Schedule & Publish Instagram Reels

Plan, schedule, and publish Instagram Reels directly in Later. You can upload a video, crop or trim it, choose a cover photo, add a Link in Bio link, tag users, choose whether your Reel appears on your Instagram profile grid, and more.

This article covers single-video Instagram Reel posts.

For other Instagram post types, see:

• Schedule & Publish Instagram Single-Photo Posts
• Schedule & Publish Instagram Multi-Photo (Carousel) Posts
• Schedule & Publish Instagram Stories
• Publish Instagram Posts Using Notification Publishing

Requirements & Key Details 

• Reels scheduling is available on all Later plans, including Free. Each scheduled Reel counts as 1 Later post.
• Auto Publish is available for Instagram business and creator profiles only and must be enabled before use.
• Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters, with a maximum of 5 hashtags per post.

Instagram Reel Publishing Options

There are two ways to schedule Instagram Reels in Later: Auto Publish and notification publishing.

Auto Publish

With Auto Publish, your Reel publishes automatically at its scheduled time. No further action is required.

Auto Publish is best when:

• You want your Reel to publish automatically.
• Your Reel uses original audio.
• You’re scheduling one video.
• You want to add Auto Publish options like First Comment or Location.

Notification Publishing

With notification publishing, Later sends a notification to your mobile device at your scheduled publishing time. You’ll open the notification and finish publishing your Reel in Instagram.

Notification publishing is best when:

• You want to add trending audio in Instagram.
• You want to use multiple clips.
• Your Reel is too long for Auto Publish on your device.
• You want to finish editing your Reel using Instagram’s tools.

For full publishing steps, see Publish Instagram Posts Using Notification Publishing.

Auto Publish vs. Notification Publishing

Reel Requirements & Limitations

Audio

Auto Published Reels support original audio only.

To use trending audio, schedule your Reel using notification publishing. When it’s time to publish, you can add audio in Instagram before sharing your Reel.

To learn more, see Adding Music, Captions, Stickers & Effects to Instagram/TikTok Posts.

Reel Length

Reel length limits depend on your device and publishing method.

Reels scheduled through Android are limited to 90 seconds for Auto Publish. For longer Reels, use notification publishing.

For notification publishing, Reels with multiple media items must be 1 minute or less.

Single Video vs. Multiple Clips

Auto Publish Reels support one video only.

To publish multiple clips, schedule your Reel using notification publishing. You can add multiple photos or videos in Later, then stitch them together in Instagram when it’s time to publish.

User Tags and Collaborators

User tagging is available on desktop, iOS, and Android.

Collaborator invites are available on desktop and iOS only. To learn more, see Invite Collaborators to Instagram Posts.

Trial Reels

Users with public Instagram profiles and 1,000+ followers can schedule Trial Reels directly in Later’s Post Builder.

Trial Reels are shown to non-followers first so you can test content before sharing it more broadly.

Schedule an Instagram Reel

You can schedule Instagram Reels from Later on desktop, iOS, or Android.

Desktop

1. From app.later.com on desktop, select your Instagram profile from the top of the Calendar.
2. From the Side Library, drag your video to the Calendar to open the Post Builder.
3. Next to Post Type, make sure Reels is selected.
4. Add a caption and hashtags, or use a Saved Caption.
5. Adjust the scheduled date and time for publishing.

Optional Reel settings:

• Select Edit Video to crop or trim your video.
• Select Change Media to replace your video.
• Select Select Cover to choose a frame from the video or upload a custom cover image.
• Add a Link in Bio link.
• Select Tag People to add user tags.
• To invite collaborators, see Invite Collaborators to Instagram Posts.
• For Auto Publish posts, add a First Comment or Location.
• For Auto Publish posts, choose whether your Reel appears in your Instagram profile grid under Settings > Share to Feed.

6. Click Schedule Post.

Alternatively, click the down arrow next to Schedule Post > Save as Draft to save your Reel as a draft and come back to it later.

If you selected Auto Publish, your Reel will go live automatically at its scheduled time.

If you selected notification publishing, Later will send a notification to your mobile device at your Reel’s scheduled time. To finish publishing, see Publish Instagram Posts Using Notification Publishing.

iOS

1. From the Schedule tab of Later’s iOS app, tap the create-post button in the bottom-right corner.

2. Select the Instagram profile you want to schedule to from the top of the Post Builder.
3. Under your selected profile, make sure Reels is selected.
4. If you have Auto Publish enabled, it will be selected by default.

To switch to notification publishing, tap Change next to Auto Publish > Push Notification Publish.

5. Add media by tapping +.

For Auto Publish Reels, only one video can be selected.

For notification publishing, you can add multiple photos or videos and stitch them together in Instagram. The total length of videos must be 1 minute or less.

6. Add your caption and hashtags.

You can add a Saved Caption by tapping the Saved Captions icon.

Optional Reel settings:

• Tap x to remove media.
• Tap, hold, and drag media to rearrange your post. This is available for notification publishing only.
• Tap Select Cover Photo to choose a frame from the video, or tap Add From Media Library on the next screen to upload a custom cover image.
• To invite collaborators, see Invite Collaborators to Instagram Posts.

