To post a reel on Instagram, tap Create, choose Reel, record or pick a video from your camera roll, tap Next twice, then set the cover, caption and audience and tap Share. A computer works too: Create, Post, Select from computer. Before you share, run five checks: cover, caption, audio rights, audience and timing, because only the caption, cover, tags and location can be changed afterwards.
To post a reel on Instagram, tap Create, choose Reel, record a clip or pick a video from your camera roll, tap Next twice to reach the share screen, then set the cover, caption and audience and tap Share. You can also post one from a computer (Create, Post, Select from computer), and whichever route you take, the same five checks decide whether the reel goes out the way you meant it to.
Steps checked October 2026 against Instagram's Help Center pages on recording a reel (iPhone, Android and computer versions), sharing reels to Facebook, who can see your reels, Close Friends reels, reel audio and scheduled content, plus Instagram's Reels guide of 28 September 2026. There are no screenshots here on purpose: Instagram moves buttons between app versions, so labels are quoted as those pages give them. If one differs on your phone, look one screen over.
Making the reel, from the first clip to captions and transitions, is covered in our Instagram Reels guide. This page starts where that one ends: you have a video, or you are about to film one, and you want it published correctly on the first try.
What you'll have at the end
One reel live on your profile, with a cover you chose, a caption that says what it is about, audio you are allowed to use and an audience you picked on purpose. You will also know which of four routes to use next time, and which switches on the share screen are worth a second look.
- The Instagram app updated to the latest version. The Help Center notes Reels is not available to every account
- A vertical video, or a plan to film one. Instagram accepts ratios from 1.91:1 to 9:16, at 30 frames a second and 720 pixels or more
- 3 minutes or less if you want people who do not follow you to see it
- A cover image saved on your device, if you are not using a frame from the video
- The caption drafted in your notes app, with its first line written first
- A decision on audience: everyone, Close Friends or a trial
The exact frame sizes, safe zones and cover dimensions are in our Instagram Reels size reference. The length rule comes from the Help Center: you can record up to 20 minutes, but reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences.
The four ways to post a reel, and when to use each
Every route ends on the same share screen. They differ in where the video starts and how much editing Instagram lets you do on the way.
| Route | Where it starts | Use it for | What you can do on the way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record in the Reels camera | Create, Reel, Camera | Quick clips, trends and anything filmed in one sitting | Everything: audio, effects, layouts, timeline editing |
| Upload from your gallery | Create, Reel, camera roll in the bottom left | Footage you already filmed, or a video edited in another app | Everything the camera route has |
| Upload on a computer | instagram.com: Create, Post, Select from computer | A finished file that lives on your laptop | Cover photo, trim, caption, location, tags, alternate text |
| Send from Edits | In Edits: Next, then Instagram on the Choose where to share screen | Reels built on a detailed timeline | Opens the Instagram share screen, or saves a linked draft |
- The idea is one take or a few short clips
- You want a trending sound from Instagram's library
- You need the timer, speed or layout tools while filming
- You are posting from the place you filmed
- You edited in Edits or another editor
- The footage came from a camera, not a phone
- You batch film and post later
- You want the same master for other platforms
How to post a reel on Instagram from the app
This is the route the Help Center documents in most detail. The only difference between phones is the first tap: on iPhone, Create is on the Feed screen; on Android, the page says to tap your profile picture, then Create new in the top right, then Reel.
- 1Tap Create, then Reel
Expected result: the Reels screen, with Camera at the top and your camera roll in the bottom left.
- 2Tap Camera, then record
Tap and hold Record for a clip, or tap once to start and again to stop. The progress bar shows your total length.
- 3Use the tool menu on the left
Audio, effects and layouts live here, along with the options that change how you record.
- 4Tap Next in the bottom right
Expected result: the preview, with Audio, Text, Stickers, Effects and Download.
- 5Tap Edit video if you need the timeline
Move text and stickers, replace the music, add clips, or use Reorder and the trimmers on each clip.
- 6Tap Next in the top right
Expected result: the share screen, with Edit cover, the caption box, location and the option to share to Facebook.
- 7Run the five checks
Cover, caption, audio, audience and timing. They are the next section of this page.
- 8Tap Share
Expected result: the reel appears in the Reels section of your profile once it finishes uploading.
Source: Instagram Help Center, Record a reel, checked October 2026
Post a reel from your gallery
Uploading uses the same screens with one different tap. It is the route for anything you filmed earlier or finished in another editor.
- Tap Create, then Reel. Expected result: the Reels screen.
- Tap your camera roll in the bottom left. Expected result: the gallery view. Press and hold any file to preview it, and pinch to change the grid size.
- Select the video. You can select several videos or photos; Instagram's Reels guide says they stitch together in order, and photos play as a slideshow.
- Tap Next. Trim, reorder and add audio or effects, as you would with clips you just recorded.
