“What are the image, GIF and video limits on X?”
What are the image, GIF and video limits on X?
Short answer
On X, a post can hold up to 4 photos, or a GIF, or a video. Photos can be 5 MB, animated GIFs 5 MB on mobile and 15 MB on web, and video up to 140 seconds for free accounts. Premium subscribers can post much longer video: X's help pages list up to 4 hours on x.com and iOS (checked October 2026).
Side by side
X media limits, from X's help center and API docs (checked October 2026)
| Feature | X |
|---|---|
| Photos per post | Up to 4 |
| Photo file size | 5 MB |
| Photo and GIF formats | GIF, JPEG and PNG |
| Animated GIF size | 5 MB mobile, 15 MB web |
| Video, free account | 140 seconds, 512 MB |
| Video, Premium (video help page) | Under 4 hours at 1080p, 16 GB |
| Video through the API, default | 20 minutes, 8 GB |
| Video through the API, Premium | 125 minutes, 16 GB |
How many files per post
X's How to Post page says a desktop post can include "up to 4 photos, a GIF, or a video." The iOS and Android steps count in total items: up to 4, for example 2 photos, 1 GIF and 1 video.
X's API documentation lists a post as up to 4 photos, 1 animated GIF, or 1 video. The photo help page adds that only one GIF can go in a post and that animated GIFs cannot be mixed with multiple images on desktop.
A practical note on photos: when you post a single photo with a standard aspect ratio, between 2:1 and 3:4, X shows it in full. With several photos, you can drag to reorder them in the apps before posting once you have selected two or more.
Photos and GIFs
The photo help page lists the file rules. Photos can be up to 5 MB. Animated GIFs can be up to 5 MB on mobile and up to 15 MB on web. X accepts GIF, JPEG and PNG, and does not accept BMP, TIFF or other formats. A GIF has to loop to play; a GIF that plays once displays as a still image.
Photos and GIFs add nothing to your character count. When you post a single photo with a standard aspect ratio, between 2:1 and 3:4, X shows it in full. On the iOS and Android apps you can add up to 25 stickers to a photo, and once you post a photo with stickers you cannot edit the image.
To remove a photo or tag before posting, use the x on the thumbnail. After a post is live, tags cannot be removed from the photo, and the photo disappears only when you delete the post.
Video on a free account
The video help page says that if you are not subscribed, you can upload videos up to 140 seconds long with a maximum file size of 512 MB. The longer-videos page repeats the 140 second figure as the standard limit on any platform.
Timestamps are a small extra worth knowing: you can include up to 50 timestamps in one post with a video, and they are clickable on iOS when the post has exactly one video.
If you need to share a video longer than 140 seconds on a free account, post a clip and link to the full version. That keeps the post inside the rules and gives readers a reason to click.
If a tool posts for you
A scheduler posts through the API, so the API figures are the ones it hits. They follow the posting account's status, not the tool's plan. X's docs say the caps "follow the posting user's X Premium / verified status." If a long video fails in a scheduler but works when you post by hand, this is the likely reason.
Check X Premium long posts for the text side of Premium, and Threads media limits for the Threads side.
For a free account the figures are 140 seconds and 512 MB. For subscribers, the help pages list about 3 hours, 4 hours, or 10 minutes on Android, with file sizes of 8 GB or 16 GB. Each figure sits above with its page, so you can see the source.
To settle it for your own account, upload a file near the length you need on the device you use. The composer applies the rule that is current for your account.
A pre-flight check before you upload
Run these checks in order. They catch most failures.
If an upload fails, change one thing at a time. Convert the file format first, then compress the file, then trim the length. Changing everything at once hides which fix worked, and the next file will fail for the same reason.
- Photo file: GIF, JPEG or PNG, no BMP or TIFF, at most 5 MB.
- GIF file: at most 5 MB on mobile and 15 MB on web, and it must loop or it shows as a still image.
- Count: up to 4 photos, or one GIF, or one video in the API.
- Video length: 140 seconds on a free account. If your clip is longer, trim it or check your subscription.
- Video file size: 512 MB on a free account when you upload on the web.
- Characters: media adds 0, so you keep all 280 for text.
Where Threadgehog fits
Threadgehog writes the text, and can add an image to the share of posts you pick (the slider runs from 0 to 100% in steps of 10). It writes the X version of each Threads post you approve, then hands the approved posts to Buffer, Typefully, Publer, Metricool or Postiz on the schedule you pick: once a day from 9 AM, twice a day from 9 AM and 5 PM, every 6 hours or every hour.
Join the waitlist on pricing; the 14-day free trial starts when the Mac app opens. If you are choosing between networks, Threads vs X for founders compares them on these limits.
Whatever tool you use, upload one test post with the media type you rely on before you schedule a week of them.
Questions
How many photos can I put in an X post?
Up to 4. A GIF or a video takes the place of the photos in the API, which allows 4 photos, 1 GIF or 1 video.
How big can a photo be on X?
5 MB, in JPEG, PNG or GIF format, per X's help center.
How long can a video be on a free X account?
140 seconds and 512 MB, per X's video help page as of October 2026.
How long can Premium videos be?
X's help pages list up to 4 hours on x.com and iOS (video help and longer-videos pages), about 3 hours on the Premium page, and 10 minutes on Android per the longer-videos page.
Do GIFs have a different size limit?
Yes. Animated GIFs can be up to 5 MB on mobile and up to 15 MB on web.
Do attachments count against the character limit?
No. Photo and GIF attachments do not count toward a post's characters in X's official clients.
Can I tag people in a photo?
Yes. In the apps you can tag people in a photo by full name or username. Tags cannot be applied to animated GIFs.
How many timestamps can a video post have?
Up to 50 in one post. They are clickable on iOS when the post has exactly one video.
Sources
- X Help Center: How to post (checked 2026-10-17)
- X Help Center: How to post photos or GIFs (checked 2026-10-17)
- X Help Center: How to share and watch videos (checked 2026-10-17)
- X Help Center: Longer videos for X Premium subscribers (checked 2026-10-17)
- X Help Center: About X Premium (checked 2026-10-17)
- X Developer docs: Create posts (checked 2026-10-17)
- Threadgehog: home and FAQ (checked 2026-10-17)