Several Instagram users are encountering a problem where they cannot upload longer clips as their video is being cut short to 15 seconds.
This issue appears to be affecting a significant number of users. And they have taken to various forums and social media platforms to voice their frustrations.
Instagram has undergone significant development over the years. However, like any other social media platform, it is not immune to glitches and bugs. In the past, users have reported issues such as delayed Reels bonus payouts and malfunctioning location services.
Issue of Instagram video cut short to 15 seconds
The problem appears to be related to the video upload process. After selecting the video they want to upload, users are redirected to an edit page where the video is automatically reduced to 15 seconds.
It goes against Instagram’s video upload policy. The official guideline says that users can upload videos up to 10 minutes long with a size restriction of 650 MB. Or they can post up to 60 minutes with a maximum file size of 3.6GB.
.@instagram won't let me upload a video if it's longer than 15 seconds ðŸ˜
— Andrew LaSane (@laptop_lasane) March 8, 2023
One user said: “Went to post a 3 minute video today, and when I chose the video, it took me to the editing window but only had 15 seconds, as if it was a story? I also tried this with a different video and it did the same thing. What’s going on?”
“I have been uploading videos of about 5 minutes in length for ages. This morning, it will not let me upload anything longer than 15 seconds and keeps just uploading a 5 minute video as 15 seconds. It’s doing the same with other clips and videos,” another person wrote.
Anyone know what's happening with @instagram @Meta video right now? Can't currently upload more than 15 seconds on feeds or reels all of a sudden..
Which, doesn't help a video podcast..@thecriermedia any issues?— Brenton On Tour (@brentonontour) March 7, 2023
“Every time I try to post a video on how Instagram it cuts off at 15 seconds. Does anyone know its doing this or how to fix?” a user asked recently and fortunately many others responded to help them.
This issue has caused significant inconvenience to creators and users alike. And they are forced to limit their content to 15-second posts.
Some have suggested that the problem may be related to the latest Instagram update or that it is a temporary glitch that will be resolved soon.
Apparently, the 15-second limit is majorly shown on Android phones as iPhone users have not reported the glitch.
Potential workarounds
Fortunately, there seem to be multiple workarounds to this problem.
A Redditor reported being able to upload videos as usual from their PC. This suggests that the issue may be specific to the Instagram app on mobile devices.
However, until the issue is officially resolved, users may need to find alternative ways to upload their videos.
Others recommended to try and increase the duration of the clip when Instagram takes you to the “trim” section.
“I don’t know what the word is, but when you get to the screen before posting, there’s a button where you can adjust the clip’s duration and from there you can extend it to the whole thing. Happened to me today,” said one user.
— Carlos Romo (@CarlosRomoPW) March 8, 2023
“For whatever reason it’s been making me manually increase the length in the editing part before you actually post the video. It was happening to me during a promo. Click the “trim” button and see if you can increase it,” said another.
We tried it on our end and saw that initially, Instagram takes you to the 15 seconds mark but you can manually expand the video durations by dragging the trim option.
Other hacks and tricks to upload longer videos
Other content creators have suggested that if you want to post a longer video on your feed, then you can create a carousel post.
A carousel post allows you to share up to 10 photos or videos in a single post, which your users can simply swipe through. So you can just cut this up into separate clips and upload it as a carousel post.
Alternatively, you can use the Reels feature on Instagram to upload longer videos. Reels allow for up to 60 seconds of video content.
“Reels! Also, you can post a link to your stories that will send everyone to the full Reel Video,” a Twitter user said.
While some think it may be Instagram’s way of getting more people to use reels, others think it’s just a bug. Whatever it may be, it’s high time Instagram responds to the multiple complaints of users. We hope the social media platform takes action to improve users’ experience.
