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Instagram Tests 90-Minute Videos in Challenge to YouTube

Instagram is testing Features, letting select US creators post horizontal videos up to 90 minutes.

AI News Feed · 2026-10-27 18:19

The test follows an earlier trial in Brazil. Eligible creators can now experiment with full-length podcasts, comedy specials and other long-form content. Reels can link directly to the full videos, and Instagram plans to recommend the videos through Explore. The company eventually intends to bring the experience to its TV app, according to Android Authority.

In an announcement video with product vice president Tessa Lyons, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri said he had once been 'against doing long-form video on Instagram,' arguing that short clips encourage people to share and connect. He said he now hopes short and long videos can be 'symbiotic,' with a Reel acting as a trailer rather than the final destination, Android Authority reported.

Instagram announced 3 billion monthly active users in September 2025 and 4.5 billion daily Reels reshares across Meta's apps. Android Authority noted that the reshare figure measures sharing rather than viewing and cannot be directly compared with YouTube's 200 billion daily Shorts views reported in 2025. YouTube also said it surpassed 1 billion daily viewing hours on TVs, without providing an exact figure in the report.

YouTube's advantage extends beyond audience. Eligible YouTube creators receive 55% of net watch-page advertising revenue, according to Android Authority. Instagram is working on creator deals and allows existing sponsorships, but it has not announced comparable standard ad-revenue sharing for Features. Without that incentive, creators may upload existing content to Instagram while keeping YouTube as their primary home.

Instagram has tried longer videos before. Its IGTV effort ultimately failed to establish itself, Android Authority reported. Features may have a stronger distribution strategy because it connects short Reels to long videos and uses Explore, but its success will depend on whether creators and audiences embrace it beyond the initial test.

YouTube has largely faced no direct challenge in long-form video, and another well-distributed platform could push it to improve. Meta may not be seen as a consumer-friendly challenger, but YouTube does not need a saintly rival; it needs one that makes complacency expensive, Android Authority wrote. Instagram has the audience and infrastructure to try, though whether Features can make it a powerful rival is still unclear.