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Instagram tests longer widescreen videos in the US and Brazil

Developing story first seen 2 hours ago

The Verge · 2 hours ago

Instagram has begun a small US test of “Features”, its push into longer, widescreen video, while also testing the format with some creators in Brazil. The move marks a shift for boss Adam Mosseri, who had resisted long-form video because it could draw attention away from posts and clips people share with friends.

Instagram says it wants long and short videos to complement each other, with content such as podcasts or comedy specials also broken into shorter clips. The tests follow the expansion of Instagram’s TV app beyond its original Amazon Fire TV pilot to Google, Samsung and Apple TV devices; other trials include links from clips to longer videos, Reel series and improved live-video discovery.

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In short

Instagram is testing longer, widescreen videos in the US and Brazil.
The company wants long videos and short clips to work together.
Other video trials include Reel series and better live discovery.

How this story developed

1 hour ago The US trial is now being extended to a small group, with Instagram saying longer videos should complement short clips and noting that its TV app has expanded from Amazon Fire TV to Google, Samsung and Apple TV devices.
1 hour ago Instagram began a limited US trial of Features, its widescreen long-video format, while also testing it with some creators in Brazil, despite Adam Mosseri’s past concerns that longer videos could distract from content shared with friends.

Full account

Instagram is testing longer horizontal videos, which it calls “Features”, with a small group of creators in the United States and some creators in Brazil. The company says the format is intended to give creators more room to tell stories on the platform, including through episodic content. Some videos may run for as long as 90 minutes, according to one report.

The test is part of a broader effort to make long and short videos work together. Creators can post clips from a Feature as Reels to help viewers find the full video. Instagram is also testing tools for arranging Reels into series and ways to improve discovery of live broadcasts. The reports describe a planned change that would make some Instagram Live streams discoverable to people beyond a creator’s followers, through the Reels tab.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri said he had long been wary of adding long-form video. He has argued that extended viewing could mean fewer opportunities for people to share photos, carousels and Reels with friends, potentially weakening the social connections the service is meant to support. Mosseri now sees scope for the formats to complement one another, with longer works and shorter clips helping audiences connect with creators and their work.

The push also builds on Instagram’s expansion onto television screens. One report notes that its TV app, first piloted on Amazon Fire TV in the United States, has since reached Google TV, Samsung TV and Apple TV. Instagram is also developing a phone-as-remote feature for TV playback, according to the other report. The company has not set out a long-term creator payment model; a spokesperson said it is exploring ways creators could earn through brands, fans and Instagram, including performance-based incentives.

Where outlets differ

From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:

The first report says the Features test is expanding to the United States and is also being tried with some creators in Brazil. The second describes a small US creator group and does not mention Brazil.

The second report foregrounds Instagram’s ambitions to compete more directly with YouTube, the possible 90-minute video length, TV viewing and the absence of a YouTube-style revenue-sharing scheme. These points are not a focus of the first report.

The first report gives more detail on Instagram’s TV app rollout and mentions Stories viewing on TVs. The second adds the planned phone remote control and gives more detail on possible creator earnings. Both describe clips linking viewers to longer videos and broader live-video discovery.

Steelman: both sides, in good faith

The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.

The case for

Longer, widescreen videos could give creators more room for podcasts, comedy and other work that does not fit short clips, while helping Instagram compete for audiences and creator income. If longer programmes also generate shareable excerpts, the formats could reinforce one another and give users more ways to discover and discuss content with friends.

The case against

A stronger focus on long-form video could pull Instagram towards YouTube’s model and weaken its distinctive role as a place to connect with friends. It may also intensify competition for users’ attention and make it harder for creators to be discovered if longer programmes and their clips crowd out other content.

Explained simply

Instagram is a social media platform owned by Meta, where people share photos and videos and follow friends, creators and organisations. Its short videos, called Reels, are a major part of the service and compete with clips on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube.

Adam Mosseri leads Instagram, while creators make content for audiences on the platform. Longer videos, including podcasts and comedy programmes, could give creators another way to reach viewers, while short clips can help people find and share that content.

The experiments are part of a wider effort by Instagram to offer video on phones and television screens. How the service balances longer viewing with its social features may shape what people watch there and how creators use it.