Forget scrolling through endless short clips — Instagram may be giving users a reason to stick around a little longer.
The platform is testing a new feature that would allow creators to upload videos up to 90 minutes long, giving users a way to watch longer content without leaving the app.
The new feature, called “Features,” is designed for creators who make longer videos, including podcasters, comedians and other entertainers. The test is currently rolling out to a small group of creators in the United States, with some creators in Brazil also participating.
The goal is to make longer videos work alongside Instagram’s popular Reels. For example, someone might discover a podcast through a short clip on Reels and then click to watch the full episode directly on Instagram.
The company is also exploring ways for creators to organize related Reels into series, making it easier for viewers to find and follow episodic content. Instagram is testing improvements to live video discovery, too.
Features appears to focus on content shot in landscape, and will be available on desktop, the mobile app, and Instagram for TV. The company wants longer videos to become part of its TV viewing experience, giving users more options beyond scrolling through short clips.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri has previously expressed concerns about adding long-form videos to the platform, worrying that longer viewing sessions could take away from the social interactions that make Instagram unique. Now, the company is looking at how short and long videos can complement one another.
“Reels is still going to be a core part of Instagram. But when you want to go deeper with creators you love and the content they’re creating, you should be able to do that on Instagram,” said Instagram VP of Product Tessa Lyons.
However, there’s still a big question for creators: money. Instagram is exploring potential ways to help creators monetize longer videos, but it hasn’t announced a specific revenue-sharing plan for the new feature.
For now, Features remains in limited testing, and it’s unclear when it will become widely available. If the test is successful, Instagram could become a bigger competitor to YouTube, especially for creators who want to share full-length content with audiences they have already built on social media.
