How to Add a Video to Instagram

Uploading a video to Instagram is one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience and grow your brand. But with Reels, Stories, and in-feed videos all serving different purposes, figuring out the right way to post can feel a bit overwhelming. This guide breaks down exactly how to add every type of video to your Instagram profile, covering the step-by-step process and sharing tips to get the most out of every post.

Before You Post: The Three Types of Instagram Video

First, it’s helpful to understand the difference between Instagram's main video placements. Each one is designed for a distinct purpose and reaches your audience in a unique way.

1. Instagram Reels

Reels are short, punchy, vertical videos designed for entertainment and discovery. Think of them as Instagram’s answer to TikTok. They can be anywhere from a few seconds to 90 seconds long and are often paired with trending audio, special effects, and creative edits. Reels are the best video format for reaching new audiences because the Instagram algorithm heavily favors them and pushes them out to people who don't follow you yet via the Reels tab and Explore page.

2. Instagram Feed Videos

These are videos that live permanently on your main profile grid, just like a regular photo post. They can be much longer than Reels (up to 60 minutes) and are perfect for deeper storytelling, tutorials, product demos, or any content that you want to stick around on your profile. Feed videos are primarily shown to your existing followers and are great for nurturing your community with high-value content.

3. Instagram Stories

Stories are casual, everyday video clips that disappear after 24 hours (unless you save them to your Highlights). They are meant for behind-the-scenes content, quick updates, and interactive moments with your audience using features like polls, Q&As, and quizzes. Stories are almost exclusively for connecting with your current followers in a more personal, unpolished way.

How to Add a Video to Your Instagram Feed

Posting a video to your main feed is a straightforward process, great for content you want to feature permanently on your profile. Here's how to do it step by step.

1. Open the Instagram App: On the home screen, tap the plus sign (+) icon at the bottom center of the screen.
2. Select "Post": At the bottom, make sure the "Post" option is selected. This will open your phone's camera roll.
3. Choose Your Video: Scroll through your gallery and tap on the video you want to upload. You can tap the expand icon (two arrows pointing outward) to toggle between a square crop and the original video dimensions. For best results on the feed, a 4:5 vertical aspect ratio takes up the most screen space without being cut off.
4. Trim and Edit (Optional): Once you've selected your video, tap "Next." Here, you can apply one of Instagram's filters or use the "Trim" tab at the bottom to shorten your video by dragging the sliders at the beginning and end.
5. Choose a Cover Photo: This is an important step! The cover photo is the thumbnail that will appear on your profile grid. Tap the "Cover" tab and slide through the video frames to select the most visually interesting shot. A captivating cover photo encourages people to tap and watch. You can also add a cover image from your camera roll.
6. Write Your Caption and Add Hashtags: Tap "Next" to move to the final screen. This is where you write your caption. Tell a story, provide context, and don't forget to include a call-to-action (like "Comment below!" or "Visit the link in our bio"). Add relevant hashtags to help more people discover your video.
7. Tag People and Add a Location: Tap "Tag People" to tag other Instagram accounts in your video. Adding a location can also increase your video's visibility.
8. Share Your Video: Once you're finished, tap the "Share" button at the top right, and your video will be posted to your grid!

How to Post an Instagram Reel

Reels are the powerhouse for growth right now. You can either create one directly in the Instagram app using its built-in tools or upload a video you’ve already edited elsewhere.

Method 1: Creating a Reel Inside the App

This method is best if you want to use Instagram’s editing features like trending audio, AR effects, and text-on-screen timers.

