How to Schedule Reels on Instagram [4 Easy Ways + Tips]

Reels are a significant part of Instagram and generate the highest engagement on the platform. So, innovation with the reel is vital for those who want to stand out.

There was a time when Instagram was all about sharing what you were up to then and there. But as social media evolved, so did this platform, and scheduling content became a thing.

As the industry grew busier and more competitive, creators and brands began looking for smarter ways to stay consistent and grow their reach. That’s when learning how to schedule a reel on Instagram became a game-changer.

The scheduling feature has been a life, time, and even career saver, especially for social media managers who maintain and auto-publish content on multiple accounts.

When you want to schedule Instagram reels, there are many options. However, before that, you must know how to use them and which ones are worth your time and effort.

So, let’s learn how to schedule IG reels using popular tools.

How to Schedule Reels on Instagram? (4 Easy Ways)

There are many ways to schedule your Instagram reels, and we will discuss the most popular ones moving forward, such as the Instagram Native Feature, Meta Business Suite, and Scheduling Tool.

Even if you are a social media wizard, you must plan your magical acts to ensure the crowd likes it.

That is why mastering how to schedule reels on Instagram is necessary if you are aiming to win your audience.

You can schedule reels on Instagram using the following methods:

• Native App: Instagram’s native feature to schedule or post Instagram reels or any other post is useful for those who need it occasionally. It comes with several limitations, which we will discuss later in this blog.
• Meta Business Suite: Using the Meta Business Suite to schedule reels on Instagram is a good option. However, if you are a beginner, you might be overwhelmed by the complex interface.
• SocialPilot Tool: Schedule Instagram Reels with SocialPilot. It has several advantages over native features and the Meta Business Suite. It has many features that fill the void left behind by others.
• Mobile App: If you want to schedule Instagram reels using your mobile, you can use the native Instagram app as a beginner or the SocialPilot scheduler for advanced scheduling.

Now, as you have checked out the cover of our guidebook.

Let’s turn the pages further and explore the steps to schedule reels on Instagram in all the ways mentioned above.

How to Schedule Reels on Instagram App

The Instagram native feature works only on Desktops for those with a business or creator account to schedule IG reels. It also comes with other limitations, such as a scheduling limit of 25 Instagram posts for up to 75 days in the future.

If these restrictions do not bother you, here are the steps to schedule reels on Instagram using the native feature:

Step 1: Log in and Upload the Reel

Open your Instagram account on the mobile application, tap “+” (create), and then Reel.

Step 2: Customize the Details of the Reel

Select the reel you want to schedule and complete all the necessary steps, like

• Adding a Cover Image
• Setting Frame Size
• Writing a Caption
• Tagging People
• Setting Audience
• Adding Music
• Adding Location and more

Now, to find the scheduling options, click on “Advanced Setting.”

Step 3: Pick a Suitable Date and Time for You Reel

In the advanced setting, you can turn on the “Schedule This Reel” option and set the preferred time and date for scheduling this reel.

Remember, Instagram allows you to schedule only 25 posts from one social media account up to 75 days in advance.

Step 4: Finally, Schedule the Reel

After picking your reel’s best scheduled date and time, tap “Done” and then the “Back” button.

Your page will now be updated with the “Schedule” button. Tap on it, and voila, all the steps for your Instagram schedule reel are completed.

After learning how to schedule reels on IG, you should also be aware of the factors this native scheduling feature does not support.

If not all, some of these limitations will hinder your social media game in one way or another. So why waste your efforts when you have great scheduling tools like SocialPilot Social Media Scheduler to support your growth?

But before we dive into how amazing this tool is, let’s wash our hands off by learning how to schedule a reel on Instagram with Meta Business Suite.

How to Schedule IG Reels using Meta Business Suite

When comparing the Meta feature with Instagram native scheduling, Meta Business Suite has the upper hand.

To schedule a reel on Instagram using Meta Business Suite, follow these steps:

Step 1: Log in and Click on “Create Reel”

Log in to your business account using Meta Business Suite. Click on the “Create Reel” option on the homepage.

Step 2: Select Your Instagram Account and Upload Video

Now select the page on which you want to schedule the Instagram reel.

Once you’ve done this, upload the video, add a caption, hashtags, and thumbing, and invite people to collaborate.

Step 3: Change and Edit the Reel in Needed

In the next stage, you can make changes and edit your video.

Remember, you can only schedule reels up to 90 seconds or less with Meta Business Suite.

Step 4: Click “Next” and Schedule Reel

After furnishing your reel with all the elements, click on “Next” -> “Schedule”. Pick the most suitable time and date to schedule reels.