- Tap Next again, run the five checks, then tap Share. Expected result: the reel on your profile, in the quality you uploaded.
Two things protect quality on this route. Export a clean file first: our Reels export settings page has the numbers. Then turn on Upload at highest quality, which the Help Center places under Menu, Media quality. If you built the reel in Edits, skip the gallery: tap Next in the project, then Instagram on the Choose where to share screen, and the reel opens in Instagram ready to share or save as a draft.
Upload reels step by step on a computer
Yes, instagram.com posts reels. The Help Center's computer version of its reel page is the ordinary Post flow with one video in it.
- 1Click Create on the left, then Post
Expected result: an upload window.
- 2Click Select from computer and choose one video
Expected result: your video in the preview. Do not add a second file.
- 3Click Next
Use the slider under Cover photo to pick a frame, or Select from computer to upload a cover. Use the slider under Trim to cut the start or end.
- 4Click Next again
Write the caption, add a location, tag people, add alternate text and adjust the post settings.
- 5Click Share
Expected result: the reel on your profile. Open it on your phone to confirm the cover and caption.
Source: Instagram Help Center, Record a reel (computer), checked October 2026
The computer steps list a cover, a trim, a caption, a location, tags and alternate text. They do not list the audio library, text tools or stickers, so finish the edit before you upload. Sharing to Facebook and Close Friends are both marked as not available on computers.
The five checks before you tap Share
After posting you can change the caption, cover, tags and location. You cannot change the video, the audio or who it was first shown to. So the share screen is where a reel is either set up properly or posted with the default of everything.
- 01Cover
A chosen frame or an uploaded image.
- 02Caption
First line says what the reel is.
- 03Audio
Original, or a track your account may use.
- 04Audience
Everyone, Close Friends or Trial.
- 05Timing
Share now, or schedule it.
1. Cover
Tap Edit cover and pick a frame or add an image from your device. The default is whatever frame Instagram chooses, which is rarely the one with your title on it. The Help Center recommends 420 by 654 pixels for a cover; our reel cover guide explains why a 1080 by 1920 image with the text in the centre survives the profile grid crop, and the free Crop and Grid Preview shows the crop before you post.
2. Caption
Write the first line as a plain statement of what the reel is about, in words someone would type into search. Then check the hashtags: the Help Center's hashtag page says you can use up to 5 tags on a post (checked October 2026). Add the location and tag anyone who appears. Structure and examples are in our Instagram captions guide.
3. Audio rights
Instagram separates original audio, which is sound you recorded, from licensed audio in its library. Meta's music library page says the licensed library is intended for personal, non-commercial use, so certain business accounts and certain types of posts do not have access to it. Those accounts are pointed to the Sound Collection, which is royalty free. Licensed tracks can also be muted later when Meta's agreements with rights holders change; the reel stays up, silent. If the reel sells something, original audio is the safe choice.
4. Audience
Who sees a reel follows your account's privacy setting unless you narrow it on the share screen.
| Audience | Who sees the reel | How to choose it | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public account | Anyone on Instagram, including Feed, Explore and audio, effect and hashtag pages | Nothing to tap: it is the default | None |
| Private account | Only followers you approved | Nothing to tap: it follows the account | No one can remix the reel or use its audio |
| Close Friends | Only the people on your Close Friends list | Audience, Close Friends, Back, Share | Phone app only |
| Trial | People who do not follow you, first | Tap Trial, then Next, then Share | Public account with 200 followers (professional) or 1,000 (personal) |
The follower thresholds are from Instagram's trial reels page, checked October 2026. A trial stays off your profile until you share it to everyone, which makes it the right setting for an idea you are unsure of. Our trial reels strategy guide covers when to use one.
5. Timing
Tap Share to post now. To post later on a public account, tap More options, turn on Schedule this reel, choose a time, tap Done, then Back, then Schedule. The Help Center allows up to 25 scheduled posts a day, up to 30 days ahead (checked October 2026), and collab posts, product tags, sponsored posts and fundraisers cannot be scheduled. The full walkthrough is in how to schedule Instagram Reels.
Cross-posting and the other switches on the share screen
The share screen carries several switches that are easy to leave on the wrong setting. Only one of them can never be changed later: sharing to Facebook, which the Help Center says you can only do when you create the reel.
| Switch | Where it is | What it does | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share to Facebook | Share screen, when you create the reel | Posts the reel to your Facebook account too | Phone app only and at creation only. On Facebook it defaults to Public for a public Instagram account, Friends for a private one |
| Your Instagram reels | Accounts Center, Sharing across profiles, under Share from | Makes sharing reels to Facebook the standing setting for that account | Turn it off and on again if sharing stops working |
| Recommend on Facebook | Share screen, shown when no Facebook account is connected | Lets Facebook recommend a reel from a public account to anyone it may be relevant to | You choose whether it applies to this reel or to all reels |
| Share to Feed | Share screen | Puts the reel on your main grid beside photos and carousels | Off, the reel stays in the Reels tab |
| Template and download permissions | Share screen, More options | Lets other people use the reel as a template or download it | Downloads can also be turned off in account settings |
One side effect of Facebook sharing is easy to miss. The Help Center's audio page notes that if you cross-post a public reel to Facebook, anyone on Facebook can create a reel with your original audio unless you turn that off in your Facebook settings. If you post the same video to other platforms as well, read posting the same video on TikTok and Reels first; the watermark rule matters more than the upload order.
