How to Extend a Video on an Instagram Story

Ever shot the perfect video only to find out it's too long for a single Instagram Story? You're not alone. While Instagram increased the individual Story clip limit to 60 seconds, many creators and brands still need more time to tell a compelling story, demo a product, or share a behind-the-scenes look. This guide breaks down exactly how to post videos longer than a minute, turning that time limit from a frustrating obstacle into a creative opportunity.

Understanding the Instagram Story Video Limit

Before we get into the "how," let's quickly touch on the rules of the road. As of now, a single, uninterrupted video clip on an Instagram Story can be a maximum of 60 seconds long. If you try to upload a video that's, say, three minutes long, Instagram won't reject it. Instead, it will automatically chop up your video into three consecutive 60-second segments.

This is a huge improvement from the old 15-second limit that forced creators into jarring, rapid-fire cuts. The new 60-second format is much more forgiving. However, letting the app do the chopping for you isn't always the best approach. The automatic cuts can happen at awkward moments, right in the middle of a sentence or a key visual, disrupting the flow of your content.

For polished, professional, and engaging story content, taking matters into your own hands is the best way to go. Below are two primary methods for extending your videos: the quick and easy way, and the pro-level way that gives you complete creative control.

Method 1: The Simple Approach - Let Instagram Split It for You

This is the most straightforward method and requires no additional apps or pre-planning. It's perfect when you need to get content up fast and aren't too worried about where the cuts land. When you upload a video longer than 60 seconds, Instagram's automatic segmenting feature kicks in.

For example, a video that is 2 minutes and 30 seconds long will be automatically divided into three clips:

• Clip 1: 0:00 - 1:00
• Clip 2: 1:00 - 2:00
• Clip 3: 2:00 - 2:30

These will then play back-to-back in your Story, giving the viewer a continuous, albeit segmented, experience.

How to Upload a Longer Video and Let Instagram Do the Work:

1. Open Instagram and swipe right or tap your profile picture in the top-left corner to open the Story creator.
2. Access your camera roll by swiping up or tapping the gallery icon in the bottom-left corner.
3. Select your video. Find the video that is longer than 60 seconds and tap to select it. Don't worry about the length, Instagram will handle the rest.
4. Preview the segments. At the bottom of the editor, you'll see thumbnails for each 60-second clip Instagram has created. You can tap on each one to edit them individually, like adding text, stickers, or polls to each segment.
5. Post to Your Story. Once you've added any desired effects to the clips, simply tap “Your Story” or send it to specific friends. Instagram will upload all the segments in the correct order.

Pros and Cons of This Method

Pros:

• Fast and efficient: It's the quickest way to get a long video onto your Story without any prior editing.
• No external apps needed: Everything is done within the Instagram app.

Cons:

• Lack of control: The cuts are automatic and often happen at unnatural points, which can disrupt the viewer's experience.
• Limited creativity: You can't create custom transitions or plan the narrative arc across the cuts.

Method 2: The Pro Method - Manually Splitting Your Video for Full Creative Control

If you want your Story to look professional, tell a better story, and ultimately keep people watching longer, manually splitting your video before uploading is the way to go. This method involves using a third-party app or a simple video editor to cut your video into perfectly timed 60-second segments. This gives you complete control over where each clip begins and ends, allowing you to create a seamless viewing experience.

This process sounds more complicated than it is. Most modern smartphones have built-in video editing tools that make this easy, and mobile apps like CapCut, InShot, or specific video-splitter apps are designed for this exact purpose.

Step-by-Step Guide to Professional Story Splitting:

Step 1: Plan Your Cuts

Before you even open an editing app, watch your full video and think about where the natural breaks are. A good cut can happen:

• At the end of a sentence or thought.
• During a change of scene or camera angle.
• After an important visual has been shown.

Thinking like a storyteller here makes all the difference. You want each 60-second clip to feel complete on its own while also enticing the viewer to watch the next one.

