How to Repost Longer Videos on Instagram Story

Posting a video longer than 60 seconds to your Instagram Story can feel like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, but it's simpler than you think. With the right techniques, you can share in-depth tutorials, behind-the-scenes content, or longer narrative clips without awkwardly directing your followers elsewhere. This guide shows you exactly how to do it, from the simplest native methods to more controlled strategies that keep your audience engaged from the first segment to the last.

Why Longer Story Videos Are Worth the Effort

In a world of short attention spans, why go long? Because thoughtful, extended content has a unique power. Instagram Stories are an intimate, full-screen experience where you have your followers' undivided attention for a few moments. Stretching your video beyond the 60-second limit allows you to build a stronger narrative, educate more effectively, and share more value in a single, cohesive post.

Think about it:

• Deeper Storytelling: Share a complete anecdote, a customer testimonial, or a 'day-in-the-life' segment without jarring interruptions.
• Actionable Tutorials: A step-by-step DIY project, a software walkthrough, or a recipe demonstration feels more complete and useful when it isn't hyper-condensed.
• Behind-the-Scenes Access: Give your audience a genuine look at your process, an event setup, or your team at work without having to rush through the best parts.

When you master the longer format, you create an exclusive, V.I.P. feel that keeps viewers watching. Instead of just consuming quick content, they're investing their time with your brand, which builds loyalty and trust.

Understanding Instagram’s Native Story Limitations

Before getting into the solutions, it's good to know the built-in rules. By default, any video you upload to your Instagram Story that's longer than 60 seconds will be automatically trimmed and segmented. As of now, Instagram creates up to four 60-second segments from a single longer video when you upload it.

So, if you upload a two-and-a-half-minute video, Instagram will likely chop it into three segments: two 60-second clips and one 30-second clip following them. While easy, this automatic approach comes with a major downside: you have no control over where the cuts happen. The video can be chopped off mid-sentence or during a key visual movement, creating a clunky experience that might cause viewers to swipe away. The goal is to make these transitions feel intentional, not like a technical glitch.

Method 1: The Quick &, Easy Native Approach (Automatic Segmentation)

The simplest way to post a longer video is to let Instagram do the work for you. This method is perfect when you're short on time and the exact cut points aren't a huge deal. It’s a straightforward process that doesn't require any third-party apps.

Here's how to do it step-by-step:

1. Open Instagram: Launch the app and tap the “+” icon at the bottom, then select "Story" or simply swipe right from your home feed to open the Story camera.
2. Select Your Video: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen or tap the gallery icon in the bottom-left corner. This opens your phone’s camera roll. Find and select the video you want to post - it must be longer than 60 seconds.
3. Let Instagram Work: Once you select the video, you’ll see it loaded into the Story editor. At the bottom, a timeline will appear showing the video automatically divided into 60-second segments. You can tap on each segment thumbnail to edit it individually.
4. Edit Each Segment: Now's your chance to add your personal touch. Tap on the first segment to add a text overlay, sticker, poll, quiz, or GIF to it. Then, tap on the second thumbnail at the bottom to edit the next segment, and so on. Consistency is important here, so try to maintain a similar look and feel across all segments.
5. Post Your Story: Once you're done editing, tap the "Your Story" button or "Close Friends" to publish. Instagram will upload all the segments consecutively to create a seamless-looking series of Stories.

Pros vs. Cons of the Native Approach

• Pros: It’s fast, free, and incredibly simple. No extra apps or steps are needed.
• Cons: The main disadvantage is having zero control over where Instagram makes the cuts. An awkward transition can ruin the flow of your video and cause people to lose interest.

Method 2: The Professional's Choice: Pre-Cutting Your Video for Full Control

If you want your Story to feel polished and professional, pre-cutting your video into perfect 60-second clips is the way to go. This move makes you the master of your narrative, deciding exactly where each segment ends to create natural breaks, dramatic cliffhangers, or smooth transitions. It puts you in the driver's seat.

Step 1: Choose a Video Splitting App

Your phone’s native photo app probably won’t do this, so you’ll need a little help from a third-party app. A variety of these apps are designed just for this purpose. Most are either free or have affordable one-time purchase options to remove watermarks.

