Social media video sizes and lengths for 2026
One vertical 1080 by 1920 MP4 works almost everywhere. What changes is how long it can run, how big the file can be and how much caption each platform takes. These are the limits each platform sets for videos posted from an app like deploy.social, taken from their own developer documentation and checked in September 2026.
Length and file size
| Platform | Length | File size | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts | Up to 3 minutes | Up to 256 GB | Vertical or square |
| Instagram Reels | 3 seconds to 15 minutes | Up to 300 MB | Vertical (9:16) is best |
| TikTok | 3 seconds to 10 minutes | Up to 4 GB | Vertical, at least 360 pixels |
| 1 second to 4 hours | Up to 4 GB | Vertical, at least 540 by 960 | |
| Threads | Up to 5 minutes | Up to 1 GB | Vertical, square or wide |
| X | Up to 20 minutes | Up to 8 GB | Anything from 1:3 to 3:1 |
| Bluesky | Up to 10 minutes | About 300 MB | Vertical, square or wide |
Caption limits
| Platform | Caption | Also |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts | 5,000-character description | 100-character title |
| Instagram Reels | 2,200 characters | 2,200-character first comment |
| TikTok | 2,200 characters | Caption only |
| Facebook Reels | 2,200 characters | First comment |
| Threads | 500 characters | 500-character first comment |
| X | 280 characters | Caption only |
| Bluesky | 300 characters | Caption only |
How long can an Instagram Reel be?
Up to 20 minutes when you post it in the Instagram app, which Instagram raised from 3 minutes. When an app like Deploy posts it for you, through Instagram's API, a Reel can run from 3 seconds to 15 minutes and be up to 300 MB. The Instagram Reel length page has both limits side by side.
Shape matters more than length: Instagram takes square and wide Reels too, but a vertical 1080 by 1920 video fills the screen. Posting the same video as a TikTok and a YouTube Short too? Keep it under 3 minutes and one file works on all three; the YouTube Shorts length page has that limit on its own.
Instagram and TikTok share the same 2,200-character caption. Instagram announced in December 2025 that it's moving every post to a 5-hashtag limit, down from 30, and the Instagram caption limit page has both numbers.
The file that works everywhere
- Size
- 1080 by 1920 pixels, vertical.
- Format
- MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio.
- Frame rate
- Between 24 and 60 frames per second; 30 is the safe choice.
- Length
- Under 3 minutes if you want it on YouTube Shorts too.
Questions
How long can a YouTube Short be?
Up to 3 minutes, square or vertical. YouTube raised the limit from 60 seconds in October 2024. The YouTube Shorts length page has what else counts.
How long can an Instagram Reel be?
Up to 20 minutes when you post it in the Instagram app, and from 3 seconds to 15 minutes when it's posted from an app like deploy.social. The Instagram Reel length page has both limits side by side.
How long can a TikTok video be?
Up to 10 minutes when it's posted from an app like deploy.social, and at least 3 seconds.
What's the TikTok caption character limit?
2,200 characters when a video is posted from an app like deploy.social, and longer in the TikTok app itself. The TikTok caption limit page has the details.
How long can a Facebook Reel be?
Up to 4 hours when it's posted from an app like deploy.social, vertical and at least 540 by 960. Facebook shows every video as a Reel, whatever its length.
How long can a Threads video be?
Up to 5 minutes and 1 GB.
How long can a video on Bluesky be?
Up to 10 minutes and about 300 MB. Bluesky raised it from 3 minutes in August 2026.
What size should a video be for social media?
1080 by 1920 pixels, vertical, as an MP4. That one file works on YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok, Facebook Reels, Threads, X and Bluesky.
Post one file to all seven.
Deploy checks your video against every limit on this page before it posts, and tells you which platform it doesn't fit. Five posts a month are free.
Keep reading
- Reels, Shorts and TikTok
The three big ones at once, and what changes between them.
- TikTok to YouTube Shorts
The same video as a Short, under 3 minutes and logo-free.
- TikTok caption limit
2,200 characters from a posting app, longer in the app itself, and why.
- All comparisons
Every tool we compare deploy.social with, one at a time.
- Platform guides
Every destination's API, limits and quirks, from the docs.