To schedule an Instagram Reel, use the Instagram app (up to 30 days ahead, 25 posts a day) or a desktop scheduler. In SkedCast, upload the vertical video to an Instagram Professional account, add the caption, cover, collaborators and a first comment, choose whether it shows in the feed, and pick the time.
Key takeaways
- Instagram’s app schedules Reels for any public account: up to 25 posts a day, up to 30 days ahead.
- In the app, collaborative posts and product tags cannot be scheduled; SkedCast schedules Reels with up to 3 collaborators.
- SkedCast publishes Reels of 3 s – 15 min in mp4 or mov, up to 1,024 MB, ideally 9:16, to Professional accounts.
- Bulk-schedule Reels from a CSV with one row per Reel, including the video and cover URLs.
On this page
Can you schedule Instagram Reels in the app?
Yes, for any public account. In the app, tap Create, choose Reel, add the video and caption, open More options, turn on Schedule this reel and pick the date and time. Manage it later from your profile under Menu, then Scheduled content, where you can edit, reschedule, share now or delete it.
| Instagram app | SkedCast | |
|---|---|---|
| How far ahead | Up to 30 days | Any date you choose |
| How many | 25 posts a day | Your plan’s queue, in bulk |
| Accounts | One at a time, on your phone | Many at once, from a browser |
| Collaborators | Not with scheduled posts | Up to 3 |
| First comment | No | Yes |
| Bulk CSV import | No | Yes |
What video specs does SkedCast accept for a Reel?
These are the limits SkedCast’s composer checks for Instagram video. Instagram records longer Reels in its own app, but Buffer reports that long uploads (up to 15 minutes) are not favoured by the Reels algorithm, so treat the limit as a ceiling, not a target. Check a file with the Reel length checker first.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Formats | video/mp4, video/quicktime |
| Duration | 3 s – 15 min |
| File size | up to 1,024 MB |
| Recommended aspect | 9:16 |
| Caption | up to 2,200 characters; Instagram allows 5 hashtags a post |
| Extras | Cover image, share to feed, up to 3 collaborators, tag people, location, paid-partnership label, first comment |
| Account type | Instagram Professional (Business or Creator) |
How do you schedule a Reel from your desktop?
With SkedCast the whole flow runs in a browser:
- Connect your Instagram Professional account once.
- Upload the finished video to the media library (mp4 or mov, ideally 9:16).
- In the composer, choose the Instagram account, attach the video and write the caption. A single video defaults to a Reel; change the content type if you want a feed video instead.
- Add a cover image, tick “Share Reel to feed” if you want it on the grid, add collaborators, and put a link line or hashtags in the first comment.
- Pick the date, time and time zone and schedule. Instagram processes Reels after upload, so a Reel can take a moment to appear once it goes out.
How do you schedule Reels across several accounts?
Select more than one Instagram account in the same composer and SkedCast creates one target per account, with its own caption if it should differ. If accounts should not all post in the same second, turn on the spread window (up to 12 hours), which offsets each account by a few minutes after the chosen time; it only ever delays, never advances. The content calendar shows every account’s Reels in one view.
How do you bulk-schedule Reels from a CSV?
Put one Reel per row: content for the caption, platforms set to instagram, mediaUrls for the public video URL, scheduledAt for the time (with a UTC offset) and coverUrl for the cover image, used for video rows only. Import the file, fix any row the validator flags in the preview grid, and commit. The bulk import checker and CSV validator check a file before you upload it.
When should Reels go out?
Buffer’s analysis of 9.6 million Instagram posts found Reels follow a midweek evening pattern (6–11 p.m.), while Sprout Social’s all-format window is Tuesday 1–7 p.m. and Wednesday 12–9 p.m. Both are averages, not guarantees; the Instagram posting schedule guide lays the studies out side by side and explains how to test your own.
Sources
FAQ
- How far ahead can you schedule an Instagram Reel?
- Up to 30 days ahead in the Instagram app, which allows 25 scheduled posts a day. A scheduler such as SkedCast holds the Reel itself and publishes it at whatever time you set.
- Do you need a Professional account to schedule Reels?
- Not in the Instagram app, which lets any public account schedule. To publish through SkedCast, or any scheduler that uses Instagram’s publishing API, you need a Professional (Business or Creator) account.
- Can you schedule a Reel from a computer?
- Yes, with a desktop scheduler. Upload the video, write the caption and pick a time in the browser; the scheduler publishes to Instagram at that time.
- Can you add collaborators to a scheduled Reel?
- Not in Instagram’s own scheduler, which does not support collaborative posts. In SkedCast a scheduled Reel can tag up to 3 collaborators.
- Can you add a cover and a first comment to a scheduled Reel?
- Yes. In SkedCast a Reel can carry a cover image, be shared to the feed and have a first comment posted under it.
- Can you bulk-schedule Reels?
- Yes. Put one Reel per row in a CSV with the video URL, cover URL and time, import it, fix any flagged rows in the preview and commit. Instagram’s own scheduler has no bulk option.
- Where do I find my scheduled Reels?
- In the Instagram app, open your profile, tap Menu, then Scheduled content. Reels scheduled in SkedCast are on its content calendar until they publish.
- Why isn’t Instagram showing the option to schedule a Reel?
- The account must be public, and the option sits under More options before you share. Collaborative Reels and posts with product tags cannot be scheduled in the app, so remove those or schedule the Reel from SkedCast.
- Can you schedule the same Reel to Facebook too?
- Yes. Add your Instagram account and Facebook Page to the same post; SkedCast publishes the video to each as its own target, with each platform’s own settings.