Instagram is beginning a small US test of longform horizontal video, a format the platform calls Features. The expansion follows testing with a limited group of creators in Brazil, Instagram spokesperson Megan Buckley said. The company framed the move as a significant push into widescreen video, setting it alongside YouTube in the market for longer content.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a video with VP of product Tessa Lyons that he had opposed longform video on the platform for a long time. He explained that a central concern was keeping Instagram focused not only on entertainment but also on connecting friends. Watching longform video, he said, tends to involve a great deal of Reels, photos and carousels that users might not send to a friend, which means fewer likes and shares.
Mosseri said the team is now working to make shortform and longform video complementary to each other. He cited podcasts and comedy specials as examples of content that can exist both as long videos and as shorter pieces broken out from them. He also discussed the changes with creators Samir Chaudry and Colin Rosenblum, and their video includes clips showing how longform video will appear on the platform.
The Features announcement follows the launch of Instagram's TV app late last year. That app debuted as a Reels-focused experience and as a pilot for Amazon Fire TV devices in the US before expanding to Google TVs, Samsung TVs and Apple TV. Instagram also added features such as the ability to watch Stories earlier this year.
Alongside Features, Instagram said it is testing several other video-focused tools. These include clips that point viewers to a long video, a way for creators to build a series of Reels, and improvements to live video discovery. The company did not provide further details on timing for a broader rollout.
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