For most of its life, Instagram has been a short-attention-span platform. Photos. Stories. Reels. Quick hits designed to be consumed and scrolled past in seconds.
That’s changing.
In late October 2026, Instagram began testing a new format called Features for horizontal, long-form videos of up to 90 minutes. It is the platform’s most significant push into long-form content since IGTV, which launched in 2018 and quietly faded out a few years later. This time, Instagram is approaching it differently. And if you create content for a living (or use content to build your brand), it is worth paying attention.
What Is “Features” Exactly?
Features is Instagram’s new long-form video format, featuring horizontal videos (think widescreen, TV-style) that can run up to 90 minutes. It is currently in testing with select creators in the United States, after an earlier test in Brazil.
The format is built around a specific idea: use Reels as the front door. A creator posts a short clip (like a highlight from a podcast, the best two minutes of a longer tutorial, a teaser from a documentary-style video), and ties it to the full-length Feature. Viewers watching the Reel can tap through to keep watching the whole thing, without ever leaving Instagram.
Full-length Features can also be recommended through Explore and other parts of the app, so discovery is not limited to your existing followers. Instagram is also building out Instagram for TV (an Apple TV app) as a companion viewing surface for longer content.
The targets are clear: podcasters, comedians, educators, and any creator whose natural content length has always exceeded what Instagram previously allowed.
Why Is Instagram Doing This Now?
The honest answer is: YouTube.
For years, YouTube has been the default home for long-form video content such as full-length podcast episodes, in-depth tutorials, documentary-style storytelling. Meanwhile, short clips from those videos have flooded Instagram Reels, TikTok, and other short-form platforms, often driving massive audiences back to YouTube to watch the full version.
Instagram is trying to close that loop. Instead of sending viewers somewhere else to watch the rest, Features keeps them inside the app. For Meta, that means more time on platform, more ad inventory, and a stronger argument to creators that they do not need to maintain a presence on two separate platforms.
This also fits a broader trend. Netflix and Disney+ have both been experimenting with creator-driven content. The line between social media and streaming is getting blurry, and Instagram is positioning itself on both sides of it.
One thing worth noting: Instagram is not offering ad revenue sharing for Features, and that is a meaningful difference from YouTube’s Partner Program. What Meta is doing is paying select creators directly with upfront fees reportedly ranging from $50,000 to $500,000, based on a Business Insider report from early November 2026. Participation is by invitation only, with no public application process disclosed yet. For most creators, the current case for using Features is still about audience reach. For a select few, there is now real money attached to it.
Didn’t Instagram Already Try This With IGTV?
Yes. And it flopped.
IGTV launched in 2018 with a lot of fanfare. A separate app, a dedicated tab, the promise of a new era for long video on Instagram. Creators did not embrace it, viewers did not seek it out, and Instagram quietly folded it into the main app before eventually phasing it out entirely.
Features is a different approach, for a few reasons:
- It is integrated into the existing Reels ecosystem, not siloed into a separate destination. Viewers encounter long-form content naturally while scrolling, not by navigating to a different part of the app.
- The short-to-long funnel is built in. IGTV asked creators to produce content specifically for a new format. Features lets creators use what they already make, and gives short clips a natural path to the full version.
- The viewing behavior exists now in a way it did not exist in 2018. Audiences routinely watch long-form content on mobile devices. The habit has been normalized by YouTube, Spotify video, and others. Instagram is entering a market that is already established.
- There is a TV app. Instagram for TV on Apple TV signals that Meta is serious about living-room viewing this time, not just a mobile-only experiment.
None of that guarantees that Features will succeed. But the structural differences from IGTV are real.
Who Should Be Paying Attention Right Now?
Features is still in testing, so not every creator will have access yet. But the time to think about your strategy is before the rollout, not after.
- If you are already releasing video podcast episodes on YouTube, Features gives you a second distribution window inside an app where your audience already lives. You do not need to create anything new, just bring the content over.
- Educators and tutorial creators. In-depth how-to content has always been constrained by Instagram’s time limits. Features removes that ceiling. A full workshop, a deep-dive lesson, a step-by-step process video. All of it now has a home on the platform.
