How to Shorten a Video on Instagram

Got a video that's just a little too long for Instagram? You've come to the right place. Trimming your clips to create fast-paced, engaging content is one of the most fundamental skills for any creator or marketer on the platform. This guide will walk you through exactly how to shorten a video for any Instagram format - Posts, Stories, and Reels - using the app's built-in tools, your phone’s camera roll, and other helpful resources.

Why Video Length Matters on Instagram

Before we get into the how-to, it’s worth understanding why trimming your videos is so important. In short, it all comes down to attention. Instagram is a fast-scroll environment, and you have only a few seconds to capture someone’s interest before they move on. A concise, well-edited video that gets straight to the point almost always outperforms a longer, rambling one.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the different formats and why length is a big deal for each:

• Instagram Reels (Up to 90 seconds): This is the prime spot for short-form entertainment. While you can go up to 90 seconds, the most viral Reels are often much shorter - typically in the 7-15 second range. Trimming allows you to isolate the most exciting or valuable part of your clip.
• Instagram Stories (Up to 60 seconds per slide): Stories are designed for quick, ephemeral updates. If you upload a video longer than 60 seconds, Instagram will automatically split it into multiple slides. Manually trimming it yourself gives you control over where those cuts happen, creating a smoother viewing experience.
• Instagram Feed Posts (Up to 60 minutes): Feed videos can be much longer, but that doesn't mean they should be. The feed is still a competitive space, and a shorter, punchier video (often under 60 seconds) is more likely to be watched all the way through, signaling to the algorithm that your content is engaging.

In every case, shortening a video is about respecting your audience's time and delivering maximum impact in the shortest window possible.

How to Shorten a Video Directly in the Instagram App

The good news is that you don't need fancy software to get the job done. Instagram has user-friendly trimming tools built right into the upload process for every format. Let’s break it down, step by step.

1. Shortening a Video for an Instagram Feed Post

Uploading a video to your main grid is straightforward, and the trimming tool is right there at the start of the process.

1. Start a New Post: Open Instagram and tap the + icon at the bottom center of your screen. Select "Post" from the menu.
2. Select Your Video: Choose the video you want to upload from your camera roll.
3. Access the Trim Tool: After selecting your video and tapping "Next," you'll land on the filtering screen. Look at the bottom menu. You’ll see three options: "Filter," "Trim," and "Cover." Tap on “Trim.”
4. Adjust the Timeline: A timeline of your video will appear at the bottom. It will have thick white handles on both the left (start) and right (end) sides.
   • To change the starting point, press and hold the left handle and drag it to the right.
   • To change the ending point, press and hold the right handle and drag it to the left.
5. Preview and Save: As you drag the handles, the video preview above will show you exactly what will be included in the final cut. Once you’re happy with the selection, tap “Done.” From here, you can add a caption, tags, and share your video post.

2. Shortening a Video for an Instagram Story

The process for trimming a Story video is very similar, giving you precise control over which part of your clip gets featured.

1. Start a New Story: From the Instagram home feed, swipe right or tap your profile picture with the + icon in the corner.
2. Choose Your Video: Select a video from your gallery. Instagram will immediately show you a preview of it in the Story editor.
3. Trim the Clip: At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a filmstrip-style timeline of your video. Just like with feed posts, you can press and drag the handles on the left and right to shorten the video from the beginning or end.
4. Refine the Segment: If your original video is very long, you can also slide the entire highlighted filmstrip left or right to select a different portion of the video without changing its length. For example, you can select a 10-second clip from the middle of a 2-minute video.
5. Finish and Post: After you’ve selected the perfect clip, tap "Done." Add any text, stickers, or music you want, and share it to your story.

3. Shortening a Video for an Instagram Reel

The Reel editor offers the most robust set of tools, since you're often working with multiple clips. Trimming is a fundamental part of making them flow.

1. Start a New Reel: Tap the + icon at the bottom of the screen and select "Reel."
2. Upload Your Video: Select a video from your camera roll. Unlike Stories or Posts, this won’t take you directly to the trimming screen. It will add the clip to the Reel editor.
3. Open the Clip Editor: Tap the “Edit Video” button in the bottom-left corner. This opens up a full timeline editor.
4. Select and Trim Your Clip: On the timeline, tap the white block representing the video clip you just added. It should become outlined in yellow. Now, you can:
   • Press and drag the thick yellow handle on the left to trim the start of the clip.
   • Press and drag the thick yellow handle on the right to trim the end of the clip.
5. Splitting a Clip (Advanced): The Reel editor also lets you cut out the middle of a clip. Move the white playhead (the vertical line) to where you want to make a cut, and tap the "Split" tool. You can now trim the end of the first segment and the beginning of the second segment, effectively removing a portion from the middle.
6. Rearrange and Finalize: Once all your clips are trimmed and arranged how you like, tap "Next." Here you can add your final touches like cover art, captions, and then share your Reel.

Beyond the App: Other Easy Ways to Shorten Your Videos

While Instagram’s built-in tools are great for quick cuts, you sometimes need a bit more flexibility. Here are a few other methods that work great.

Using Your Phone's Built-in Photo App

Trimming a video before you even open Instagram is often the easiest workflow. Both iPhone and Android have excellent built-in editors for this.

For iPhone Users:

1. Open the Photos app and find your video.
2. Tap "Edit" in the top-right corner.
3. A timeline will appear at the bottom. Drag the yellow arrows on the left and right to trim the video.
4. Tap "Done" and choose to either "Save Video" (which overwrites the original) or "Save Video as New Clip" (which we recommend!). A new, perfectly trimmed video is a great asset because there are countless ways to reuse it across other platforms later with no re-editing.

For Android Users (Google Photos/Gallery):

1. Open Google Photos or your phone’s default Gallery app and select your video.
2. Tap the screen, and then tap the "Edit" icon (it usually looks like a set of sliders).
3. You'll see a filmstrip at the bottom. Drag the handles to set the new start and end points.
4. Tap “Save copy” to save your trimmed video without altering the original.

When to Use Third-Party Editing Apps

Sometimes you need more power. A third-party app is a great choice if you need to:

• Cut out the middle: Most basic trimmers only let you shorten the start and end. Apps like CapCut or InShot let you "split" clips to remove mistakes or slow parts from the middle.
• Zoom or reframe: You might want to crop a horizontal video to fit Instagram's vertical format.
• Add sophisticated transitions: Smoothly connect two different trimmed clips together for a more professional finish.

These apps offer more granular control and are the next logical step once you’ve mastered the basics on Instagram and your phone.

Final Thoughts

Mastering how to shorten a video is a must-have skill that allows you to get straight to the action, hold your audience's attention, and make your content more impactful. Whether you use Instagram’s native tools for a quick edit or your phone's photo app for pre-production, trimming is your best friend for creating content that performs.

Perfecting your video clips is just one part of the puzzle. We built Postbase to streamline the next steps: planning your content visually on a calendar, scheduling your perfectly trimmed Reels and Stories across all platforms from one spot, and seeing what actually works with clear analytics. It gets you from idea to published post so all your hard work pays off.