Meta Business Suite only has a scheduling window of 20 minutes to 29 days ahead. Ensure your scheduling falls within this timeframe.

These limitations are alarming signals that you need a better social media management tool to grow your Instagram presence. This is why SocialPilot is the most convincing tool in the market.

Check out the video below to learn why SocialPilot is better than any other scheduling tool.

The constraints of Meta Business Suite might leave creators and businesses looking for versatile solutions for their social media strategy.

This is when SocialPilot Scheduler bridges the gap by offering enhanced features and flexibility that other scheduling tools lack.

How to Schedule Reels on Instagram using Scheduling tool?

Scheduling Reels on Instagram can save a lot of time and ensure consistency while reaching the right audience at the right time. However, native Instagram and MBS schedulers have several restrictions that can eventually hinder your growth.

With a scheduling tool, you can plan, automate, and manage your Reels effortlessly with endless advanced features. SocialPilot is a powerful ally with a comprehensive suite of efficient social media management tools.

Let’s learn how to schedule a reel on Instagram with SocialPilot and leverage its advanced features.

Step 1: Connect Your Profile to SocialPilot

Your journey towards successful social media management starts by connecting your Instagram profile with your SocialPilot account.

To connect, log in to your SocialPilot account on your desktop and click on Account -> Connect Account -> Instagram.

Choose the profile you want to connect: Personal or Business.

PS: SocialPilot also allows you to schedule posts or reels for private accounts, a feature missing natively on Instagram and Meta Business Suite.

Ensure you provide access to SocialPilot while connecting to ensure seamless scheduling.

Step 2: Create a Post and Switch to the Instagram Tab

Once your profile is connected to your SocialPilot account, click “Create Post” and switch to the Instagram tab.

Then, you can pick the option “Reel” to schedule your reel.

Step 3: Upload the Reel You Want to Schedule

The Next step is to pick the media from your device. Ensure your video is less than 15, and the recommended ratio is 9:16.

To schedule reels with SocialPilot, choose a file from your device or Dropbox, Google Drive, or Box Cloud Storage.

Step 4: Customize and Pick Publishing Option

After uploading your reel, you must finish other steps before scheduling.

• Add Captions, hashtags, and emojis
• Upload Thumbnail
• Tag People
• Add Music
• Add First Comment
• Specify Location

The final step while composing your reel is to pick between the Direct Publishing or Mobile Reminder option. (only available on desktop)

Direct Publishing: Your reel will be published directly at the scheduled time. (only available for business and creator accounts)

Mobile Reminder: You will receive a mobile notification as a reminder to share your post further.

Step 5: Select Account and Schedule Posts or Reel

Before you move to scheduling options, select the Instagram account on which you want to share the reel.

Then, you can pick from our multiple scheduling options and schedule Instagram reels for the most suitable time.

Still, facing issues scheduling Instagram reel? Go through our detailed help document to win over Instagram strategy, or watch the below video.

How to Schedule Instagram Reels on Mobile

Up next is scheduling Instagram reels on mobile devices, which can be done in 2 ways.

You can either use the Instagram native app, follow the steps above, or, as it has limited features, use the SocialPilot mobile application to schedule the reel with advanced features.

Step 1: Log In to Your SocialPilot Account and Click on “+”

After downloading the SocialPilot mobile application, log in and click “+” at the bottom of the screen to start creating the reels.

Step 2: Compose the Post and Select Your YouTube Account

You can prepare your post by uploading the video and writing a description and hashtags.

Next, you must select the Instagram account for the Reels to go live.

Step 3: Preview the Post and Pick the Scheduling Option

After composing the Reels, you can check for possible errors by the “Previewing the Post” option in the app at the top right corner, and then just pick your scheduling option by clicking on the “Next” button at the button. the

And done. Your Reel will go live when you schedule it.

SocialPilot is a social media management tool for scheduling Instagram reels that offers a more feature-rich environment than other tools.

SocialPilot is transforming the social media experience of more than 13000 users.

Several marketing agencies are leveraging the advantages of strategic scheduling with a data-driven approach.

Not only that, but SocialPilot understands the importance of integrating top and trendy practices that brands need to keep up their game.

But, hey, that’s not all there is to this magical app.
Recently, SocialPilot introduced one of its kind AI Scheduler, which is the world’s first social media AI agent. Yes, the world’s first.

Curious to learn more? Keep reading

How to Effortlessly Schedule Instagram Reels with SocialPilot’s AI Scheduler

Scheduling Instagram Reels just got a whole lot easier with SocialPilot’s AI Scheduler.

