How to Share Longer Stories on Instagram

Trying to post a video to your Instagram Story, only to have it awkwardly cut off after 60 seconds? It’s a common frustration for creators and brands who have more to say than what fits in a single frame. This guide breaks down exactly how to share longer videos on your Stories with actionable methods that give you back control. We’ll cover everything from the quick and easy built-in method to more advanced strategies for a cleaner, more engaging viewing experience.

What’s with the Time Limit, Anyway?

First, let’s get the technical details straight. Instagram Stories were originally built for quick, bite-sized moments, which is why they started with a 15-second cap. As a creator-friendly platform, Instagram eventually updated that, so now each individual Story segment can be up to 60 seconds long.

When you upload a video longer than a minute, Instagram doesn’t reject it. Instead, it automatically chops your video into a series of consecutive 60-second segments. If you upload a three-minute video, you'll get three one-minute Story slides that play back-to-back.

While this is helpful, it’s not perfect. The automatic cuts are often abrupt and can interrupt your flow, cutting someone off mid-sentence or right before the beat drops. Viewers might get jarring audio transitions or just get tired of tapping through so many segments. The key is to manage these cuts intentionally so your story feels seamless, not splintered.

Method 1: Let Instagram Do the Work (The Fast &, Simple Way)

If you have a video that’s only a few minutes long and you need to get it up quickly, letting Instagram's native uploader handle the splitting is the most direct approach. It requires no extra apps and takes just a few seconds.

How it Works, Step-by-Step:

1. Open the Story Editor: On the Instagram home feed, swipe right or tap your profile picture in the top-left to open the Story creation screen.
2. Select Your Video: Tap the gallery icon in the bottom-left corner and choose the video you want to share from your camera roll. Make sure it's longer than 60 seconds.
3. Review the Segments: Instagram will immediately process the video and display it as multiple segments in the editor tray at the bottom of the screen. You'll see little thumbnails representing each 60-second chunk.
4. Edit Each Clip Individually: This is an important step. You can tap on each segment to edit it separately. This means you can add different stickers, text, polls, or GIFs to each 60-second clip to keep things interesting.
5. Publish Your Story: Once you're happy with how each segment looks, just tap "Your Story" to post. Instagram will upload them in the correct order.

When This Method is Best:

• For shorter "long" videos, typically under three or four minutes.
• When the content is continuous and the exact cut-off points don't disrupt the message too much (e.g., a city timelapse, a long panning shot of a new product, or background footage).
• When you’re in a hurry and don't have time for external apps.

Potential Downsides:

• No Control Over Splitting: The biggest drawback. The automatic cuts can feel random and unprofessional if they interrupt dialogue or key visual moments.
• Audio Can Be Jarring: You’ll often notice an abrupt stop and start in the audio track between each segment, which can be a poor user experience.

Method 2: Use a Video Splitter App for Precision Control (The Pro Way)

For a truly seamless and professional-looking long story, you need to take control of the editing process. Using a third-party video splitter app lets you decide exactly where each 60-second segment begins and ends, allowing you to align cuts with natural pauses in your content.

There are many apps available for both iOS and Android designed specifically for this purpose. Search your app store for terms like "Story Cutter," "Video Splitter for Instagram," or "Split Video." Many video editing apps like InShot or CapCut also have features that can help achieve this, though dedicated splitter apps are often faster for this single task.

The General Workflow:

1. Download and Open a Splitter App: Find an app with good reviews and download it.
2. Import Your Long Video: Grant the app access to your camera roll and import the video file you want to post.
3. Choose Your Split Settings: Most apps have pre-set options. You'll see buttons for "Instagram Story" or "60 Seconds." Select this option, and the app will process your file.
4. Export the Clips: The app will divide your video into perfectly timed 60-second clips and save them to your camera roll as separate files, usually numbered in order (e.g., `Clip_01`, `Clip_02`, `Clip_03`).
5. Upload to Instagram: Now, go back to the Instagram Story editor. Tap the gallery icon and find your newly created clips. Use the "Select Multiple" button (usually a small icon of layered squares) to choose all the clips in the correct order. This is much faster than uploading them one by one.
6. Edit and Publish: You can still add stickers and text to each segment before publishing. When you're ready, post your Story.

