Instagram Brings Major Upgrade to Reels – What’s in it?

In Brief

• Instagram has upgraded its Reels camera, introducing longer video durations and more.
• The upgrade expands Reels to 20-minute videos and makes editing and navigation easier than ever.
• Users have responded positively to the changes, praising the enhanced tools and creative flexibility they offer.

Shedrach Kongvong 2025-11-24

Instagram just rolled out one of its biggest Reels upgrades ever, and creators are thrilled. The platform has officially expanded Reels to 20 minutes, redesigned the camera interface, and added smarter editing controls that make video creation smoother than at any point since Reels launched.

The platform’s design team in a post explained that it has rolled out a major upgrade to its Reels camera, unlocking several long-awaited features. The biggest being the ability to create 20-minute videos, up from the previous much shorter limits. Early feedback is overwhelmingly positive, but the update extends far beyond just video length.

The Reels Camera Gets Smarter, Longer, and Easier to Use

Reels have always been Instagram’s answer to short-video platforms, but users have repeatedly complained about time restrictions that limited storytelling, tutorials, behind-the-scenes content, and vlog-style posts.

Instagram has now expanded the maximum Reels length to 20 minutes, effectively allowing creators to produce richer, more complete video stories without splitting clips into multiple posts.

A screenshot of Instagram update. Source: Instagram

Apart from the video length, the design team says it has made a complete upgrade to the app, making it smarter and easier to use.

Instagram has also made other changes to make the platform better recently. It introduced DMs early this year to help users connect more personally with friends.

Creators Celebrate: “This Changes Everything”

The new upgrade to Reels camera on Instagram has impressed users, some of which have expressed their appreciation in words.

“Loving the new Reels Camera upgrades! Easier, smarter, and perfect for creators. Can’t wait to try the longer Reels and touch-ups!”

The longer Reels capability also opens new opportunities for content types that previously didn’t fit the time limit, such as documentary-style clips, educational breakdowns, cooking, tech demos, and lifestyle vlogging. Combined with smoother editing and instant Undo, creators now have a more powerful toolkit than ever before.