How to Schedule Reels on Instagram Meta Business Suite
Scheduling your Instagram Reels ahead of time is one of the best ways to stay consistent and reclaim hours of your week. Using Meta Business Suite, you can schedule your content for free without relying on third-party tools. This guide will walk you through exactly how to schedule Reels on both the desktop and mobile versions of Meta Business Suite, step by step.
Why You Should Schedule Your Instagram Reels
If you're still posting Reels in real-time, you're likely creating unnecessary stress for yourself. Batch-creating and scheduling your content isn't just a time-saver, it’s a strategic move that fundamentally changes your workflow for the better.
Here’s why it’s a game-changer:
Saves Massive Amounts of Time: The biggest benefit is the ability to batch your work. You can dedicate a single block of time to film, edit, and schedule all of your Reels for the week or even the month. This ends the daily scramble to figure out what to post.
Ensures Consistency: Consistency is crucial for growing on Instagram. The algorithm tends to favor accounts that post regularly. By scheduling, you can maintain a steady presence without worrying about missing a day because you got busy.
Post at Optimal Times: Your audience isn't online 24/7. Scheduling allows you to publish your Reels when your followers are most active, even if you’re in a meeting, asleep, or on vacation. This gives your content the best possible chance to get immediate engagement.
Reduces Stress and Avoids Creative Burnout: The pressure of “needing to post now” can be draining. When you work ahead, you remove that pressure. This gives your creativity room to breathe, leading to better, more thoughtful content instead of last-minute, rushed videos.
Getting Started: What You’ll Need First
Before you jump in, you need to have a few things set up correctly. The good news is, if you’re running a business or brand on Instagram, you probably have this done already. Let’s double-check.
An Instagram Professional Account: You can't use Meta Business Suite with a Personal Instagram profile. You’ll need a Creator or Business account. You can switch this in your Instagram settings under "Account type and tools."
A Connected Facebook Page: Your Instagram account must be linked to a Facebook Page you manage. Meta’s tools are designed to work together, and this connection is non-negotiable for using the Business Suite.
Access to Meta Business Suite: As long as you have the above two items in place, you automatically have access. You can find it by going to business.facebook.com on your desktop or by downloading the Meta Business Suite app on your phone.
With those pieces in place, you're ready to start scheduling.
How to Schedule Reels in Meta Business Suite (Desktop)
The desktop version of Meta Business Suite offers the most robust experience for scheduling content. It’s ideal for when you're planning your content in batches from your computer. Here's how to do it.
Step 1: Navigate to the Creator ToolsGo to business.facebook.com and make sure you’ve selected the correct business account from the dropdown menu in the top left. On the main dashboard, look for the "Create" button, or navigate to the "Content" tab in the left-hand menu and click "Create Reel."
Step 2: Upload Your Reel VideoA "Create Reel" window will pop up. First, confirm your Instagram account is selected under "Post to." Then, click the "Add video" button to upload your pre-edited Reel from your computer. For best results, your video should be in a 9:16 aspect ratio and between 3 seconds and 90 seconds in length.
Step 3: Add Your Caption and HashtagsOnce your video is uploaded, you'll see a preview on the right. In the "Reel details" section on the left, write a compelling caption. Describe what the video is about, ask a question to encourage comments, and include a clear call-to-action if you have one. This is also where you'll add your hashtags. You can include up to 30, but focus on relevance over quantity.
Step 4: Customize Your Reel with Audio and EditsMeta Business Suite offers some basic but useful editing features:
Audio: Click the music note icon. You can search for trending audio from Meta's sound library right inside the scheduler. This is a huge advantage, as using popular sounds can significantly boost your reach.
Trim: The scissors icon lets you trim the beginning or end of your video if you need to make minor adjustments to its length.
Crop: If your video isn't in the perfect 9:16 format, you can use the crop tool to adjust it to fit the vertical screen perfectly.
Step 5: Add a Thumbnail and an Optional CollaboratorUnder "Thumbnail," you can choose a frame from your video or upload a custom cover image. A custom thumbnail can make your profile grid look more professional and can entice more users to click on your Reel from the Explore page. You can also invite a collaborator from this screen by searching for their username. This will allow the Reel to appear on their profile as well as yours, sharing the views and engagement.
Step 6: Choose Your Scheduling TimeThis is the final step! Instead of clicking the blue "Share" button at the bottom, click the small dropdown arrow next to it and select "Schedule." A calendar and clock will appear. Choose the exact date and time you want your Reel to be published.
Pro Tip: Meta Business Suite sometimes suggests "Optimal Times" based on when your followers have been most active in the past week. These are a great starting point if you're not sure when to post.
Step 7: Confirm and FinishAfter selecting your date and time, click the blue "Schedule" button. That's it! Your Reel is now scheduled to go live. You can view, edit, or reschedule it anytime from the "Content" tab by filtering for "Scheduled" posts.
How to Schedule Reels from the Mobile App
Scheduling content on the go is easy with the Meta Business Suite mobile app. The process is similar to desktop, but the interface is a bit different.
Step 1: Open the App and Tap "Create"Download and open the Meta Business Suite app and log in. From the home screen, tap the blue "+" or "Create" button at the bottom center of the screen.
Step 2: Select "Reel" and Choose Your VideoFrom the list of options, select "Reel." This will open your phone’s camera roll. Choose the video you want to schedule and tap "Next."
Step 3: Write Your Caption and Add AudioOn the next screen, you can add audio from Instagram’s library, trim your video, and write your caption with hashtags, just like you would on desktop. Mobile editing tools here are slightly more limited, so it's always best to have your video finalized before uploading. Once you are happy with the caption, tap “Next.”
Step 4: Set Your ScheduleThis is the key step. Instead of publishing immediately, toggle the option for "Schedule for later." This will reveal the date and time selection options. Pick the day and time you want your Reel to post.
Step 5: Save and ScheduleReview your settings and tap the blue "Schedule" button in the top right corner. Your Reel is now saved in your content calendar, ready to be published at the time you chose.
Managing Your Scheduled Content
Once you’ve scheduled a Reel, it’s not set in stone. Things change, and you might need to adjust your content calendar. In Meta Business Suite (both desktop and mobile), head to the "Content" or "Planner" section.
Here you can:
See a calendar view of all your scheduled posts.
Click on any scheduled Reel to edit its caption, change the scheduled time, or even delete it.
Quickly identify gaps in your content schedule and plan ahead.
This planner view is your command center, giving you a full overview of your content strategy and making it easy to adapt as needed.
Final Thoughts
Scheduling your Instagram Reels through Meta Business Suite is an incredibly efficient way to manage your content workflow. It empowers you to maintain a consistent posting schedule, frees you from the stress of daily posting, and helps you publish content when it can make the most impact.
Once your content is live and running consistently, the next step is to understand what's actually working. Instead of manually pulling numbers from Instagram Insights and trying to connect them with your ad campaigns or website traffic in messy spreadsheets, we built Graphed to simplify the process. We connect all your marketing data sources - like Instagram, Google Analytics, and Shopify - so you can use plain English to build real-time dashboards and get instant answers about a campaign's ROI or your top-performing content, without any of the manual work.