Instagram tests a new feature for horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long
On October 26, 2026, Instagram began testing in the United States a new format called Features with some creators, allowing uploads of horizontal long videos of up to 90 minutes. The feature had previously been tested with some creators in Brazil, and the plan is to expand it in the United States to tens of thousands of creators. Videos will appear in the feed and on the Explore page, and creators can link short Reels to the full long video; users can tap a clip to jump to watch the full video without leaving the app.
Product vice president Tessa Lyons said that after users see a podcast clip they like, they can continue watching directly or view the full video, because creators can link Reels to the overall Features. The feature is aimed at long-form creators such as podcasters and comedians, and early participants include Emma Grede and Monet McMichael. Reels remains central, with short videos and long videos positioned as complementary.
Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri had long opposed doing long videos on the platform because Reels is better for sharing and direct-message interaction, and now believes the two can coexist. The company has not yet announced a YouTube-like long-term ad revenue-sharing model, and a spokesperson said it is too early at this stage; some creators have direct support, existing sponsorships can continue, and the platform will help find brand partnerships. Long videos will initially be mainly on mobile, with the goal of extending to TV apps, including an expansion to Apple TV.
Original sources:
Title: Instagram Tests 90-Minute Horizontal Videos in Major Play for Podcasters and Creators Publisher: The Hollywood Reporter Publication date: 2026-10-26 URL：https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/instagram-tests-90-minute-videos-podcasters-creators-1236739929/ Source type: media report Verification status: The core paragraphs of the report were actually read for this translation, verification date 2026-10-26 Supporting content: testing began on October 26 for some U.S. creators, the Features name, up to 90 minutes horizontal, earlier testing in Brazil, Reels linking mechanism, Tessa Lyons quote, early creator list, Explore recommendations.
Title: Instagram Is Testing Ability to Share Videos up to 90 Minutes Long and Launches on Apple TV — but Unlike YouTube, It’s Still Not Paying Creators a Share of Ad Revenue Publisher: Variety / Todd Spangler Publication date: 2026-10-26 URL：https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/instagram-videos-90-minutes-apple-tv-not-paying-creators-1236931293/ Source type: media report Verification status: The relevant paragraphs of the report were actually read for this translation, verification date 2026-10-26 Supporting content: 90-minute test, horizontal Features, small-scale expansion in the U.S. after testing in Brazil, monetization still without a long-term ad revenue-sharing model, comparison with YouTube, Apple TV-related progress.
Title: Instagram tests 90-minute horizontal videos called Features Publisher: The Next Web Publication date: 2026-10-26 URL：https://thenextweb.com/news/instagram-tests-90-minute-horizontal-videos-called-features Source type: media report Verification status: The report was actually read for this translation, verification date 2026-10-26 Supporting content: Adam Mosseri and Tessa Lyons announcement, aimed at podcast and comedy creators, small-scale U.S. plus Brazil testing, Reels linking and series testing.
ABAB AI Insight
This move by Instagram is a correction to its own product path. The platform previously tried long videos during the IGTV era, but after poor performance it faded away and fully shifted to Reels short videos. In 2026, Adam Mosseri publicly acknowledged that he had long opposed long videos, saying Reels is better at driving sharing and direct messages. This time, Features positions short videos as the discovery entry point and long videos as the end point for full consumption, creating a closed loop of "clip-driven traffic → full-video retention" rather than building another standalone long-video product.
In terms of capital and business path, Meta is using long-form content tests to compete for total user watch time, especially targeting the mature podcast and interview market on YouTube. Monetization does not currently adopt YouTube-style ad revenue sharing (YouTube Partner Program is about a 55% share); the company only says it is "too early," some creators receive direct support, and existing brand sponsorships are allowed to continue. This means the early stage relies more on creators' own commercial capabilities rather than immediate platform revenue sharing. The TV side, including Apple TV, is explicitly treated as the ideal consumption scenario for long videos, while short videos remain on the mobile discovery layer.
Compared with YouTube, the core difference lies in entry and distribution. YouTube relies mainly on search and subscriptions, with long videos as native content; Instagram uses algorithmically recommended short Reels as the traffic entry point, then guides users to horizontal long videos. The similarity is that both are competing for living-room screen time. Compared with pure short-video platforms such as TikTok, Instagram is trying to cover more scenarios with a short-plus-long combination, but it still needs to solve cold-start recommendations for long videos and the incentive for creators to keep uploading.
This test changes Instagram's product boundary around content length: from being centered on short videos to a dual-layer structure of short-video discovery and long-video consumption. If the test expands, it could increase per-user time spent and attract creators who previously published full podcasts only on YouTube to distribute across platforms. The key indicators are whether the U.S. test scale expands from "some creators" to tens of thousands, and whether a clear long-term monetization plan emerges; if monetization remains unclear for too long, creators' incentive to move will be limited.
ABAB News · Laws of cognition
Reels serves as the discovery entry point, and 90-minute horizontal video serves as full consumption; short videos are no longer the end point.
Before the monetization model is settled, the platform uses direct support and existing sponsorships to maintain early supply.
The shift from opposing long videos to testing 90 minutes is a product correction in response to competition for total user time.