How to Post a Whole Video on an Instagram Story

Ever shot the perfect video, only to realize it’s way too long for a single Instagram Story? You're not alone. The 60-second limit can feel restrictive, but there are simple ways to share your entire video without awkward cuts or leaving your audience hanging. This guide will walk you through a few different methods, from using Instagram’s built-in tool to smarter strategies for driving traffic and engagement with your longer content.

First, Let's Talk About Instagram Story Video Limits

Understanding the rules makes it easier to work around them. As of today, a single Instagram Story slide can be up to 60 seconds long. This is a huge jump from the old 15-second limit, but what happens when your video is two, five, or even ten minutes long?

If you upload a video longer than 60 seconds from your phone's gallery, Instagram will automatically try to help by cutting it into continuous 1-minute segments. For a three-minute video, it will create three 60-second story slides that play one after another.

While this built-in feature is convenient, it’s not always flawless. Users often report a few common headaches:

• Upload Glitches: Longer or high-resolution videos can sometimes fail to upload or get stuck during processing.
• Awkward Cuts: Instagram’s automatic cuts don't care about your pacing. It might slice a clip right in the middle of a sentence or a key moment, creating a jarring experience for the viewer.
• Lack of Control: You can’t edit the individual segments until after they’re created, which often means an all-or-nothing approach to the upload.

For these reasons, sometimes letting Instagram do all the work isn't the best option, especially if you want a seamless and professional-looking Story. Below, we'll cover the methods that give you back control.

Method 1: The Native Uploader (Best for Videos Under 3-4 Minutes)

For videos that are just a few minutes long, using Instagram’s automatic segmenting tool is the quickest and easiest way to go. It requires no third-party apps and gets the job done most of the time.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open Instagram: Tap the "+" icon at the top or swipe right from your feed to open the Story camera.
2. Access Your Camera Roll: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open your photo and video gallery.
3. Select Your Video: Find and tap the long video you want to upload. Don't worry about its length for now.
4. Let Instagram Process It: You will immediately see a preview of your video at the bottom of the screen, broken into several 60-second segments. Instagram will show you all the clips it's about to create.
5. Edit Each Segment (Optional): Before you publish, you can tap on each individual segment at the bottom to edit it. You can add unique text, stickers, GIFs, or polls to each clip. For example, you could add text that says "(Part 1/3)" to the first clip, "(Part 2/3)" to the second, and so on.
6. Post Your Story: Once you're happy with your edits, tap "Next," choose to share to "Your Story," and hit "Share." Instagram will upload all the segments in order, creating a continuous viewing experience.

When to use this method: It’s perfect for casually sharing a longer moment without much hassle, like a concert clip or a highlights reel from a trip.

When to avoid it: If your video has important narration or precise timing, the automatic cuts can disrupt the flow. For longer or more polished videos, the next method is better.

Method 2: Use a Third-Party App to Split Your Video First

If you want total control over where your video cuts off or are dealing with a video longer than a few minutes, pre-splitting it before you upload is the most reliable approach. Using a video editing app gives you precise control over each segment and helps avoid Instagram's clunky processing and potential upload failures.

Apps like InShot, CapCut, CutStory, or StoryCutter are designed for this exact purpose.

How to Split a Video Using InShot (A Popular Free App)

1. Download and Open InShot: Grab it from the App Store or Google Play Store. It’s free with optional paid features, but splitting is a core free function.
2. Start a New Project: Tap on the "Video" option and select the long video you want to split from your library.
3. Find the Split Function: In the editing timeline, look for a tool called "Precut" or "Split." Scroll through the timeline to the 01:00 mark (one minute). Place the playhead exactly where you want the first cut to happen and tap the "Split" button. The app will divide your video into two clips right at that spot.
4. Continue Splitting: Move the playhead to the 02:00 mark, split again, then the 03:00 mark, and so on, until your entire video is divided into clips that are 60 seconds or less. This method lets you adjust the cut by a few seconds forwards or backward to avoid cutting somebody off mid-sentence.
5. Export the Clips: Once you've split the entire video, delete the unwanted sections of the timeline so you're only exporting one 60s chunk at a time. Tap "Save" or "Export" in the top right corner. InShot will save this first 60-second segment to your camera roll as a new file. Repeat the process for each 60-second chunk until you have all your sequential clips saved.
6. Upload to Instagram: Now, go back to your Instagram Story composer and swipe up. Instead of selecting one video, tap the "Select" icon at the top right of your gallery. This lets you choose multiple clips. Tap on your new video segments in the correct order (from first to last). Instagram will line them up perfectly for a seamless Story.

Pro Tip: When using the "Select Multiple" feature in Instagram's Story uploader, the order you tap the clips is the order they will appear in your Story. Double-check the numbered circles before you hit "Next."

Method 3: Pivot Your Strategy and Link to the Full Video

Sometimes, putting a 10-minute video on your Story just isn’t the best user experience. Viewers' attention spans are short, and tapping through 10 consecutive segments can lead to drop-offs. In this case, use your Story to promote your full video and drive traffic where you want it to go, like YouTube, your blog, or your website.

This is the best strategy for creators, brands, and marketers who are looking to accomplish a specific goal (like increase subscribers or sell a product) with their long-form content.

Option A: Use the Link Sticker

The "Link" sticker lets you direct viewers from your Story to any external URL. Use it to share a teaser of your video and prompt people to click to see the rest.

How to Do It:

1. Create a Short Teaser: Edit down your long video into an enticing 15-30 second trailer. Pick the most interesting part - the hook - to grab attention quickly.
2. Upload the Teaser to Your Story: This single clip will act as your advertisement.
3. Add the Link Sticker: Go to the sticker tray (the square smiley face icon) and select "Link."
4. Paste Your URL: Add the link to where your full video is hosted (e.g., your YouTube channel, a landing page, a product page).
5. Customize the Sticker Text: Don't leave the default URL. Change the text to a clear call to action like "Watch the Full Video Now!" or "Tap Here to See the Rest."
6. Make It Obvious: Place the sticker somewhere prominent and even add a GIF that points to it to draw extra attention.

Option B: Post as a Reel or Feed Video and Share to Story

If you want to keep your audience within the Instagram ecosystem, this is a fantastic option. Post the longer version of your video as a Reel (up to 90 seconds) or a regular feed video (up to 10 minutes from mobile upload). Then, share that permanent post to your temporary Story.

How to Do It:

1. Post Your Full Video: Upload your video to your Instagram Feed or as a Reel. Craft a good caption and a compelling cover picture.
2. Go to Your New Post: Once it's live, view the video on your profile.
3. Tap the Share Icon: Tap the paper airplane icon below your post.
4. Select "Add to Story": This will generate a new Story slide with a tappable preview of your post. Viewers can tap on the post right from your story and they'll be taken directly to the full video on your feed.

This approach has a dual benefit: it gets more eyeballs on your Story and drives views and engagement to the permanent content on your profile.

Final Thoughts

Posting a whole video to your Instagram Story comes down to choosing the right tool for the job. You can let Instagram’s automatic editor handle shorter clips, take full control by pre-splitting longer videos with an app like InShot, or take a strategic approach by using a teaser with a link sticker to direct traffic where it matters most.

Planning multi-part Stories can get complicated, which is why having a clear content calendar is a game-changer. At Postbase, we built our visual planner specifically for today’s content formats, like Stories and Reels. It lets us see our entire content strategy at a glance, allowing us to map out how a longer video is promoted across different platforms - from the main Reel to the follow-up Stories - all in one place.