Why can’t I add a video to my Instagram Layout?
Instagram documents Layout for photos, and support for clips varies by app version. Make the collage here and post the finished video instead.
Guide · with a free collage maker
How to put videos in an Instagram story collage
Instagram’s Layout, Collage and photo stickers explained, what to do when a clip won’t go in, and how to post a collage you made elsewhere as one story.
Instagram’s Stories camera has a Layout mode that splits one story into a grid of up to six panels. Instagram documents it for photos; whether a panel takes a video depends on your app version. The reliable way to get several clips playing in one story is to make the collage first (the editor above does this) and post it as a single 9:16 video.
Below: how Layout works, Instagram’s other collage-like tools, and the finished-video route step by step.
Post a video collage to your Instagram story
Make the collage
Above, keep Story 9:16, select Add photos and videos and pick your clips and photos.
Stay clear of Instagram’s buttons
Keep faces and text inside the dashed box; the stripes show where the profile row and reply bar sit.
Export the video
Select Export, then Export video for a 1080×1920 MP4.
Post it
On your phone, tap Share and choose Instagram, or open Instagram, start a story and pick the video from your gallery.
Using Instagram’s Layout
- Open the Stories camera.
- Tap the Layout icon in the tools down the side.
- Tap Change grid to choose the arrangement.
- Fill each panel by taking a photo or choosing one from your camera roll.
Instagram’s own pages describe Layout for photos and allow up to six panels. Some versions also let you fill a panel with a recording or a clip; if yours doesn’t, or the clip plays too fast, make the collage outside the app.
Instagram’s other collage-like tools
Collage
A Stories option that turns five or more photos into an animated collage. Photos only, and Instagram decides the motion.
Photo sticker
Adds another photo on top of a photo or video in your story. Handy for one inset, not for a full grid.
Reels
The Reels camera has no Layout grid. Meta’s separate Edits app can add a video Overlay for picture in picture, but has no grid template. A collage made here posts as a reel just like a story.
Why a finished video is more reliable
- Every clip plays at once, for as long as you choose, instead of Instagram’s timing.
- You can mix photos and videos, add your own music under the clips, and use borders and backgrounds.
- The same file works as a story, a reel, a TikTok or a WhatsApp status.
Instagram collage with videos FAQ
Why is my Instagram story collage so fast?
Built-in collages use Instagram’s own timing. A collage made here lasts as long as you set in the Timing tab, up to 60 seconds per story clip.
How many photos can Instagram Layout hold?
Up to six panels in one story frame.
Can I add music to an Instagram collage?
Either bake your own song into the collage here, or post it and add a music sticker in Instagram.
Did Instagram remove the Layout app?
Yes. The separate Layout app closed on 29 May 2024, and Layout moved into the Stories camera.