Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow users to share photos, videos, and text in different formats. Two of the most popular formats are Facebook Stories and Instagram Stories. But how long can these stories be?
What is a Facebook Story?
A Facebook Story is a photo or video post that appears at the top of the Facebook news feed. Facebook Stories were introduced in 2017 as a way for users to share temporary posts that disappear after 24 hours.
Facebook Stories have the following features:
- They appear at the top of the news feed in a horizontal scroll format
- They can include photos, videos, text overlays, drawings, and stickers
- Each story lasts 24 hours before disappearing
- Stories do not appear on a user’s profile or timeline
- Friends can react and reply to stories via private messages
Facebook Stories were designed to compete with Snapchat and Instagram stories by offering a lightweight sharing format. Facebook users can post stories to share glimpses of their day without cluttering up their main timeline.
What is an Instagram Story?
An Instagram Story is a photo or video that users can post to their Instagram feed that disappears after 24 hours. Instagram Stories have the following features:
- They appear at the top of the Instagram feed
- Each story lasts 24 hours
- They can include photos, videos, boomerangs, GIFs, polls, and drawing/text overlays
- Viewers can react and reply via private messages
- Stories do not appear on a user’s main profile grid or archive
Instagram introduced Stories in August 2016, modeling it after Snapchat’s stories feature. Since then, Stories have become a central part of the Instagram experience. It provides a way for users to share moments without cluttering up their main profile feed. Many Instagram users now post daily stories as a way to give followers a behind-the-scenes look at their life.
How Long Can a Facebook Story Be?
When Facebook Stories first launched, there was no time limit on how long the videos could be. However, in late 2017 Facebook implemented a 15-second limit for Facebook Stories. This restricted users to only sharing short video clips and moments via stories.
Here are the current Facebook Story limits:
- Photo stories have no limits
- Video stories are limited to 15 seconds
- Text stories are limited to 125 characters
Facebook likely implemented the 15-second video limit to encourage sharing of short “in the moment” videos instead of longer polished clips. The time restriction makes Facebook Stories more spontaneous and off-the-cuff.
How Long Can an Instagram Story Be?
Currently, there is a 60 second time limit for videos posted to Instagram Stories. When users record a video for their story, Instagram will automatically cut the clip if it exceeds 60 seconds.
Here are the time limits for Instagram Stories:
- Photo stories have no limits
- Video stories are limited to 60 seconds
- Boomerangs can be up to 10 seconds
- Multi-clip stories can include up to 100 clips for a total of 60 seconds
Instagram likely implemented the 60-second limit to encourage bite-sized, entertaining video clips that hold viewers’ attention. They want stories to feel personal, spontaneous, and up-close compared to highly produced Instagram feed posts.
Do Facebook and Instagram Stories Auto-Delete?
Yes, both Facebook and Instagram stories automatically delete after 24 hours. Once a story reaches the 24 hour expiry:
- It disappears from the story carousel at the top of the app
- It no longer shows up on the poster’s profile
- Friends and followers can no longer view it
The ephemeral nature of stories is what sets this format apart from regular social media posts. The 24-hour limit creates a sense of urgency to view stories before they vanish.
Neither Facebook nor Instagram provide users with the option to save stories after they expire. The only way to keep a story is to take a screenshot or screen recording while it’s live. There are some third-party apps that can download stories, but they violate the platforms’ Terms of Service.
Do Facebook and Instagram Alert You When Someone Screenshots Your Story?
No, neither Facebook nor Instagram currently notify users if someone takes a screenshot of their story. Unlike Snapchat, which alerts senders when recipients screenshot their snaps, Facebook and Instagram stories can be screenshotted anonymously.
Some reasons why Facebook and Instagram don’t have screenshot notifications include:
- It encourages sharing and reacting to stories
- It makes stories more casual and low-pressure
- The 24-hour expiry minimizes privacy concerns
- It avoids disrupting the viewing experience
The lack of screenshot notifications allows friends and followers to capture and react to story moments without interrupting the viewing experience. However, it does mean users lose control over their stories once posted.
Can You Download Facebook and Instagram Stories?
Because Facebook and Instagram stories auto-delete after 24 hours, many people want to know if they can be downloaded for keeping. There are a few options for downloading stories:
- Screen Recording – You can screen record someone’s story while viewing it and save the video to your camera roll.
- Screenshots – Taking screenshots of stories frame-by-frame is another option. But it’s time consuming.
- Third-Party Apps – There are apps like Story Saver that will download stories on iOS and Android. However, they violate platform Terms of Service.
