Instagram Features is a limited test of horizontal videos lasting up to 90 minutes, announced by Instagram head Adam Mosseri and product vice president Tessa Lyons on October 26, 2026. The test has been running with selected creators in Brazil and is expanding to a small group in the United States. It is not yet a feature every Instagram account can use.
The change gives creators a way to publish a full podcast, interview, vlog or other long video while using shorter Reels to help viewers discover it. The important caveat is that Instagram has not announced a universal launch date or a new, guaranteed per-view payment model for Features.
What Instagram Features changes
Features is Instagram’s experiment with long-form, widescreen video. Instead of fitting an entire episode into a short vertical Reel, a creator in the test can upload a horizontal video of up to 90 minutes. Instagram says Reels will remain central to the app; the idea is to make short and long video work together rather than replace one with the other.
A related test, called “Clips as Reels,” lets selected creators connect short clips to the full-length video. Social Media Today reports that creators in the test can link up to eight Reels to a longer Feature. That gives a viewer a short entry point—a useful interview moment, a punchline or a podcast excerpt—and a direct path to the full episode if they want more.
| Element | What is known as of October 28, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Features videos | Horizontal uploads up to 90 minutes, available to selected test creators. |
| Test markets | Brazil was testing the format first; Instagram began expanding access to selected creators in the United States on October 26. |
| Clips as Reels | A separate test that links short Reels to a longer Feature; it is not confirmed for every account. |
| Series and Live discovery | Instagram is also working on ways to group episodic Reels and improve discovery of live video. These are separate workstreams. |
| Creator payments | No universal Features revenue-share rate or per-view payment has been announced. |
Who can use Instagram Features?
For now, access is limited to selected creators in Brazil and the United States. Instagram has not announced a public application form, a complete eligibility checklist or a date when every creator will be able to upload Features. If the option is missing from your account, that alone does not mean your app is broken or that you have overlooked a setting.
Creators should rely on notices inside their own Instagram account and on announcements from Instagram, rather than screenshots from another creator or country. A test account may have access to one part of the experiment—such as linked Reels—without having every related video feature.
Does Instagram Features pay creators?
Not through any newly announced, universal per-view scheme. In the October 26 announcement and related interview, Mosseri described Instagram creator income as coming mainly from brand partnerships, with some creators also earning from fans. He said the platform still has a small performance-based program, but that it is not ready to scale.
A Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch that it was too early to share a long-term monetization model for Features. The company said it was exploring ways for creators to earn from brands, fans and Instagram, including possible performance-based incentives. That is a statement of options under consideration, not confirmation that Features uploads will earn a set rate or share of advertising revenue.
For creators, the sensible approach is to treat Features as a new publishing and discovery format—not a guaranteed new income stream. Existing brand tools remain a separate matter; see our practical guide to Instagram Live Partnership Ads for context on one established route to brand collaboration.
How creators should prepare for the test
- Keep a landscape master. If Features appears in your account, prepare a horizontal version of the full episode. Do not assume a vertical Reel and a long-form Feature are interchangeable uploads.
- Choose discovery clips deliberately. Where Clips as Reels is available, select short moments that make sense on their own and accurately represent the longer video. The test does not guarantee that every clip will send viewers to the full episode.
- Measure each format separately. Compare the reach and watch behavior of short clips and full videos using the analytics available in your account before rebuilding your production schedule around the test.
- Check rights and disclosures. Longer videos can contain more music, guest footage and sponsored segments. Make sure you have the necessary permissions and clearly disclose paid partnerships where required.
- Do not plan around unannounced payouts. Keep your existing brand, subscription and other income arrangements in view until Instagram publishes specific terms for Features.
If you are updating your editing workflow, our guide to the Instagram Edits carousel editor covers a separate creator tool; it does not unlock access to Features.
How this differs from IGTV
Instagram has tried long-form video before. It launched IGTV in 2018 and discontinued the standalone product in 2022 as the company shifted attention toward Reels. Features is different in its current framing: Instagram is trying to connect longer videos to short clips and its television viewing experience, rather than asking audiences to adopt a separate destination.
That strategy still has to prove itself. A longer upload limit does not automatically create better discovery, consistent viewing or reliable creator income. The practical test is whether viewers move from a Reel into a full episode—and whether creators can see enough value to keep producing both formats.
What to watch next
The next meaningful signals are a broader rollout beyond the initial test groups, clearer guidance on who qualifies, the availability of linked Reels, and any formal monetization terms. Until Instagram confirms those details, the accurate description is a limited experiment with 90-minute horizontal video—not a global launch and not a new creator-payment guarantee.
Sources
- Instagram’s October 26 announcement video from Adam Mosseri and Tessa Lyons (primary source; Instagram may restrict automated access).
- TechCrunch: Instagram’s move to 90-minute video, including Meta’s statement on monetization.
- Social Media Today: the limited Features test, including the linked-Reels test and rollout details.
- The Publish Press: Instagram introduces long-form video, with a creator-economy breakdown of Features, linked Reels and related changes.
- The Verge: Instagram’s long-form, widescreen video push.
- The National: why Instagram is adding long-form video.
