YouTube has unveiled a major update to its Shorts platform, extending video lengths to up to 3 minutes, effective October 15. This change allows creators to craft longer, more detailed content in both square and vertical formats, responding to frequent requests for more storytelling flexibility.
Todd Sherman, YouTube Shorts’ Director of Product Management, highlighted that the expanded length aims to empower creators with enhanced storytelling capabilities. In addition to this update, YouTube is refining its recommendation system to better support these longer videos.
New tools for creators are also on the horizon, including “Templates,” “Enhanced Remixing,” and AI-powered features to streamline content creation.
This move mirrors TikTok’s earlier evolution, where video limits increased from 60 seconds to 3 minutes, and later to 10 minutes. YouTube’s update is seen as a competitive response to TikTok’s growing presence in the long-form video space.
Videos uploaded prior to October 15 will not be affected by the new 3-minute limit.
