Why Can’t I Upload Video to Instagram Stories? (How to Fix)

If you landed on this article, that means you can’t upload a video to your Instagram stories.

If that’s the case, then you might have a problem with uploading a custom video.

Many people face the same issue, and it can be really annoying. Maybe you tried uploading the video countless times, but it still does not work.

This article guides you on why can’t you upload a video to your Instagram stories, and how to fix it.

• Why Can’t I Upload Video to Instagram Stories?
• How to Fix Can’t I Upload Video to Instagram Stories?
• Can you upload a prerecorded video to Instagram stories?

Why Can’t I Upload Video to Instagram Stories?

You can’t upload a video to Instagram stories either because your video’s size is too large, it has been edited somewhere else (other than your mobile device), or your internet speed is too slow.

If your video’s size is over 1 MB, then it might be too large for it to be able to upload to Instagram stories. You can only upload a video that is less than 1 MB.

Next, if your video is not taken or edited within your device, Instagram might not be able to detect it. Instagram detects videos that are taken or edited within your device.

So, if the video is edited somewhere else other than your mobile device, Instagram might not be able to detect it from your gallery.

Lastly, if your internet speed is too slow, you won’t be able to upload your video because it’ll take too long.

How to Fix Can’t I Upload Video to Instagram Stories?

Here are some proven ways you can try to fix the uploading issue especially if you’re trying to upload a custom video to your story.

Here are 5 ways to fix the uploading issue:

1. Decrease your video size

Firstly, if your video is over 1 MB, you have to decrease the size of it.

To fix your custom video from not uploading to your Instagram story, you have to ensure that it’s below 1 MB.

If you’re using a video editor and you’re at the last stage of exporting your video, change your target bitrate to at least 1 MB or less.

You can also use an online video compressor to decrease the size of your video.

After you’ve lowered the bitrate, the video size should be less than 1 MB.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to decrease your video size:

1. Once you’re done editing, go to your export settings.
2. Change your target bitrate to 1 MB or below (e.g. 0.9 MB, 0.8 MB).
3. Click on export and send the video to your phone.
4. Finally, upload the video to your Instagram story and it should have no issues.

If it’s a size issue, keeping a video under 1 MB will help you to be able to upload it to your Instagram story.

2. Edit the video on your phone

The second method is to save the video that you want to upload on your phone and edit it directly on your phone.

You can download a video editor from the App Store or Google Play Store.

Once you’re done editing the video on your phone, export it, save it as SD (Standard Definition) instead of HD (High Definition) as it is smaller in size.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to edit and save the video on your phone:

1. Save the video that you want to upload on your phone.
2. Download a video editor from the App Store or Google Play Store.
3. Edit the video from the video editor.
4. Save the video as SD onto your gallery.
5. Upload the saved video to your Instagram story.

Instagram stories are meant to be taken in the last 24 hours in your mobile device.

In other words, any video or photo that you want to upload needs to be taken in the last 24 hours on your phone.

If your video is edited from your desktop, Instagram may not be able to detect it.

3. Save your video from Snapchat

Another method to fix the uploading issue is to save the video that you want to upload from Snapchat.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to save your video from Snapchat:

1. Open Snapchat, swipe up, and search for the video that you want to upload.
2. Tap on the video, and tap on the “triple-dots” icon at the top-right hand corner of your screen.
3. Tap on export, then tap on Save Video.
4. Lastly, upload the saved video to your Instagram story.

Again, Instagram detects videos that are taken in the last 24 hours from your device.

So, if your video was imported from another device (e.g. desktop), Instagram might not be able to detect it.

Saving your video from Snapchat will allow Instagram to detect it because it is saved in your device in the last 24 hours.

4. Re-export the video on your phone

The forth method, which is pretty similar to the previous two, is to re-export the video on your phone.

You can use just about any video editor for this, but let’s just use InShot for this example.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can re-export the video on your phone using the InShot app:

1. Download InShot on the App Store or Google Play Store.
2. Open InShot, create new video, and allow InShot to access your photos.
3. Select the video that you want to upload to your Instagram story.
4. Tap the icon on the top-right hand corner of your screen to save the video.
5. Upload the saved video to your Instagram story.

Instagram is able to detect videos that are saved in the last 24 hours on your phone, so using a third-party app to save the video does the trick.

5. Switch to mobile data

Lastly, if you’re using WiFi to upload a video to your Instagram story, you should try switching to mobile data.

Sometimes, your WiFi internet speed might be too slow to be able to upload a video. If that’s the case, uploading a video is nearly impossible.

Instead of using WiFi, you should switch to mobile data as the internet speed might be faster.

It’s also important to check your internet speed to find out whether it is the culprit for the uploading issue. To check your internet speed, you can use the Speedtest by Ookla.

Take note of the upload speed instead of the download speed as you’re trying to upload a video.

Typically, you should aim for upload speeds above 100 Mbps. If your upload speed is below 25 Mbps, your video might not be able to upload as it is too low.

Can you upload a prerecorded video to Instagram stories?

A common question people ask is whether you can upload a prerecorded video to Instagram stories.

The answer is yes, you can upload a prerecorded video to Instagram stories.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to doing this:

1. Navigate to the home page of Instagram.
2. Tap on your profile picture at the top of your story timeline.
3. Swipe up and scroll down until you find the prerecorded video that you want to upload.
4. Tap on the video, then tap on “Your story” to upload it to your Instargam story.

Do note that the video needs to be prerecorded in your phone, and not elsewhere (e.g. Desktop) for Instagram to be able to detect it.

Otherwise, you won’t be able to find it in your camera roll.

General FAQ

Why is Instagram not letting me upload a story?

Instagram is not letting you upload a story either because it’s too large (over 1 MB), it’s not produced within your phone, or your internet speed is too slow.

What do you do if your Instagram stories won’t upload?

If your Instagram stories won’t upload, you should try these solutions:

• Don’t use a GIF on your story.
• Decrease your video size under 1 MB.
• Save the video on your phone using Snapchat or a video editor.

Can you upload a prerecorded video to Instagram stories?

Yes, you can upload a prerecorded video to Instagram stories. Tap on your profile picture to add a story, swipe up, then scroll down to find the prerecorded video that you want to upload, and upload it.

Further Reading

What Is A Follow Train? And How to Use Them Effectively

How to Fix Suspicious Login Attempt on Instagram

Add Post to Your Story Missing on Instagram (How to Fix)