Instagram Features: what the 90-minute video test means

Instagram Features is a new test of Instagram 90-minute videos: horizontal uploads up to an hour and a half long, announced on October 26, 2026 by Instagram head Adam Mosseri and Tessa Lyons. Only a small group of creators can post them for now, and Instagram is not sharing ad revenue from them, so most people can’t upload a Feature yet and there’s nothing to switch on.

Below: what Features are, how they differ from Reels and YouTube, who can see them, what creators get paid, and what to do while the test runs. We checked the details on October 27, 2026 against Mosseri and Lyons’ announcement and reporting from 9to5Google, The Next Web and The Hollywood Reporter. Where those reports disagree, we say so.

What Instagram announced on October 26

Mosseri and Lyons introduced Features in a six-minute video posted to Instagram on Monday, October 26. The main points:

• Length: uploads of up to 90 minutes, according to The Hollywood Reporter and The Next Web.
• Shape: widescreen (horizontal) video that works on a TV as well as a phone.
• Who it’s for: podcasters, comedians and other creators who want to post full episodes or specials, not just clips.
• Linked Reels: Instagram is also testing Reels that link to the full-length Feature they came from, and plans to let creators group related Reels into series on their profiles.
• Status: a test with a limited group of creators. Mosseri: “It’s early, and we’re testing and listening to feedback as we go.”

This is Instagram’s second try at long video. IGTV, its separate long-form app, launched in 2018, and Instagram shut it down in 2022. Features lives inside the main Instagram app instead.

Instagram 90-minute videos vs Reels vs YouTube

The table compares what outlets have reported about Features with Reels and YouTube’s long-form video. Features rows reflect the test and may change.

	Instagram Features (test)	Instagram Reels	YouTube videos
Orientation	Horizontal	Vertical	Mostly horizontal
Maximum length	Up to 90 minutes (reported)	3 minutes since January 2025	12 hours for verified accounts
Who can post	Small test group of creators	Anyone	Anyone
Ad revenue share for creators	None for now	Not part of this announcement	Yes, for YouTube Partner Program members
Watch on a TV	Instagram TV app, which will prioritize Features	Instagram TV app	YouTube TV apps

Can you post or watch Instagram 90-minute videos now?

Probably not yet. Instagram has limited the test to a small group of creators. 9to5Google and Tech Times describe it as US-only, and 9to5Google found the announcement video wouldn’t play outside the US. However, an Instagram spokesperson told The Verge, as reported by The Next Web, that some creators in Brazil are also taking part. Instagram hasn’t published eligibility rules or a timeline for a wider rollout.

If you’re a viewer, you’ll see Features only if a creator in the test posts one. The Next Web reports they appear in the main feed and on the Explore page. You don’t need to change any setting.

If you’re a creator, open Instagram and tap + to create a post. If a Features option isn’t there, your account isn’t in the test. Updating the app won’t add it, because Instagram switches test features on from its side.

Where Instagram 90-minute videos will show up, including on TV

Instagram says its TV app will prioritize Features. That app first launched on Amazon Fire TV in the US in December 2025 and has since reached Google TV, Samsung TVs and Apple TV. If you already use it, our guide to Instagram on Apple TV covers installing it and what currently works. Android Central reports that Features coming to the TV app “is going to take a little bit of time,” so don’t expect them there on day one.

Do creators get paid for Instagram 90-minute videos?

Not through ad revenue, for now. Instagram is not sharing ad revenue from Features, which is the biggest difference from YouTube, where eligible creators get a cut of ads shown on their videos. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Instagram will honor creators’ existing ad deals. Lyons said Instagram sees “a big opportunity” to help creators who lack a business operation behind them, but gave no payout details. The Next Web reports Instagram hasn’t ruled out revenue sharing later.

If you sell sponsorships, any deal for a long Instagram video is between you and the sponsor. Use Instagram’s paid-partnership label on sponsored content, as you would on a Reel.

What creators can do while the test runs

1. Keep your long videos on YouTube if they earn ad revenue there. Features don’t replace that income yet.
2. Export a horizontal master of each episode. Features and the TV app center on 16:9 video, so having one ready costs little.
3. Cut vertical Reels from your long episodes now. Instagram is testing links from Reels to the full Feature, so clips you post today are the format it wants to connect.
4. Watch your app and Mosseri’s posts for a wider rollout. Instagram usually announces expansions on its own channels before third parties do.
5. Ignore “Features access” offers. Instagram hasn’t opened applications, so anyone selling access is running a scam.

If you also publish to YouTube, check where YouTube moved the Subscriptions tab, since its recent layout change affects how returning viewers find new uploads.

FAQ

How long can Instagram videos be now that 90-minute videos are in testing?

Reels can be up to 3 minutes. Creators in the Features test can upload horizontal videos of up to 90 minutes, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter and The Next Web. Instagram hasn’t posted an official help page with Features limits yet.

Is Instagram Features the same as IGTV?

No. IGTV was a separate app and section that Instagram retired in 2022. Features is a horizontal format inside the main app, tied to Reels and to Instagram’s TV app.

When will Features be available to everyone?

Instagram hasn’t said. It describes Features as an early test and hasn’t committed to a date or to a launch outside the US (and, per one report, Brazil).

Will Features show ads?

Instagram hasn’t detailed how ads will run in Features. What it has said is that it won’t share ad revenue with creators for now.

Get ready for the rollout

If you post long-form video, save a horizontal version of your next episode and post a vertical clip from it as a Reel, so you’re ready if Instagram adds you to the Features test.

Sources

• Adam Mosseri and Tessa Lyons: Features announcement video on Instagram (Oct 26, 2026)
• 9to5Google: Instagram tests Features long-form video (Oct 26, 2026)
• The Next Web: Instagram tests 90-minute horizontal videos called Features (Oct 26, 2026)
• The Hollywood Reporter: Instagram tests 90-minute videos (Oct 26, 2026)
• Android Central: Instagram wants in on long-form, widescreen videos (Oct 26, 2026)
• Tech Times: Instagram tests Features (Oct 27, 2026)