After you tap Share
The reel appears in the Reels section of your profile. Instagram's Reels guide is specific about what you can still change: "You can edit the caption, cover image, tags and location after posting. To change the video itself, you'll need to delete the reel and re-upload an edited version." If you are not ready, tap Save draft on the share screen instead. Drafts are stored on your device, not your account, so they do not follow you to a new phone.
Publishing correctly gets a reel onto Instagram. Whether anyone watches past the first seconds is a separate craft, and it is where the Viral Hook Framework and Scripting for Retention lessons in Instagram Ignited pick up. For a free starting point, the Reels viral formula lays out the hook, hold and reward structure.
Troubleshooting: when a reel will not post
- No Reel option under Create. Update the app. The Help Center says Reels isn't currently available to everyone, and that some accounts can watch reels but not record them.
- The video posted as a carousel. You selected more than one file. Delete it and post the video by itself.
- It looks soft or blocky after upload. Turn on Upload at highest quality and check the source file against why reels look blurry.
- The song is missing or the reel went silent. The licensed library is not available for your account type or country, or a licence changed. Use original audio or the Sound Collection, or replace the muted track.
- It did not go to Facebook. Open Accounts Center, then Sharing across profiles, select your account under Share from, and turn Your Instagram reels off and on again. Check that your Facebook account is listed under Accounts.
- It posted but is not on your grid. It was a trial, Share to Feed was off, or it is still processing. The causes are in reel not showing on profile.
- Watched once with sound and once muted
- One video selected, not a carousel
- Cover chosen, with the title inside the centre of the image
- Caption opens with what the reel is about, 5 hashtags or fewer
- Audio is original, or a track your account type may use
- Audience is what you intend: everyone, Close Friends or Trial
- Share to Facebook and Share to Feed set on purpose
- Posting now, or scheduled inside 30 days
Posting a reel on Instagram: FAQ
How do I post a reel on Instagram?
Tap Create, choose Reel, then record with the camera or pick a video from your camera roll. Tap Next to add audio, text or stickers, then Next again to reach the share screen. Tap Edit cover, write the caption, set the audience and tap Share. Those are the steps in Instagram's Help Center, checked October 2026. On Android, Create new sits on your profile.
How do I post a reel from my gallery?
Tap Create, choose Reel, then tap your camera roll in the bottom left instead of recording. Select one or more videos or photos, tap Next, and the same editing and share screens follow. Press and hold a file in the gallery view to preview it before you select it. A finished video you edited elsewhere posts exactly the same way.
Can I post a reel from a computer?
Yes. On instagram.com click Create, then Post, then Select from computer and choose one video. Click Next, set the cover photo and trim, click Next, add the caption, location, tags and alternate text, then Share. Instagram's Help Center lists these as the computer steps for a reel. Sharing to Facebook and Close Friends are phone-only.
Can I share a reel to Facebook when I post it?
Yes, from the Instagram app on iPhone or Android, and only at the moment you create the reel. The option is on the share screen, and the standing switch is in Accounts Center under Sharing across profiles, next to Your Instagram reels. Instagram says the feature is not available to everyone and cannot be used from a computer.
Can I edit a reel after posting it?
Partly. Instagram's Reels guide says you can edit the caption, cover image, tags and location after posting. The video cannot be changed: to fix a cut, the audio or on-screen text you delete the reel and upload it again, which starts its views from zero. Watch the reel once with sound and once muted before you tap Share.
Who can see my reel after I post it?
It follows your account's privacy setting. On a public account anyone on Instagram can see and share it, and it can appear in Feed, the Reels viewer, Explore and on audio, effect and hashtag pages. On a private account only approved followers see it. You can narrow one reel to Close Friends, or share it as a trial that goes to non-followers first.
Why can't I add a song to my reel?
Instagram's Help Center gives two reasons: the Licensed Music Library is not available for your account type or your country, or a licensing agreement changed. Meta says the library is intended for personal, non-commercial use, so certain business accounts do not get it. Use original audio or a track from Meta's Sound Collection, which is royalty free.
The reel is up. Now make the next one worth watching.
Instagram Ignited, included in All Access, covers the Viral Hook Framework, scripting for retention, batch filming and a deep dive on trial reels. One subscription also opens the other three programs, live coaching and the private community.
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