Instead of spending hours planning, creating, and posting content, you can automate the whole process with just a few commands. Let’s break down how the SocialPilot’s AI Scheduler makes scheduling a breeze!

Step 1: Open The SocialPilot’s AI Scheduler

First things first, Open SocialPilot AI Scheduler in ChatGPT. Then all you have to do is type in a simple prompt like, “Log me into my SocialPilot account to start managing my posts.” Enter your credentials, and voilà – you’re ready to roll!

Step 2: Plan Content For Instagram  

Whether you are struggling with reel ideas or just need some clickbaity captions for your reels, this tool has got you covered.

Upload your reel and type a prompt like, “Give me some thought-provoking captions for my Instagram reel,” then sit back and let it generate awesome suggestions for you. No more scrambling to think of daily content!

Step 3: Get Creative Support for Reels

No need to stress about finding the right visuals for your Reels. Just ask the AI scheduler to “Generate thumbnails for this Reel” and it’ll create the perfect background, graphics, or visual elements to match your content.

The tool will come up with 3-4 thumbnail suggestions, just click on them to download and use the one that fits your Reel best.

Step 4: Save Your Reels as Drafts

Once your reels are planned and their thumbnails are ready, you can easily save them as drafts. Just prompt the tool to save the reel along with the selected thumbnail to drafts.

This allows you to keep everything in one place and make any final tweaks before scheduling. Plus, you’ll always have time to review your posts!

Step 5: Check Your Pending Draft Posts

Curious about how many drafts you’ve created? Just ask the scheduler with a prompt like, “How many drafts are pending for publishing?”

It’ll give you a clear overview of your scheduled content, so you always know where you stand.

Step 6: Automatically Post at the Right Time

Now comes the fun part – scheduling. Tell the AI to “Schedule your reel at 8 AM PST.”

You can also ask AI to automatically pick the perfect time slots to ensure maximum engagement. And don’t worry if you have different time zones to account for – SocialPilot’s scheduler has got you covered.

Using SocialPilot’s AI Scheduler will not just save you time, but will help you streamline the whole process of planning, creating, and scheduling Instagram Reels.

It’s an easy way to stay on top of your content without the headache of manually managing each post.

Give it a try and see how much more efficient your content planning can be!

How to Find and Edit Scheduled Reels on Instagram?

After scheduling, the job is almost done, but what if you face the need to change the time of your scheduled reel to another date or time? Knowing how to edit scheduled reels on Instagram is vital for such situations.

Here’s how you can edit reels:

Edit Reels on the Instagram App

If you have scheduled your Reel using the Instagram native application, follow the steps below.

1. Open your Instagram profile (through which you have scheduled the reel) on mobile.

2. Tap the triple lines menu at the top right corner of your profile, then tap “Scheduled Content.”

3. Next, tap triple dots menu to open the editing options, then make the changes as needed.

Remember, in the native Instagram app, you only have three options to manage and schedule your reels: Delete, Reschedule, and Share Now. For more advanced features, you can schedule Reels using SocialPilot.

Find and Edit Instagram Reels on Meta Business Suite

If you have scheduled your Instagram Reel using Meta Business Suite and want to reschedule it, here are the steps to find and edit your Reel.

1. To start, log into your Meta Business account and click the “Content” tab from the left menu bar.

2. After that, select the “Posts and Reels” tab from the left corner and then pick the Scheduled Content tab from the top menu, and all your scheduled reels will appear.

3. Now, just click on the triple dots menu to edit or reschedule your reel for a later date and time, and you’re done.

How to Find and Edit Instagram Reels on Scheduling tool?

The next up is editing your Reel if you have scheduled it using the SocialPilot scheduler.

1. On your SocialPilot tool dashboard, click “Posts” and “Manage Posts” from the left-side menu bar.

2. Depending on your access, you can find your scheduled reel either in the Queue post section or the Pending Review section.

Or simply in the “filter post” option, you can select the Instagram account, and all the Reels scheduled from it will appear.

3. Find the reel you want to edit, hover over it, and click on the “Edit” button to reschedule it for another time or simply edit other details.

Edit Instagram Reels on Mobile

Have you scheduled your Instagram Reel using the SocialPilot mobile app? Then follow these steps to edit or reschedule your Reel on mobile.

1. Open SocialPilot on your dashboard and find the queued posts listed, which will include your scheduled Instagram Reels
2. Click on the Reel you wish to edit and then click on the triple dots displayed over it.
3. A pop-up will allow you to edit and reschedule the reel.
4. Click on the “Reschedule” button to change the time and date when you want the Reel to go live.

