Instagram tests horizontal videos up to 90 minutes in the Features tab

Instagram is returning to long-form video a few years after shutting down IGTV. In the future, brands may get a format in which short Reels lead viewers to the full content without leaving the app.

On October 26, 2026, Instagram announced tests of the Features tab designed for long, horizontal videos lasting up to 90 minutes. The feature was presented by platform head Adam Mosseri and product vice president Tessa Lyons in a six-minute recording. Until now, the limit for vertical Reels was 20 minutes.

Features is set to include podcasts, interviews, entertainment shows, and recordings split into episodes. The “Clips as Reels” mechanism makes it possible to link up to eight short clips to a full video. A viewer who comes across a clip can go to the full version without leaving the app, reports NowyMarketing (opens in a new tab). Mosseri admitted that he had long opposed long-form content, and was convinced by data about shared video viewing on TVs.

Sources differ on the scope of the tests. Spider's Web (opens in a new tab) writes only about the U.S., while 9to5Google (opens in a new tab) mentions a small group of creators in the U.S. and Brazil, where testing started earlier. Instagram did not provide a date for making the feature available to all users.

The platform has not announced an ad revenue-sharing program modeled on YouTube's AdSense. The only thing mentioned is transferring creators' existing sponsorship deals to the new format. Questions appeared under the announcement asking why anyone should publish long-form video on Instagram when YouTube pays for it. This is Meta’s latest attempt in this segment after IGTV, which was shut down due to lack of interest.

For marketing departments, this means a possible new model: according to an eMarketer (opens in a new tab) analysis, Reels build reach at the top of the sales funnel, while longer sponsored materials strengthen the relationship with the brand and conversion. The same analysis indicates that educational brands and service companies in particular, which explain complex processes, may find value in the long-form format. Instagram usually does not recommend videos longer than three minutes to people who do not follow the account. Polish companies do not currently have access to Features.