- Brand storytellers. Mini-documentaries, behind-the-scenes series, long-form interviews with customers or team members, content that builds trust over time rather than chasing quick engagement. That kind of storytelling has never fit Instagram’s format. Now it might.
- Anyone already doing this on YouTube. If your long-form video library lives on YouTube, Features is a relatively low-effort way to extend its reach, assuming the content translates well to horizontal mobile viewing.
- Comedians and performers. Instagram specifically called out stand-up and live performance as target content types. If clips of your sets are already driving traffic, a full special on Features is a natural next step.
How to Think About It Before You Have Access
Features is not available to everyone yet. But there are things you can do right now to be ready when it is.
- Audit your existing long-form content. What do you already have on YouTube, a podcast platform, or a hard drive that could work as a Feature? You may not need to create anything new. You may just need to repurpose what you have already made.
- Plan your Reels-to-Feature funnel. The short clip that drives someone to the full video is arguably more important than the full video itself. What is the moment in your long-form content that makes someone want to watch the rest? That is your Reel.
- Shoot horizontal. Features are designed for widescreen viewing, not the vertical format Instagram has prioritized for Reels. If you are planning new long-form content, shoot in landscape. It will also translate better to the Apple TV app.
- Do not abandon YouTube. Instagram is not offering revenue sharing yet, and YouTube’s search-driven discovery is still a significant advantage for certain content types. Think of Features as an additional distribution channel, not a replacement.
- Keep your expectations calibrated. Features is in early testing. Rollout timelines, final feature details, and monetization policies have not been confirmed. Pay attention to the test results that come out of the U.S. pilot before building your entire strategy around it.
Key Takeaways
- Instagram’s new Features format allows horizontal videos up to 90 minutes, a significant departure from the platform’s short-form roots.
- The format connects short Reels clips to full-length videos, keeping viewers inside Instagram instead of sending them to YouTube.
- It is currently in testing with select U.S. creators and is not available to everyone yet.
- Ad revenue sharing is not part of the program. Meta is paying select creators directly (reportedly $50K to $500K upfront), but there is no public application process and no general monetization yet.
- Podcasters, educators, brand storytellers, and anyone with an existing long-form video library have the most to gain.
- The best move right now is to audit what you already have and plan your Reels-to-Feature funnel before access opens up.
FAQs About Instagram Features
How is Features different from IGTV?
IGTV was a separate destination inside the app that required creators to produce content specifically for it. Features is integrated into the Reels ecosystem, so long-form videos are discoverable through the same channels as short-form content. The connection between short clips and full videos is also a core design feature this time, not an afterthought.
Will Instagram pay me for my Features videos?
It depends on who you are. As of early November 2026, Instagram is paying a select group of creators directly with upfront fees reportedly ranging from $50,000 to $500,000, but there is no ad revenue sharing and no public application process. Participation appears to be invitation-only. For most creators, the current value is reach and distribution, not a paycheck. That said, the fact that Meta is paying at all is a significant shift from the initial “no monetization” framing at launch.
Should I stop posting on YouTube and focus on Features instead?
No, at least not yet. YouTube has a mature search engine, established monetization, and years of audience habits built around it. Features is an early-stage test with no revenue sharing and limited rollout. The smarter play is to treat Instagram as a second distribution window for content you are already making, not a replacement for a platform that is actually paying you.
The Bottom Line
Features is Instagram’s most credible attempt at long-form video yet. The integration with Reels, the Apple TV app, and the focus on creators who already have an audience all suggest Meta has learned something from the IGTV failure. Whether it gains traction will depend on creator adoption and whether viewers actually change their behavior inside the app.
For now, the right move is informed patience. Understand what the format is, know whether it fits your content, and have a plan ready when access opens up. The creators who are prepared when a platform shift happens are the ones who benefit from it.
Trying to figure out how new platform features fit into your content strategy? At Resolution Promotions, that is the kind of question we work through with our clients every day. Reach out anytime to have a discussion.
