Instagram long-form video: what Features are, and who can post them
On 26 October 2026 Instagram announced Features, its new format for long, horizontal videos. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, and Tessa Lyons, its VP of product, introduced it in a video on Mosseri's account and said it is early and still being tested.
This page sets out what has been confirmed, who can post a Feature today, how Features connect to Reels, and what the change means if you are trying to grow an account.
The short answer
Features are Instagram's long-form videos: horizontal videos that, in the current test, can run up to 90 minutes. Instagram announced them on 26 October 2026. They are a test, first in Brazil and now with a small group of US creators, so most accounts cannot post one yet. Reels can link to a Feature.
Instagram has not published who qualifies or how to apply. An Instagram spokesperson told The Verge the format had been tested with some creators in Brazil and is expanding to a small test in the US, and The Hollywood Reporter reports plans to widen the US test to tens of thousands of creators.
There is no ad revenue share for Features yet. For now Instagram says it is working out deals directly with some early creators.
- Longest video in the test: 90 min (Variety, 26 October 2026)
- Status: Test (Brazil, then a small US group)
- Reels that can link to one Feature: Up to 8 (Variety, 26 October 2026)
On this page
- What Instagram announced
- Who can post a Feature right now
- How Features work with Reels
- Do Features pay creators?
- What Features mean for growth
- Getting ready before you have access
- Where Virallized fits
What Instagram announced
Mosseri and Lyons presented Features in a video of about six and a half minutes on Mosseri's Instagram account. In the caption Mosseri says Instagram is investing in longer videos, which it is going to call Features, and that they fit alongside Reels, Series, Live and TV.
Features are horizontal, made for the kind of viewing people do on a TV or with a phone turned sideways. Variety reports that Instagram is trying several length limits, the longest being 90 minutes, which leaves room for full podcasts, interviews, comedy sets and long vlogs.
Instagram has tried this once before. IGTV, launched in June 2018, took vertical videos of up to an hour and never became a habit for most viewers; its separate app closed in 2022. This time the long videos sit inside Instagram itself and are tied to Reels.
Who can post a Feature right now
Only creators in the test. Instagram spokesperson Megan Buckley told The Verge that Features had been tested with some creators in Brazil and is expanding to a small test in the US. The Hollywood Reporter says the US group is due to grow to tens of thousands of creators.
Instagram has not published a follower minimum, an application form or a date for everyone. If you do not see the option in the app, there is nothing to switch on yet. Keep the app updated, because test features tend to reach the newest version first.
No threshold yet
Anything you read about a follower threshold for Features is a guess for now. Instagram has not announced one. Every published Instagram cap is on Instagram limits.
How Features work with Reels
The design is that Reels bring in viewers and Features keep them. Creators in the test can post short vertical Reels that link to the full-length Feature, and Variety reports up to eight clips can point to one long video.
Reels themselves do not change. You can still record a Reel of up to 20 minutes, and Instagram still says Reels over 3 minutes will not be recommended to people who do not follow you. A long Feature is for people who already chose to watch, and the short clips are how new people find it.
| Reels | Features | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Length | Up to 20 minutes recorded; under 3 minutes to reach non-followers | Up to 90 minutes in the current test |
| Who can post | Every account | Creators in the Brazil and US test |
| Main job | Reaching new people | Holding an audience for longer |
Do Features pay creators?
Not through an ad share, unlike YouTube. Variety reports that Instagram is not paying creators a share of ad revenue on Features and has not announced payout rules.
Lyons told The Hollywood Reporter that Instagram is working on a few different deals with early Features creators. Brand deals a creator already has can carry over into their long videos. Instagram says it is too early to share a long-term way of paying creators.
What Features mean for growth
A 40-minute video is a poor way to meet strangers and a good way to deepen ties with people who already follow you. That makes Features most useful to accounts that already have an audience: podcasters, educators and entertainers whose followers want the full version.
For growing from a small base, the work does not change. Reels, carousels and collab posts are still how Instagram shows you to people who do not follow you. Features add a place to send those people once they are interested, which is the gap creators used to fill by pointing to YouTube.
Getting ready before you have access
You do not need access to start building for it.
Record a horizontal master
Film long sessions in landscape, then cut vertical clips from them. You keep one shoot that works as a Feature later and as Reels now.
Cut clips that make people want the rest
End each clip on an open question or the start of a story, so the full version is the natural next step. Check what holds attention with skip rate.
Grow the audience that would watch
A long video is only as good as the people who see it. Build followers in your niche now, so a Feature lands with people who care.
Watch the app, not the rumours
Instagram announces wider rollouts on Mosseri's and @creators' accounts. Until then there is no switch to find.
Where Virallized fits
The audience a long video needs. Features reward accounts with followers who already want more from them. With Virallized, you choose target accounts whose followers are the audience you want, and our team runs quality interactions with those people every day. The ones who like what they see visit your profile and follow.
The record. In a 200-account sample of client accounts that had each run at least 90 days, measured to 23 October 2026, the median account added 407 net followers a month and all 200 finished larger than they started. Plans run $99 to $299 a month, each scoped to a published range of 150 to 3,000 followers a month, with Virallized AI included, a 7-day money-back guarantee and no contract.
Common questions
What are Features on Instagram?
Features are Instagram's long-form videos: horizontal videos that can run up to 90 minutes in the current test. Instagram announced them on 26 October 2026 and says they sit alongside Reels, Series, Live and TV.
Does Instagram have long-form videos now?
Only for creators in a test. Features were tested with some creators in Brazil and are expanding to a small group in the US. Instagram has not given a date for everyone.
How long can a video be on Instagram in 2026?
A Reel can be recorded at up to 20 minutes, but Reels over 3 minutes are not recommended to non-followers. Features, for creators in the test, can run up to 90 minutes.
How do I get Features on Instagram?
There is no way to apply. Instagram has not published who qualifies, a follower minimum or a sign-up form. Keep the app updated and watch Instagram's announcements.
Can a Reel link to a Feature?
Yes, for creators in the test. Variety reports up to eight short Reels can link to one full-length Feature.
Does Instagram pay creators for Features?
Not through an ad share yet. Instagram is working out deals with some early creators directly, and existing brand deals can carry over into long videos.
Is Features the same as IGTV?
No. IGTV, from 2018, took vertical videos of up to an hour and had its own app, which closed in 2022. Features are horizontal, sit inside Instagram and are linked from Reels.