Now you can post up to 60-second-long uninterrupted Instagram Stories
Instagram has been talking about consolidating its video products for a while. With its latest announcement that Stories under 60 seconds long won't be split into multiple segments, the company has seemingly taken another step toward its goal. The feature has been in testing since late last year. Now, users who update their Instagram app can post uninterrupted Stories of up to 60 seconds.
Why does this story matter?
Instagram is embroiled in a bitter rivalry with TikTok. The Meta-owned company has identified videos as the answer to the Chinese social media platform's exponential growth in the last few years. By blurring the lines between its video formats, Instagram wants to simplify its app while increasing user engagement. The change to Stories shows that Instagram believes in its evolution into a video-focused platform.
Stories previously had a 15-second limit
Until now, whenever a user posted an Instagram Story longer than 15 seconds, it was split into multiple 15-second long segments. With the new update, Instagram has increased the time limit of a single, uninterrupted Story to 60 seconds. The feature is being rolled out worldwide. Once users update the app, they will receive an in-app alert saying, "Introducing longer Stories."
Is the change beneficial for users?
The increase in the length of Stories from 15 seconds to 60 seconds is a welcome addition to the app. Those who post Stories will now be able to post uninterrupted videos, while those who view them won't have to tap multiple times to watch or skip through longer Stories. However, fans of the bite-sized Stories may not be happy with the change.
Instagram has been working on integrating video options
Instagram's move to increase the length of Stories is part of its broader plan to consolidate its video options. Last year, the company called its quits on its IGTV brand, as it combined IGTV and feed videos. In June this year, it increased the limit of Reels from 60 seconds to 90 seconds. Instagram also started automatically considering videos below 15 minutes as Reels.