Why This Method is a Game-Changer:

• Master Your Narrative: You review the cuts before uploading. If a split happens at an awkward spot, you can trim a few seconds off the start of your original video and re-split it for better timing.
• Smoother Audio Transitions: You gain more control over sound. Before splitting, you could even use a video editor to slightly fade the audio out at the end of a clip and fade it back in at the start of the next one for a less jarring transition.
• A More Polished Feel: Your viewers won't even notice they're watching a series of separate clips. The content will flow smoothly from one segment to the next, just as you intended.

Beyond Slicing Videos: Smarter Ways to Share Longer Content

Sometimes, the best way to share a long video isn’t to force the whole thing into your Stories. Instead, you can use Stories as a powerful promotional tool to drive viewers to where your deep-dive content lives. This approach respects both the viewer’s time and the format of the platform.

1. Tease Your Content and Use a Link Sticker

Instead of posting a 10-minute long tutorial in 10 separate Story segments, create a compelling, 60-second "trailer." Clip the most exciting or valuable part of your video - the big reveal, the funniest moment, or a teaser of the final result. Post this single, punchy segment to your Story.

Then, use the "Link" sticker to direct your audience to the full video on another platform. Your call-to-action on the Story could read:

• "Watch the full 10-minute tutorial on our YouTube channel!"
• "Get the full recipe and step-by-step guide on the blog!"
• "Tap to watch the whole property tour!"

2. Go All-In on Reels and Feed Videos

If your content is between 60 seconds and 90 seconds, it might be a perfect fit for an Instagram Reel instead of a Story. Reels are discoverable and have a longer shelf life.

For anything longer (up to 60 minutes), post it as a regular Instagram Feed Video. This keeps the content permanently on your profile grid. Then, you can leverage one of Instagram's best features: sharing that post to your Story. When you do this, Instagram automatically creates a tappable preview creative that acts as a direct link to the full video. This is one of the most effective ways to drive internal traffic on the platform.

3. Broadcast with Instagram Live

If your content is event-based, like a Q&,A, a workshop, or a live demo, Instagram Live is the perfect format for it. You can stream for up to four hours, interact with your audience in real-time, and get immediate feedback.

Best of all, once your Live broadcast is over, you have the option to share a replay to your Stories. This replay stays active for 24 hours, giving people who missed the live event a chance to catch up without you having to chop up a single video file.

Best Practices to Keep Viewers from Tapping Away

Once you've posted your long-form Story, the next challenge is keeping people engaged until the very end. Viewers have a famously short attention span, so a string of ten segments can lead to drop-offs. Here’s how to prevent that.

• Manage Expectations Early: On your very first Story segment, add a text overlay that says something like, “Grab a snack - this is a deep dive! (1 of 5).” This tells viewers what they’re in for and encourages them to stick around.
• Use Interactive Elements: Sprinkle polls, quizzes, and question stickers throughout your segments. Ask a question in Part 2 and reveal the answer in Part 4. This gives people a reason to keep watching and turns a passive viewing experience into an active one.
• Maintain Visual Consistency: If you use text, specific brand colors, or GIFs, try to place them in roughly the same location across all segments. This creates a cohesive look and prevents the viewer from being visually distracted by elements jumping around the screen.
• Build Momentum: Your story should have a beginning, middle, and end. Each 60-second clip should build on the last and create a minor cliffhanger or point of anticipation that makes the viewer want to see what comes next.

Final Thoughts

Whether you let Instagram's uploader do the quick work, use a third-party app for precise control, or strategically tease longer content that lives elsewhere on your profile, you're now fully equipped to move beyond the 60-second barrier. The best approach will always depend on your specific content and goals, but the key is to be intentional with how you present your story to create a smooth, polished experience for your audience.

Creating and managing video content, especially for platforms like Stories and Reels that require a steady rhythm, can be time-consuming. We built Postbase to simplify exactly that workflow. As a platform built with video front and center, our visual calendar lets you plan and schedule all your social media content together - from Reels and TikToks to Stories - so you can spend more time telling great stories and less time struggling with the tools.