How to Make a Facebook Story Longer

Wishing you could post a Facebook Story longer than 26 seconds? You've landed in the right place. While Facebook has official time limits for Stories, there are several effective workarounds to create a longer, more immersive experience for your audience. This guide breaks down the simple, practical techniques for extending your Facebook Stories, from splitting long videos to turning static images into dynamic clips that hold viewers' attention.

Understanding the Official Facebook Story Limits

Before we get into the creative solutions, it's good to know the ground rules. Facebook (and by extension, Meta) has set specific, non-negotiable time limits for a single Story slide:

• Photos: A single photo will be displayed for up to 20 seconds.
• Videos: A single video clip can be up to 26 seconds long.

These limits are by design. The entire "Story" format, popularized by Snapchat and adopted by Instagram and Facebook, is built around short, snappy, bite-sized vertical content. The platforms are optimized for quick consumption and rapid tapping from one piece of content to the next. That restrictive timeframe is meant to encourage creators to be concise and impactful.

But what happens when your message, tutorial, or behind-the-scenes clip needs more than 26 seconds? That’s where the following methods come in handy.

Method 1: Split Your Video into a Multi-Part Story

This is the most common and straightforward way to post a longer video to your Facebook Story. Instead of trying to upload one long video file, you simply slice it into consecutive 26-second segments and upload them in order. When your followers watch your Story, the segments will play back-to-back, creating the illusion of one seamless, longer video.

Why This Technique Works So Well

The beauty of the multi-part story is that it leans into a user’s natural behavior. Viewers rarely watch just one Story slide from an account they follow, they tend to watch several in a row. Since Facebook automatically advances to the next Story slide, a well-edited sequence feels like a continuous narrative. This is perfect for:

• Quick tutorials or DIYs
• Storytelling and personal anecdotes
• Sharing extended clips from events or performances
• Day-in-the-life vlogs

Step-by-Step Guide to Splitting and Uploading

You don't need fancy desktop software to chop up a video. Your phone and some user-friendly apps can handle it in minutes.

Option A: Using Your Phone's Built-in Editor

Most modern smartphones have robust video editing capabilities baked right into their photo galleries.

1. Open your video in your phone's gallery (e.g., the Photos app on iPhone or Google Photos on Android).
2. Trim the first segment. Tap "Edit" and use the sliders to trim your video down to the first 26 seconds. Save this as a new clip to avoid overwriting your original file.
3. Create the second segment. Go back to your original, full-length video. This time, trim it to start at the 26-second mark and end at the 52-second mark (or an earlier point if the video ends there). Again, save this as a second new clip.
4. Repeat for as many 26-second segments as you need.
5. Upload to Facebook. Open the Facebook app, start a new Story, and tap "Select Multiple" in your camera roll. Select the numbered clips in the correct order (1, 2, 3...) and post.

While this method is free, it can be a bit tedious if your video is several minutes long.

Option B: Using a Dedicated Third-Party App

Several apps are built specifically for this purpose and automate the entire process. Apps like CutStory, Story Splitter, or Continual for Instagram (which works perfectly for Facebook, too) make this incredibly easy.

1. Download and open an app like CutStory.
2. Grant it access to your photo library.
3. Select the long video you want to post.
4. The app will automatically detect you're making a Story and slice the video into 26-second chunks for you.
5. Export the segments to your camera roll. They will be saved as neatly numbered files.
6. Upload them in order to your Facebook Story.

Pro Tip: Add "Bridge" Elements for Engagement

To make the viewing experience even smoother, add stickers or text that cue the viewer that another part is coming up. A simple text overlay saying "Part 2 in the next slide..." or a GIF of a pointing arrow can encourage viewers to stick around for the whole narrative.

Method 2: Convert a Photo into a Longer Video Clip

You might not need to talk on video, maybe you just want a beautiful photo, a poster, or an announcement to stay on screen longer than 20 seconds, perhaps with some background music. The trick is to stop thinking of it as a photo and start thinking of it as a single-frame video.

By transforming your static JPEG or PNG into a dynamic MP4 file, you can utilize the 26-second video limit instead of the 20-second photo limit. More importantly, it gives you creative control over music and simple animations.

How to Turn a Photo into a Video (Up to 26 Seconds)

Free, intuitive design tools are your best friend here. Canva and CapCut are both fantastic options that have mobile apps.

1. Create a Story project. Open Canva or CapCut and start a new project using the "Instagram Story" or "Facebook Story" template (the dimension is 1080x1920 pixels).
2. Add your photo. Import the image you want to use and resize it to fill the screen.
3. Set the duration. In the timeline at the bottom of the editor, click on your photo. Drag the edge of the clip to extend its on-screen duration up to 26 seconds.
4. Add music and animation (Optional but recommended!). This is what truly brings it to life. Add a trending sound or a track that fits the mood. Apply a subtle animation effect like "Photo Zoom" or "Pan" in Canva to give the image gentle movement. This small detail keeps the viewer hooked and signals that this is a video, not just a static image.
5. Export as MP4. When you're done, download your creation as an MP4 video file.
6. Upload to your Facebook Story. Post the new video file you just created. It will now play for its full extended duration.

Method 3: Go Live and Share the Replay

If you want to share truly long-form content - like a full tutorial, an interview, or a Q&A session - don't even think about editing it down into dozens of 26-second clips. Instead, leverage the power of Facebook Live.

How to Share Long-Form Videos via Stories

1. Broadcast a Facebook Live. Host your live video as you normally would from your Page or Profile. Engage with your audience in real-time.
2. Post the Replay. Once your broadcast is over, Facebook automatically saves it as a regular video post on your timeline or page.
3. Share to your Story. Find that video post and tap the "Share" button. One of the options will be "Share to Your Story."

This method doesn't embed the full video into your Story. Instead, it creates a neat, tappable sticker with a preview of your video. When a viewer sees it in your Story, they can tap on it to be taken directly to the full-length live replay. It's the perfect bridge for guiding engaged Story viewers toward your deeper, more comprehensive video content.

Advanced Strategy: Make Short Stories *Feel* Longer

Sometimes, the goal isn't just about extending the technical time limit, but about increasing the amount of time people spend engaging with your content. A 20-second Story can have a much greater impact than a passive 26-second one if you use interactive elements.

These features halt the passive "tap-through" habit and require active participation, effectively lengthening the time a user spends on your Story slide and with your brand.

• Polls &, Quizzes: Ask a direct question. They make users pause, think, and cast a vote. A well-designed quiz with multiple slides can keep someone engaged for a minute or more.
• Question Stickers: Invite your audience to ask you anything (AMA). This not only raises engagement but also gives you a ton of insight into what your followers are curious about.
• "Add Yours" Template: Start a content chain where others can contribute their own photos or videos based on your prompt. This transforms a one-way piece of content into a community conversation.

Final Thoughts

While you can't officially post a single 60-second video as one Facebook Story clip, you can absolutely make your narrative last longer. By splitting your videos into seamless parts, turning photos into dynamic clips, or using engagement tools to make viewers pause and interact, you can easily work beyond the platform's initial time limits to tell richer, more compelling stories.

As content creators and social media pros, we understand that planning this kind of sequential, platform-specific content can be a headache. Managing which Story part goes live when, alongside your regular Reels, Shorts, and newsfeed posts, adds another layer of complexity. With a tool like Postbase, we built a visual calendar designed from the ground up for today's short-form video world, allowing you to easily plan and schedule your entire content strategy - multi-part Stories included - weeks in advance without wrestling with outdated software.