Choose Reel as the format in the composer to publish a video.
What to know before you upload
- Use a standard video file (MP4 works best), vertical 9:16 for the classic Reels look.
- After you submit, Instagram encodes the video - publishing takes noticeably longer than an image post (up to a couple of minutes). Don't worry if the post stays "publishing" for a bit.
- Tagging people is not available on Reels - that's an Instagram API limitation, not a missing feature.
- Music from Instagram's library can't be added here - trending sounds and licensed tracks are only available in the Instagram app. Add any music to the video file before you upload. See Can I add music to my Reels or posts?
- Collaborators work on Reels (up to 3) - see the collaborators article for how invitations work.
Publishing as a Trial Reel
When the format is set to Reel, you'll see a Publish as Trial Reel toggle. Trial Reels are Instagram's way to test a Reel's performance before showing it to your full audience - it's shown mainly to people who don't already follow you first.
Turn it on and pick how it should graduate to your full audience:
- I'll graduate it manually - the Reel stays a Trial Reel until you promote it yourself from the Instagram app.
- Auto-graduate based on performance - Instagram automatically promotes it to your full audience if it performs well with non-followers during the trial period.
Trial Reels and Collaborators don't mix. Instagram doesn't allow a Trial Reel to have collaborators tagged - if you already added collaborators to the post, the toggle is disabled until you remove them.
If a Reel fails
Instagram is picky about codecs and duration. Re-export the video as MP4 (H.264 + AAC), keep it within Instagram's Reels length limits, and try again. See also: Why did my post fail?