagram has revamped its profile grid layout, moving away from the traditional square format to a vertical, rectangular display. This change addresses the fact that a majority of the content uploaded to Instagram is vertically oriented, often being cropped or distorted in the old square grid. Mosseri noted in his announcement that this transition, although potentially disruptive for users who have curated their profiles around the square format, would ultimately benefit content visibility and aesthetic integrity.

Additionally, Instagram introduced a feature where users can now see what Reels their friends have liked or added notes to, adding a layer of social interaction to the platform. This feature, however, has raised privacy concerns among some users, fearing it might lead to unwanted exposure of their interactions.

content Instagram Adam Mosseri creator Reel