1. Open the Reels Camera: Tap the plus sign (+) icon at the bottom of the screen and select "Reel" from the options.
2. Explore the Creative Tools: On the left side of the screen, you’ll see several creative tools:
   • Audio: Search for music or trending sounds. Using popular audio can give your Reel a significant boost in the algorithm.
   • Length: Set the maximum length of your Reel (15, 30, 60, or 90 seconds).
   • Speed: Speed up or slow down your recording.
   • Layout: Create a multi-video collage.
   • Timer: Set a countdown for hands-free recording.
   • Effects: Browse through fun AR filters.
3. Record Your Clips: Press and hold the record button to capture your first clip. You can record multiple short clips that will be stitched together automatically.
4. Edit and Add Overlays: After recording, tap "Next." Here you can trim or reorder clips. You can also add text, stickers, or a voiceover. Customizing your text to appear and disappear in sync with your video is a popular and engaging technique.
5. Write Your Caption and Choose a Cover: On the final screen, write an engaging caption. Just like with feed videos, it’s a good idea to add relevant keywords and hashtags. Tap "Edit cover" to select a thumbnail from the video or upload a custom one.
6. Decide Where to Share: You'll see an option to "Also share to Feed." For maximum reach, it’s almost always a good idea to leave this toggled on. This makes your Reel appear on both your main profile grid and the dedicated Reels tab.
7. Share Your Reel: Tap "Share," and your Reel will go live.

Method 2: Uploading a Pre-Edited Video

If you've already created your video in an app like CapCut or Adobe Premiere Rush, this is the quickest way to get it onto Reels.

1. Open the Reels Creator: Tap the plus (+) and select "Reel."
2. Access Your Camera Roll: Instead of recording, tap the blue plus icon in the bottom-left corner to open your camera roll.
3. Select Your Video: Find and tap the edited video you want to upload.
4. Add Audio (Optional but Recommended): Once the video is uploaded, you can still add music from Instagram's library. Adding trending audio on top of your existing video (even with the original sound muted) can help the algorithm pick it up. Tap the music note icon to search for a song.
5. Finalize and Share: From here, the process is the same. Add a killer caption and hashtags, select an eye-catching cover image, and hit the "Share" button.

How to Add a Video to Your Instagram Story

Stories are perfect for connecting with your audience through more "in the moment" video content.

1. Open the Story Camera: You can do this in two ways: swipe right from your main feed or tap on your profile picture where it says "Your story."
2. Record or Upload a Video: To record a video on the spot, press and hold the white shutter button. To upload a video from your gallery, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or tap the gallery icon in the bottom-left) and select your video. Instagram will automatically chop up videos longer than 15 seconds into consecutive Story segments.
3. Get Creative with Stickers: This is where Stories really shine. Tap the sticker icon (the smiley face in a square) at the top of the screen to access dozens of interactive features. Popular ones for video include:
   • Music: Add a song with lyrics that display on screen.
   • Polls & Quizzes: Ask your audience a question and let them vote.
   • Q&A: Let viewers submit questions for you to answer.
   • Captions: Automatically generate captions for your video - a great way to make your content accessible.
4. Add Text and Drawings: Use the text and drawing tools to add more context or stylistic flair to your video clip.
5. Tag Accounts or Add a Link: You can tag other accounts by using the "@mention" sticker. If your account has access to the link sticker, you can add an outbound link to your website, a product, or a blog post.
6. Share Your Story: When you're done editing, tap "Your story" in the bottom-left to post it for all your followers to see. You can also send it directly to specific friends or publish it to your "Close Friends" list for a more targeted audience.

Final Thoughts

Adding video to Instagram is non-negotiable for anyone looking to build a brand or community today. By understanding how to post to the Feed for core content, Reels for discovery, and Stories for connection, you're set up to create a dynamic video strategy that truly engages your followers and reaches new ones.

Once you get the hang of posting, the next step is consistent planning and scheduling. At Postbase, we built our whole platform for the modern, video-first reality of social media. We were tired of wrestling with clunky tools that treated Reels and Shorts like an afterthought. That's why we created a visual calendar and a super-reliable scheduler that just works, making it simple to plan and publish all your video content across all your platforms without the usual headaches. It gives you back the time to focus on creating great videos instead of fighting your software.