How to Delete Scheduled Reels?

What if you no longer need the Reel you scheduled some time back? You may want to delete the Reel because of the change in plans or campaign.

Below, we have included a simple procedure you can follow to delete the scheduled Reels on Instagram:

Delete Scheduled Reels on the Instagram App

To delete a scheduled Reel on the Instagram native app, go to your Instagram profile and then settings.

In settings, you can find an option for “Scheduled Contents” to locate your Reel.

By clicking on the triple dot menu on the Reel, just delete.

Deleting Scheduled Reels on Meta Business Suite

Deleting the Reel you have scheduled via Meta Business is the same as editing it. Just open your account and go to your content.

Select the “Posts and Reels” tab and then the “Scheduled” tab to locate the Reel you want to delete.

Here, you can see all your scheduled posts. To differentiate your posts better, you can even set filters for your Instagram account.

To delete a Reel or multiple Reels, select them, hover over the preview, click on the three dots, and click the “Delete Reels” button.

How to Delete Scheduled Reels on SocialPilot?

If you want to delete a Reel or bulk-delete scheduled Reels on the SocialPilot tool, here are the easy-peasy steps:

Open the app -> Posts -> Manage Posts -> Add Filter.

Select the Reel or Reels you want to delete. Then, simply click the Delete button on the top menu bar.

Process to Delete Scheduled Reels on Mobile?

Last, let’s learn how to delete scheduled reels on mobile devices using SocialPilot.

Open the SocialPilot mobile app, go to the queued posts section, and find your scheduled reel.

Click on the reel’s triple dot menu. A pop-up will appear with an option to delete the reel.

Why Can’t I Schedule Reels on Instagram?

If you are unable to schedule a reel on Instagram, there can be one of the following reasons:

• You do not have a business or creator account (SocialPilot offers scheduling reels for private accounts)
• You are using an old version of the Instagram app (Update your Instagram application)
• The scheduling feature is not available in your region
• Posting content that is against Instagram Community Guidelines

Top Strategies for Scheduling Instagram Reels: A 2025 Guide

We have created a space that facilitates every element you need for your social media scheduling today or tomorrow.

So here’s a round of top strategies SocialPilot brings into your everyday scheduling plan and management.

1. Leverage the Support of AI

AI is booming in 2025, and so should your Instagram.

SocialPilot AI Assistant and AI Scheduler are all you need to create social media posts, generate content ideas and hashtags, edit posts, and more, making your reel not just good but engagement-worthy.

Did you know that even in 2025, several brands haven’t experienced the benefits of AI? Unaware of how AI insights can guide scheduling reels in a relevant and timely way.

2. Understand Best Time to Post

The biggest benefit of scheduling a reel is that it allows you to auto-publish it at the best time, pre-preparing the reel for better visibility.

To understand the best time to post reels on Instagram, the SocialPilot analytics tool provides detailed insights into audiences’ habits.

With strategic timing, your Instagram reels will get maximum attention and higher engagement rates.

3. Collaborate with Client and Team

Scheduling is a smart feature for social media managers who struggle to get client approval on time.

When you schedule a reel using SocialPilot, you can collaborate with the team and invite the client for their approval. It spares you from the back-and-forth communication that, after a point, turns meaningless.

With this technique, your Instagram strategy can work with smart scheduling and approval.

4. Capitalize on Trends and Timely Topics

As a marketer, you have a habit of planning months of content in advance, which scheduling greatly helps. However, it is vital to leave some space for real-time trends and topics.

SocialPilot has features to pause all your scheduled Instagram posts for a particular account, so when you have anything fresh coming up, don’t fret; just schedule it and adjust the previously scheduled reels or posts.

This strategy will help you keep up the game without shuffling your scheduled content.

5. Engage with Your Audience

Engagement goes beyond posting and scheduling. The least you can do to engage with your audience is to interact with their reactions and feedback.

For this necessity of social media, SocialPilot’s Social Inbox features are the hub connecting all these in one place. Scheduling reels and content on Instagram will allow you to engage with your audience with their comments and messages across the profile.

By integrating these strategies, our comprehensive suite amplifies your brand voice while allowing you to schedule reels on Instagram ahead of time.

Final Words

Scheduling Instagram Reels is an art and a science. It takes careful planning, good timing, and a lot of creativity.

Only the right tool, like SocialPilot, can combine all these elements in your strategy to ensure your Instagram schedule reel reaches the audience and truly connects.

Turn every reel into a standout piece by learning how to schedule a reel on Instagram with the best tool in the market.

Start your 14-day free trial today.