For Auto Publish Reels only, under More Options, you can:

• Select your Cover Photo.
• Choose whether to share your Reel to your Instagram Feed.
• Add a Location.
• Add a First Comment.

7. Tap Change next to No Time Selected.
8. Select a date and time for publishing, or tap Now under Select a Time to publish now.
9. Tap Save.
10. Tap Schedule Post.

Alternatively, tap Save as Draft to save your Reel as a draft and come back to it later.

If you selected Auto Publish, your Reel will go live automatically at its scheduled time.

If you selected notification publishing, Later will send a notification to your mobile device at your Reel’s scheduled time. To finish publishing, see Publish Instagram Posts Using Notification Publishing.

Android

1. From the Schedule tab of Later’s Android app, tap the create-post button in the bottom-right corner.

2. Select the Instagram profile you want to schedule to from the top of the Post Builder.
3. Under your selected profile, make sure Reels is selected.
4. If you have Auto Publish enabled, it will be selected by default.

To switch to notification publishing, tap Change next to Auto Publish > Push Notification.

5. Add media by tapping +.

For Auto Publish Reels, only one video can be selected.

For notification publishing, you can add multiple photos or videos and stitch them together in Instagram. The total length of videos must be 1 minute or less.

6. Add your caption and hashtags.

You can add a Saved Caption by tapping the Saved Captions icon.

Optional Reel settings:

• Tap x to remove media.
• Tap, hold, and drag media to rearrange your post. This is available for notification publishing only.

For Auto Publish Reels only, under More Options, you can:

• Select your Cover Photo.
• Choose whether to share your Reel to your Instagram Feed.
• Add a Location.
• Add a First Comment.

7. Tap Change and select a date and time for publishing.
8. Tap Schedule Post.

Alternatively, tap Save as Draft to save your Reel as a draft and come back to it later.

If you selected Auto Publish, your Reel will go live automatically at its scheduled time.

If you selected notification publishing, Later will send a notification to your mobile device at your Reel’s scheduled time. To finish publishing, see Publish Instagram Posts Using Notification Publishing.

Reel-Specific Settings

Cover Photo

You can choose a cover photo for your Reel before scheduling.

Depending on your device, you can select a frame from your video or upload a custom cover image from your Media Library.

Your cover photo will appear on your Instagram profile grid if you choose to share the Reel to your Feed.

Share to Feed

For Auto Publish Reels, you can choose whether your Reel appears in your Instagram profile grid.

To manage this setting, look for Share to Feed in the Post Builder or under More Options, depending on your device.

First Comment

For Auto Publish Reels, you can add a First Comment before scheduling.

First Comments are not available for notification publishing because you’ll finish publishing the Reel in Instagram.

Location

For Auto Publish Reels, you can add a Location before scheduling.

For notification publishing, you can add or adjust your location in Instagram when you publish.

Link in Bio

You can add a Link in Bio link to your scheduled Reel in Later.

User Tags

You can tag users on scheduled Reels from desktop, iOS, and Android.

Collaborators

Collaborator invites are available on desktop and iOS only.

To learn how collaborator invites work, see Invite Collaborators to Instagram Posts.

Publish Reels Using Notification Publishing

If you schedule your Instagram Reel using Auto Publish, no further action is required. Your Reel will publish automatically at its scheduled time.

If you schedule your Reel using notification publishing, you’ll need to open the notification sent to your mobile device at your scheduled time and finish publishing in Instagram.

For full steps, see Publish Instagram Posts Using Notification Publishing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use trending audio?

Yes, but not with Auto Publish.

Auto Published Reels support original audio only. To use trending audio, schedule your Reel using notification publishing, then add your audio in Instagram when you publish.

Can I schedule Trial Reels?

Yes. Users with public Instagram profiles and 1,000+ followers can schedule Trial Reels directly in Later’s Post Builder.

Why can’t I Auto Publish a long Reel?

Some Auto Publish length limits depend on your device. Reels scheduled through Android are limited to 90 seconds for Auto Publish.

For longer Reels, schedule using notification publishing and complete the publishing process in Instagram.

Can I upload multiple clips?

For Auto Publish Reels, no. Auto Publish Reels support one video only.

To use multiple clips, schedule your Reel using notification publishing. You can add multiple photos or videos in Later, then stitch them together in Instagram when it’s time to publish.

Can I invite collaborators to a Reel?

Yes. Collaborator invites are available on desktop and iOS.

For full steps and requirements, see Invite Collaborators to Instagram Posts.

Can I choose whether my Reel appears on my Instagram profile grid?

Yes. For Auto Publish Reels, you can choose whether to share your Reel to your Instagram Feed from the Post Builder.

Look for the Share to Feed setting on desktop or under More Options on mobile.

Do I need to do anything after scheduling an Auto Publish Reel?

No. If your Reel is scheduled using Auto Publish, it will publish automatically at its scheduled time.

Do I need to do anything after scheduling a Reel with notification publishing?

Yes. Later will send a notification to your mobile device at your scheduled publishing time. Open the notification and finish publishing your Reel in Instagram.

For full steps, see Publish Instagram Posts Using Notification Publishing.