Instagram is testing a new long-form video format called Features, allowing creators to upload horizontal videos lasting up to 90 minutes as the Meta-owned platform expands beyond short-form Reels. Announced on October 26, 2026, the feature is being tested in Brazil and will be introduced to a limited group of creators in the United States.
According to Instagram’s official announcement, Features is designed to support longer content, including podcasts, interviews and entertainment programs. The company is also testing tools that connect short-form Reels with full-length videos, allowing viewers to access both formats within Instagram.
Instagram Connects Reels With Longer Videos
The new format introduces Clips as Reels, which lets creators produce shorter videos from their long-form content and link them to the complete recording. Viewers who discover a clip through Reels can open the longer video directly without switching platforms.
Instagram is also developing features that allow users to save longer videos for viewing through its television application. Additional improvements include better discovery tools for livestreams and a dedicated section on creator profiles for organizing episodic Reels into connected series.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri acknowledged that he had previously opposed introducing longer videos because shorter formats encouraged sharing and direct messaging. However, Instagram Vice President of Product Tessa Lyons advocated revisiting the format to give creators more ways to engage existing audiences.
The initiative follows Instagram’s earlier attempt at long-form video through IGTV, introduced in 2018 and discontinued in 2022.
Creator Monetization Remains Uncertain
Despite expanding video capabilities, Instagram has not announced a revenue-sharing program for Features comparable to YouTube’s advertising model. Instagram currently relies primarily on brand partnerships, fan subscriptions and limited performance-based incentives to support creator earnings.
During an interview on the Colin and Samir Show, Mosseri said Instagram’s existing performance-based payment programs cost substantially more than they generate in revenue. He explained that expanding those arrangements would be financially difficult under the current model.
By comparison, YouTube pays eligible creators 55% of advertising revenue generated from their long-form videos through its Partner Program. The company reported in September 2025 that it had distributed more than $100 billion to creators, artists and media companies over the preceding four years.
A Meta spokesperson said Instagram is examining additional monetization opportunities involving brands, fans and performance incentives but has not finalized a long-term model for Features. The company has also indicated that longer videos may support additional commercial partnerships for participating creators.
Limited Testing Begins in the United States
Instagram is expanding its initial Brazilian trials to selected US creators while continuing development of its television viewing experience. The company has not announced when Features will become available to all users or whether additional countries will join the testing program.
Mosseri said Reels would remain a central component of Instagram while the company develops ways for short-form and long-form content to operate together.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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