Instagram and Facebook encourage screenshotting and screen recording for reacting to stories, but officially prohibit third-party apps that allow bulk downloading. So manual screenshots are the only platform-approved method.
Pros of Facebook and Instagram Story Length Limits
The 15 and 60 second length limits for Facebook and Instagram stories provide some benefits for both users and the platforms including:
- Encourages authentic, in-the-moment sharing
- Allows users to share more candid, casual content
- Reduces pressure for high-quality production value
- Makes stories quicker and easier to create and view
- Results in more frequent and varied story posting
- Lets followers feel connected to users’ daily lives
Overall, the time limits help differentiate stories from permanent feed posts and foster a more fun, spontaneous sharing culture.
Cons of Facebook and Instagram Story Length Limits
However, the Facebook and Instagram story length restrictions also come with some drawbacks including:
- Creative constraints for users
- Unable to share longer videos and moments
- Forces concise communication
- Omits important context or details
- Disruptive editing process
- Less polished and professional content
While the restrictions aim to cultivate a casual vibe, some users want the freedom to share longer stories. The limits hinder creators who want to share high quality content.
Do Stories Help Boost Facebook and Instagram Engagement?
Yes, research shows that actively posting Facebook and Instagram stories can increase overall engagement and reach on both platforms.
Some benefits of posting stories include:
- Increased profile views and impressions
- More story replies and reactions
- Higher quality followers and engaged audience
- Boosts feed post engagement when reshared
- Appears at top of feed for 24 hours
Followers favor accounts that provide glimpses into daily lives via stories. Regular story posting makes profiles more approachable and personable.
Facebook and Instagram Story Engagement Statistics
Here are some statistics on Facebook and Instagram story performance:
| Platform | Story Statistic |
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These benchmarks demonstrate the value of Facebook and Instagram stories for increasing visibility and engagement.
Tips for Creating Effective Facebook and Instagram Stories
Here are some tips for maximizing the impact of your Facebook and Instagram stories within the 15 and 60 second limits:
- Film casual, in-the-moment clips to feel authentic
- Use text overlays to succinctly convey messages
- Add stickers, GIFs, filters to add visual interest
- Ask questions and prompts to generate responses
- Reshare feed posts or story highlights to revive content
- Go behind-the-scenes of events, products, services
- Reply to followers via direct message when they react
Taking advantage of interactive features like polls, questions, and location tagging encourages audiences to engage with your story. Telling a coherent narrative across multiple rapid clips or photos will also capture attention.
Do Facebook and Instagram Stories Benefit Businesses?
Facebook and Instagram stories are highly effective marketing tools for brands and businesses. Some benefits include:
- Introduce new products or launches
- Highlight promotions and sales
- Share company news, events, announcements
- Preview upcoming content to build interest
- Spotlight customer uses of products
- Provide styling tips and demonstrations
- Offer behind-the-scenes company access
Instagram notes 80% of users follow at least one business profile and 130+ million Instagram users tap on shopping posts to learn more. Tapping into the marketing potential of stories is vital for brands.
Best Practices for Business Stories
Some best practices for companies using Facebook and Instagram Stories include:
- Post at optimal times based on audience analytics
- Use strategic calls-to-action to drive conversions
- Leverage links, tags, and locations
- Collaborate with influencers via story takeovers
- Cross-promote with feed and IGTV
- Highlight user-generated content
Businesses that strike the right balance between promotional content, behind-the-scenes access, and entertainment will see the best story engagement.
Future Evolution of Facebook and Instagram Stories
Facebook and Instagram will likely continue optimizing stories based on user behavior and competition from other apps. Some potential changes include:
- Longer time limits to accommodate more content types
- Additional AR filters and interactive features
- Tools to simplify editing and streaming
- Ways to private message/chat within stories
- Options to posting stariring condition or tags in bulk
- Integrating stories across FB’s family of apps
- Algorithmically personalized, recommended stories
Facebook is also testing a new “Story Sharing” feature that would allow sharing of stories directly to feeds. And Instagram is prototyping remixable stories via its IG Labs division. We will likely see many more innovations in the stories format in the future.
Conclusion
Facebook and Instagram stories provide a creative way for users and businesses to share ephemeral photos and videos. The 15 and 60 second limits aim to capture authentic, raw content that followers want to see daily. And research shows that actively posting stories can significantly boost overall engagement and reach. As the stories format continues to evolve, focusing on short, quality content will be key for cutting through the noise. With strategic posting and messaging, brands can build audiences and drive results with Facebook and Instagram stories.