How long can a Facebook video be?
Last updated 2026-10-20
Meta's help pages say every video posted to Facebook is now a reel, and a reel can be any length or orientation, with no minimum or maximum length. Meta recommends vertical video as an .mp4 at 1080p, H.264 or H.265, and 24 to 60 frames per second. Ads are different: Facebook Feed video ads allow up to 241 minutes and 4 GB.
How long a Facebook video can be
Meta says that in June 2025 the Videos tab became the Reels tab, and all videos posted to Facebook are now shared as reels. Its About Facebook Reels page says there is no minimum or maximum length requirement, so a reel can be any length you want.
The Meta pages we read publish no file-size cap for reels either. If a guide quotes a hard cap in minutes or gigabytes, check it against Meta's current pages before you plan around it.
Ads are the exception. Meta's ads guide gives Facebook Feed video ads a length of 1 second to 241 minutes and a 4 GB file limit. Treat those as ad limits, not limits for ordinary posts.
Facebook reels size and video specs
Meta's Requirements for Facebook Reels page lists these specs for reels on iOS and Android. It says the specs and content rules must be met to upload reels, then labels most rows as recommended. The codec rows show why the label matters: H.264 and H.265 are recommended, while VP9 and AV1 are only supported.
| Spec | Meta's value |
|---|---|
| Format | An .mp4 is recommended |
| Resolution | 1080p recommended; the page gives the label, not pixel counts |
| Video codec | H.264 or H.265 recommended; H.264, H.265, VP9 and AV1 supported |
| Frame rate | 24 to 60 fps recommended |
| Closed GOP | 2 to 5 seconds recommended |
| Picture | 4:2:0 chroma subsampling, square pixels, progressive scan |
| HDR | Recommended, though some creative effects may not support it |
| Audio | AAC low complexity, stereo, 44.1 or 48 kHz, 128 kbps or more |
| Length | Any |
| Aspect ratio | Not stated; Meta advises vertical video |
Facebook video dimensions for feed and reels
Meta's reel page says 1080p and gives no pixel counts. For a vertical video, 1080 by 1920 is the 1080p frame, and vertical is the shape Meta advises. Horizontal video is accepted, because reels can be any orientation, but Meta lists it among things to avoid.
Feed ads have real numbers. Meta's Facebook Feed video ad spec recommends 4:5 at 1440 by 1800 pixels, in MP4, MOV or GIF, with H.264 compression and a minimum of 120 by 120 pixels. Instagram's feed ad spec asks for 9:16 instead, so an ad file for one is not a drop-in for the other.
What Meta says lowers a reel's reach
Meta's best-practices page says low-quality reels are less discoverable on Facebook, and lists what to avoid. When you post a video to a Page from a computer, Video options also lets you turn on auto-generated captions or upload your own .srt file. If your captions are already in the picture, leave both off so viewers do not see two sets.
- Borders. Meta lists reels uploaded with a border around them. Black bars around a wide clip read as a border, so fill the vertical frame instead.
- Watermarks. Meta lists reels with visible watermarks from other apps. Export a clean file from your editor.
- Low resolution. Meta lists reels that are blurry from low resolution. Aim for 1080p.
- Horizontal video. Meta lists it as typically not as easy to recreate, so make a vertical version when you can.
Prepare a Facebook reel in Woven
Woven exports an H.264 MP4 at 1080p, which matches Meta's recommended format, codec and resolution. It does not post to Facebook, and it cannot export an .srt file, so captions are burned into the picture.
Ask in chat
- Make this a vertical reel and fill the frame so there are no black bars.
- Add captions in the middle of the frame.
- Set the frame rate to 30 and export at 1080p.
Or do it by hand
- 1Start vertical. Pick Vertical 1080x1920 in the Format menu. The button reads 9:16.
- 2Remove the bars. Open the Crop tab on a wide clip and check that Fit is set to Fill, so the picture covers the whole canvas. Fit leaves empty bands around it, which read as a border.
- 3Stay inside 24 to 60. Deselect any clip and choose a Frame rate of 24, 25, 30, 50 or 60 on the Settings page. Skip 120, which is above Meta's recommended range.
- 4Burn in the captions. Burn captions in with Add, then Generate captions. Open the Style tab if you want a different Caption style, and skip Facebook's own caption options.
- 5Export. Pick 1080p from the Export menu.
Common questions
Meta's help pages say reels can be any length, with no minimum or maximum. Facebook Feed video ads do state a limit: 1 second to 241 minutes.
Meta recommends 1080p as an .mp4 in H.264 or H.265 at 24 to 60 fps. It advises vertical video but states no aspect ratio. 1080 by 1920 is the usual vertical 1080p frame.
Yes. Meta says reels can be any orientation. It lists horizontal video among things to avoid, so a vertical version is the better choice.
Meta's Feed video ad spec recommends 4:5 at 1440 by 1800 pixels, 1 second to 241 minutes, and up to 4 GB.
In June 2025 Meta renamed it the Reels tab. All videos posted to Facebook are now shared as reels.
Meta recommends 24 to 60 fps for reels, so 24, 25, 30, 50 or 60 all fit. A rate such as 120 is outside that range.
Sources
- Meta Business Help Center: Requirements for Facebook Reels, checked October 19, 2026
- Meta Business Help Center: About Facebook Reels, checked October 19, 2026
- Meta Business Help Center: Create a Facebook reel, checked October 19, 2026
- Meta Business Help Center: Tips and best practices for Facebook Reels, checked October 19, 2026
- Meta Ads Guide: Video ad specs on Facebook Feed, checked October 19, 2026
- Meta Ads Guide: Video ad specs on Instagram feed, checked October 19, 2026
- Facebook Help Center: Post or edit a video on your Facebook Page, checked October 19, 2026
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