YouTube Shorts is about to get longer. Starting October 15, creators will be able to upload videos up to three minutes long, tripling the current limit of 60 seconds. The update follows a trend set by TikTok, which first extended its video length in 2021 and now allows clips up to 10 minutes.
"This was a top requested feature by creators, so we’re excited to give you more flexibility to tell your story. This change applies to videos that are square or taller in aspect ratio, and won't affect any videos you uploaded before October 15," YouTube's blog post reads.
Read also: Long-Form TikTok: YouTube Challenger or Identity Crisis?
In a blog post, Todd Sherman, YouTube's director of product management, hinted that recommendations for longer Shorts might improve, though details on that remain under wraps.
Alongside this change, YouTube is rolling out new features to make creating Shorts easier. A template option will allow users to replicate popular video formats with a few taps, and later this year, Google’s AI video tool, Veo, will bring more creative possibilities to the platform. Veo, powered by DeepMind, will let users enhance their Shorts with vivid video backgrounds and pre-generated clips.
Another new addition is a "Shorts Trends" page, designed to help creators keep an eye on what’s popular in their region. For viewers looking to fine-tune their YouTube experience, the platform is also introducing a “Show fewer Shorts” option, allowing more control over the kind of content displayed in their feed.
The decision to extend the time limit on Shorts is part of an ongoing shift in social media, where platforms are competing to offer the most flexible video formats. With TikTok, Instagram, and now YouTube pushing the boundaries of short-form content, the space between short and long videos is narrowing.