Step 2: Choose Your Editing Tool

You don't need expensive desktop software for this. Here are a few options:

• Your Phone's Built-In Editor (iOS/Android): Both platforms let you easily trim videos. You can trim your main video down to the first 60 seconds, save it as a new clip, then go back to the original, trim it from the 1:00 to 2:00 mark, save that as a new clip, and so on. It's a bit manual but totally free.
• Video Editing Apps (CapCut, InShot, VN Video Editor): These free or low-cost apps are extremely powerful. They offer precise trimming tools and allow you to add transitions, text, music, and other effects before you even get to Instagram. This is the recommended option for a high-quality result.
• Dedicated Story Splitter Apps: Apps like CutStory or StoryCutter are designed for one purpose: to split long videos into segments of a specified length (e.g., 60 seconds for Instagram stories). They can automate the splitting process while still giving you some control.

Step 3: Trim & Export Your Videos

Once you've chosen your tool, the process is generally the same:

1. Import your full-length video into the app.
2. Trim the first segment. Set the start time to 0:00 and the end time to 1:00 (or a more natural breaking point just before the 60-second mark). Save this clip to your camera roll. Label it clearly, like "Story_Part_1".
3. Trim the second segment. Go back to your original video file. Now, set the start time where the first clip ended and the end time 60 seconds later. For example, from 1:00 to 2:00. Save this as a new clip, labeled "Story_Part_2".
4. Repeat this process until you've split the entire video into consecutive clips, each 60 seconds or less.

Step 4: Upload Your Clips to Instagram Stories

Now that you have your perfectly cut segments saved in your phone's gallery, it's time to upload them. Instagram makes it easy to add multiple clips at once.

1. Open the Story creator and go to your camera roll.
2. Tap the "Select Multiple" icon (it usually looks like a square or multiple overlapping squares) in the top-right corner.
3. Tap on your video clips in the correct order (Part 1, then Part 2, then Part 3, etc.). You'll see numbers appear on the thumbnails indicating their sequence.
4. Tap "Next." This will take you to the editor screen where you can review and add elements to each individual clip before posting.
5. Tap "Your Story" to publish the sequence.

Congratulations! You've just created a seamless, multi-part Instagram Story that feels professional and intentional.

Best Practices for Engaging, Multi-Part Video Stories

Just posting a longer video isn't enough. The goal is to keep your audience tapping forward to watch the whole thing. Here are a few tips to maximize engagement.

1. Create a Strong Hook in the First Clip

The first 3-5 seconds of your very first clip are the most important. You need to give viewers a compelling reason to stick around. Ask a question, show an exciting result, or create a moment of intrigue. If the first story slide is boring, they'll swipe away before they even realize there's more to watch.

2. Use Interactive Elements on Each Slide

Don't just post the video raw. Treat each 60-second segment as its own canvas for engagement. Add interactive stickers like:

• Polls: "Do you agree with this?"
• Quizzes: "Guess what happens next?"
• Question Stickers: "What are your tips for this?"

This re-engages the viewer as they move through your story and makes the experience more of a two-way conversation.

3. Guide Viewers with Text and Captions

Many people watch stories with the sound off. Use Instagram's auto-caption sticker to ensure your message gets across. You can also use text overlays to guide the viewer, for example, by adding a simple "Part 1/3" or "Keep watching for the reveal..." This little bit of context helps set expectations and encourages them to continue.

4. Design Seamless Transitions

Because you've manually trimmed your clips, you have the power to create clever transitions. You could end one clip by pointing off-screen and begin the next clip from that same motion. Or end a clip mid-sentence, forcing the viewer to tune into the next one to hear the end. These small details make your extended story feel like a single, cohesive piece of content.

Final Thoughts

Extending a video on your Instagram Story is all about choosing the right approach for your needs. For quick, on-the-fly posting, letting Instagram automatically segment your video is perfectly fine. But for content that's designed to truly capture attention, build your brand, or tell a meaningful story, taking a few extra minutes to manually split your videos gives you the creative control needed to make a real impact.

We built Postbase because we know that spending time editing engaging video content like this is where the real value is, not fighting with outdated scheduling tools. Since we focus on the content that actually drives engagement - like Stories, Reels, and TikToks - you can use our visual calendar to plan out your entire story sequence ahead of time. After you've perfected your clips, you can drop them into the calendar knowing they'll publish reliably when and how you want, giving you more time back to focus on a creative vision instead of manual posting.