Instagram Reels have become a popular way for creators and brands to make short, entertaining video content. While you can currently only post Reels natively in the Instagram app, many users want to schedule Reels in advance to save time and plan content more strategically. But with most scheduling apps requiring paid plans, is it possible to schedule Instagram Reels for free?
Reasons you may want to schedule Reels include:
If you don’t want to pay for a social media scheduling subscription, alternatives include:
Schedule posts natively in advance up to 75 days.
Schedule natively or use limited scheduling queues.
Export Reels and schedule them as videos using free scheduling tools.
Set reminders on your calendar to manually post Reels.
Have someone else post scheduled Reels for you.
Schedule posts from a second account and then repost.
Review engagement data on Reels once posted natively.
While reel capability is limited on free plans, tools like these can help:
Schedule 10 posts with basic analytics.
Schedule 30 messages per month across social networks.
Schedule 20 posts per month with Instagram integration.
One Instagram profile and 30 posts per month.
Choose a provider like Buffer or Hootsuite and create an account.
Give the tool permission to access your Instagram profile.
Use Instagram to record and edit Reels, downloading final versions.
Upload Reels to the queue and pick post dates and times.
Check back on how scheduled Reels are performing once posted.
Aim for 30 seconds or less to maximize reach and engagement.
Increase visibility by leveraging trends and viral sounds.
Use hashtags and interact with popular sounds.
Try different days and times to determine what resonates best with your audience.
Analyze native Reels engagement insights to optimize the approach.
Fun mini how-to videos offer value to audiences.
Cobble together event highlights, best moments, etc.
Engage your audience by prompting responses.
Build excitement for launches and releases.
The key considerations are:
For power users, a paid tool like Later or Planoly may provide helpful productivity, efficiency, and data. But more casual users may be fine with free workarounds.
Ideally, Instagram would integrate native Reels scheduling capabilities in its mobile apps, as Facebook has done for Stories. This would make scheduling seamless.
Third-party scheduling apps are also likely to expand Reels support, including testing workarounds for auto-posting. More competition and capabilities will empower schedulers.
What’s the best completely free Instagram Reels scheduler?
Preview App offers the most robust free scheduling for up to 20 Instagram posts per month, including Reels.
Is it against Instagram’s terms of service to use a third-party app to auto-post Reels?
Yes, auto-posting Reels via third-party apps currently goes against Instagram’s policies. Free workarounds rely on manually re-posting content.
Can I schedule Reels further than 1 week out with a free scheduler?
It depends on the tool, but most free scheduling queues are capped at scheduling 7-10 days in advance.
Do any free Reel schedulers provide analytics?
Limited analytics may be available, like Buffer’s free plan. But robust Reels analytics requires paid tools.
What are the top paid tools for scheduling Reels?
Top paid tools with more advanced Reels scheduling include Later, Planoly, Hopper HQ, and Hootsuite’s paid tiers.