How to Schedule a Carousel on Instagram in 2026

Instagram carousels are one of the most efficient – and still underused – formats on the platform. They outperform single-image posts across almost every engagement metric, so one of the best things you can do is use them more often in your content strategy. Here’s how to schedule a carousel on Instagram in 2026, both natively and with Metricool.

Why Carousels are Worth Leveraging in 2026

Before we get into the two different ways you can schedule your Instagram carousels, let’s take a look at what the data tells us about them. 

Metricool’s 2026 Instagram Study found that carousels receive 9x more saves and 4x more interactions than single-image posts. That means there’s still an open lane for you to stand out: the format works, but it’s still used 37% less often than single-image posts. If you haven’t built carousels into your regular posting rhythm, this is the format to prioritize.

What are the Recommended Specs for Carousel Posts? 

Before you start uploading, keep the right specs in mind:

• Landscape: 1080 x 566 pixels
• Portrait: 1080 x 1350 pixels
• Square: 1080 x 1080 pixels
• Aspect ratios:
  • Landscape: 1.91:1
  • Square: 1:1
  • Vertical: 4:5
• Recommended image size: Width of 1080 pixels; height between 566 and 1350 pixels depending on orientation

Video Carousel Specs:

• Length: 3 to 60 seconds per video
• File types: .MP4 or .MOV
• Aspect ratios: Same as image carousels (1.91:1, 1:1, 4:5)
• Maximum video size: 4GB

You can include up to 10 items total per carousel (images, videos, or a mix of both) so a fully video carousel maxes out at around 10 minutes of total content.

Stick to the recommended sizes for best visual quality and to avoid cropping or black bars in your posts.

Two Ways to Schedule an Instagram Carousel

Scheduling your carousels in advance takes some pressure off your shoulders. Set it up once, and your channel keeps publishing on schedule for months, even while you’re focused on other things. 

There are two ways to do it: natively, using the Instagram app, or through a social media management platform like Metricool, which lets you manage not just your Instagram account(s), but also the other social platforms you’re active on. 

Option 1: How to Schedule an Instagram Carousel Natively

Since March 2026, Instagram lets any public account (personal or professional) schedule posts directly in the app. You no longer need a Business or Creator account to do this. Keep in mind, though, that private accounts still can’t schedule and need to switch to public first. 

1. Start a new post

Open Instagram and tap the + icon to create a new post.

2. Select your carousel content

Choose multiple photos or videos (up to 20 items) and tap “Next”.

3. Add your caption and details

Write your caption, add hashtags, tag accounts, and add a location. On this screen, you can also choose between a single caption for the whole carousel or a unique caption per slide. 

4. Open scheduling options

Tap “More options” (Android) or “Advanced settings” (iPhone).

5. Turn on scheduling

Toggle on “Schedule this post”, then choose your date and time.

Limits to know:

• Up to 75 days in advance
• Max 25 scheduled posts per day, per account
• Multiple captions are optional and rolling out gradually
• Stories still aren’t supported natively. You’ll need Meta Business Suite or a third-party tool like Metricool for those. 

Option 2: How to Schedule an Instagram Carousel with Metricool

Scheduling through Metricool takes the process off your phone entirely and adds features native scheduling doesn’t have: auto-publishing, best-time recommendations, tagging users or products per slide, and a feed preview before you publish.

✅ Available on all Metricool plans. 

Note: your Instagram account needs to be connected as a Business or Creator account for auto-publishing to work.

1. Log in

Sign in to Metricool, or create a free account if you haven’t already and connect your Instagram with the tool.

2. Go to the Planning tab

Select the Instagram profile you want to schedule for, then head to “Planning”. Metricool will show you your best times to post based on your account’s own historical performance.

3. Create your post

Click “+ Create post” in the top right corner and select Instagram. You can also start from Canva: design your carousel there, click “Share”, and Canva sends it straight into the Metricool scheduler for you to finish.

4. Add your media and details

Upload up to 10 images or videos (mixing both is fine, as long as any video in the carousel is under 60 seconds and has an aspect ratio between 4:5 and 16:9). Add your caption, hashtags, location, and mentions.

5. Tag users or products (optional)

Click the three dots on any slide and select “Add user tag” or “Add product tag” to tag specific content within individual images or videos.

6. Preview and schedule

Click “See Preview” to check how the carousel will look in-feed. Make sure auto-publish is enabled, then set your date and time and click “Schedule”. Metricool takes it from there.

Now that you know how to schedule carousel posts on Instagram in 2026, go ahead and free up some creative time by preparing your posts for the next few months with ease, so your channel keeps running on its own.