Turn long videos into Instagram Reels
Reeltopus takes a long recording and gives you Reels-ready clips: complete moments picked from the transcript, reframed to vertical with the speaker kept in frame, and captioned inside the safe zone Meta publishes for Reels. You check each clip, adjust it in plain words and download it. Reeltopus is in early access, so join the waitlist to try it.
Instagram Reels at a glance
- Maximum length
- You can record and edit reels up to 20 minutes. Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences.Checked 17 October 2026 · Source
- Aspect ratio and quality
- Any aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16, at least 30 fps and at least 720 pixels. You can turn on "Upload at highest quality" in the app's media quality settings.Checked 17 October 2026 · Source
- Cover photo
- Recommended size 420 × 654 pixels (1:1.55). You can't change the cover after uploading.Checked 17 October 2026 · Source
- Automatic captions
- Instagram writes captions from the speech with speech recognition. Turn on "Enable closed captions" (and caption translations) under More options before sharing, or edit a reel you've already posted.Checked 17 October 2026 · Source
- Captions for viewers
- Captions may not be available to everyone. Viewers choose to always or never show closed captions, from a reel or in their settings.Checked 17 October 2026 · Source
- Hashtags
- UnclearInstagram's @creators account announced a limit of 5 hashtags per reel or post on 18 December 2025. Meta's developer reference still lists 30 for posts made through the API. Use 5.Checked 17 October 2026 · Source
- Caption length
- UnclearCaptions posted through Meta's API can be up to 2,200 characters, with up to 20 @mentions. The Instagram Help Center doesn't state the limit in the app.Checked 17 October 2026 · Source
- Reels posted by other apps
- Through Meta's API: MP4 or MOV, H.264 or HEVC, 23 to 60 fps, up to 1,920 pixels wide, 3 seconds to 15 minutes and up to 300 MB. Meta recommends 9:16.Checked 17 October 2026 · Source
- Scheduling
- Meta Business Suite can schedule a reel for Instagram or Facebook, save it as a draft, and attach a subtitle file before it goes out.Checked 17 October 2026 · Source
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What works on Instagram Reels
Keep it under 3 minutes for reach
Instagram won't recommend reels over 3 minutes to new audiences. Clips cut from long videos usually land well under that, but check the long stories.
Center the cover
Your profile grid shows only the middle 3:4 of a reel's cover. Keep the face and any title in the middle of the frame so it reads in both places.
Keep the first caption line short
Long captions expand upward over the video. Put the point in the first line and the details after it.
Use five specific hashtags
Five is the limit, so make each one count. Tags about the topic and the audience say more about the clip than broad, generic ones.
How Reeltopus prepares clips for Instagram Reels
Speaker-tracked 9:16
Horizontal podcasts, webinars and talks are reframed to vertical with face detection and active-speaker tracking. Two people talking get a split screen instead of a cut-off face.
Captions inside Meta's safe zone
Captions are placed using Meta's published Reels margins (top 14%, bottom 35%, 6% on each side), so the username, caption and buttons don't cover them.
Moments that hold up on their own
Each clip is picked as a complete moment with a hook and a payoff, with a one-line reason. Set the length you want by chat or by deleting words in the transcript.
Files for the app or Business Suite
Download MP4 at 1080p (1440p or 4K on Pro), with an SRT file you can attach as subtitles when scheduling in Meta Business Suite.
Posting: Posting to TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, Threads and Facebook is rolling out platform by platform, switching on as each platform's app approval completes. Instagram switches on once Meta's app approval completes. Until then, download the clip and post it in the Instagram app or schedule it in Meta Business Suite, which works from day one.
Free tools
Aspect ratio and safe-zone calculator
Exact pixel sizes and UI safe zones for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok, LinkedIn and X, plus a crop calculator and ffmpeg command for turning 16:9 video into 9:16.
Hashtag suggester
Describe your video and get relevant hashtags grouped for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts or LinkedIn, with no spam tags. Free AI tool, no sign-in.
Thumbnail and cover safe-area checker
Check your video cover or thumbnail against the UI safe zones and grid crops of YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube. Your image never leaves your browser.
Hook line generator
Paste a paragraph from your video or script and get 5 opening hook lines for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, written by AI. Free, no sign-in.
Questions
How long can an Instagram Reel be?
Instagram's help center says you can record and edit reels up to 20 minutes, but reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences. For reach beyond your followers, stay under 3 minutes.
What size should a Reel be?
1080 × 1920 (9:16) fills the screen. Instagram accepts anything from 1.91:1 to 9:16 at 720 pixels or more. Remember the profile grid shows only the middle 3:4 of the cover.
How many hashtags can I use on a Reel?
Five. Instagram announced the limit in December 2025. Pick specific tags about the topic and the audience; the free hashtag generator sizes its suggestions to the limit.
Can I turn a YouTube video into Reels?
Yes, if you own it or have permission. Upload the original file to Reeltopus, review the clips it picks, and download them for Instagram.
Does Instagram add captions to Reels automatically?
Instagram can generate closed captions from speech, which viewers can show or hide, and they may not be available to everyone. Burned-in captions are part of the video, so they always show and keep your style. Use one or the other so they don't overlap.
Make Instagram Reels clips from every long video.
Join the waitlist for early access. The free plan includes 2 upload hours a month.