Here are a few popular choices for both iOS and Android:

• InShot (iOS &, Android): A powerful all-in-one video editor. It doesn't have an automatic "split for Stories" feature, but its precise "Split" tool in the timeline gives you full manual control over where each clip starts and ends. It's great for content that requires very specific edits, making it perfect for those who want to fine-tune their editing.
• CutStory (iOS): A purpose-built app that does one thing incredibly well: chopping up long videos for social media. You import a long video, and it gives them all back to you in perfectly timed, orderly segments ready for various platforms, including Instagram. It's as close to automated precision as you can get.
• Story Cutter (Android): Similar to CutStory, this app is dedicated to slicing your videos into platform-friendly lengths. Just select your file, choose the split duration (like 60 seconds), and it takes care of the rest, saving the clips ready to upload.

Step 2: Splitting and Saving Your Clips

While each app's interface differs slightly, the general workflow is nearly identical.

1. Open your chosen app and import the long video from your camera roll. The process is typically intuitive - just look for an 'upload' or 'import' button to access your gallery.
2. Look for a setting related to Instagram Story or length (e.g., 60s).
3. The app will automatically process and export the video into numbered 60-second segments.
4. Save all the new, shorter clips to your phone’s camera roll. They should appear in order, labeled something like “Clip_01,” “Clip_02,” etc.

Step 3: Uploading the Segments to Your Instagram Story

This is where your careful preparation pays off. The key to making this work is to upload the clips in the correct sequence.

1. Open your Instagram Story editor.
2. Swipe up to access your camera roll.
3. At the top-right of the gallery screen, tap the “Select Multiple” icon. This allows you to select all the clips at once.
4. Now, tap on your video segments in chronological order. This is an absolutely essential step, as Instagram will upload them in the order you select them.
5. After selecting them, tap "Next" to continue to the Story editor, where you can preview each clip loaded in order.
6. Add your creative touches - stickers, GIFs, and polls - to each segment as needed.
7. Hit 'Share to Your Story,' and Instagram will post them sequentially.

Method 3: The Strategic 'Teaser' and Link Approach

Sometimes, the best solution isn't to put the entire video on your Story. Instead, treat your Story as the movie trailer, not the movie itself. This 'teaser' method is an incredibly effective marketing tactic to funnel traffic from your Story viewers to your primary content platforms.

The concept is simple: you create a highly engaging 15, 30, or even 60-second clip from your much longer video to use as a teaser. Then, use Instagram's 'Link' sticker to drive people to the full video's location, such as a Reel, a landing page, or your YouTube channel. This is a powerful strategy.

How to Execute the Teaser Strategy

1. Find the Hook: Review your full-length video and find the most compelling, curious, or exciting moment. This could be a dramatic statement, a crucial tip, or a visually stunning shot.
2. Create the Teaser: Edit this hook into a short, standalone clip. Make sure it grabs attention within the first three seconds and ends on a cliffhanger that makes people want to see more.
3. Add a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA): In your teaser video, use a text overlay or a verbal cue that tells viewers exactly what to do next, such as "Tap the link to see the full tutorial!" or "Watch the complete video now."
4. Post with the Link Sticker: When you upload your teaser to your Story, use the 'Link' sticker. Customize the sticker's text to be clear and compelling (e.g., "Watch Full Video Here") and place it where it's easily visible and tappable.

Final Thoughts

Sharing longer videos on your Instagram Story is all about choosing the right strategy for the occasion. Whether you let Instagram handle the automation, gain control with pre-cutting, or use a teaser to link to another platform, the goal is always to build a seamless experience that respects your viewers' time and makes it easy to watch from start to finish.

With stories playing such a big role for marketers, planning and scheduling them becomes the next piece of the puzzle. We built Postbase with a visual-first content calendar so you can drag-and-drop a multi-part Story to your calendar alongside your Feed posts, TikToks, and Shorts. This makes it much easier to create a cohesive brand story because you can see everything in one place. Using our visual planner will help you stay organized and plan your social media without spending hours on it.