Instagram Tests 90-Minute Horizontal Videos to Rival YouTube 2026

Instagram is testing a new feature called Features that allows creators to upload horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long, marking a significant shift in the platform's strategy to compete directly with YouTube. The test, announced by Instagram's head of product Tessa Lyons, will begin with a select group of creators.

This move represents Instagram's latest attempt to keep creators and audiences engaged on its platform, following earlier inspirations from competitors like Snapchat's Stories and TikTok's Reels. With Features, Instagram aims to provide a space for longer, horizontal content that traditionally lives on YouTube.

What Is Instagram's Features and How Does It Work?

Features is a new video format that supports horizontal videos up to 90 minutes in length. The feature is currently in a testing phase with a small group of creators, as announced by Tessa Lyons in a video statement. Lyons emphasized that Reels will remain a central part of Instagram, but users should be able to "go deeper with the creators they love without leaving Instagram."

The introduction of Features signals Instagram's recognition that creators need a platform for long-form content, and that losing that content to YouTube means losing engagement and revenue opportunities. By offering a native long-form video option, Instagram hopes to become a one-stop shop for creators of all kinds.

Why Instagram Is Making This Move Now

Instagram has a history of borrowing successful formats from competitors. It launched Stories after Snapchat popularized ephemeral messaging, and Reels after TikTok made short-form vertical video a global phenomenon. Each time, Instagram successfully integrated the format and often surpassed the original.

However, long-form horizontal video has remained YouTube's stronghold. Instagram has experimented with horizontal video in the past, but not with the same focus or duration. Now, the company is doubling down on efforts to prevent creators from leaving the platform for YouTube when they want to produce longer content.

This strategy aligns with a broader trend among social platforms to become more comprehensive. By offering a full suite of video formats—from short Reels to long Features—Instagram can attract and retain creators who might otherwise diversify their presence across multiple platforms.

What This Means for Creators and Audiences

For creators, Features could provide a new avenue to monetize and engage with their audience on Instagram. The ability to upload up to 90-minute horizontal videos means creators can produce content like tutorials, vlogs, interviews, and documentaries directly on the platform, without directing followers elsewhere.

For audiences, this means more content to discover within Instagram, potentially reducing the need to switch between apps. It also allows for deeper connections with creators, as longer videos can foster more meaningful engagement than short clips.

However, the success of Features will depend on how well Instagram implements the feature and whether creators and viewers embrace it. The platform will need to ensure that discovery and recommendation algorithms favor long-form content appropriately, and that monetization options are competitive with YouTube's. The background to this story is set out in How to Download Instagram Videos with CleverGet in 2026 Step by Step. A related thread runs through Instagram Reels Addiction: How to Restore Conversation Skills. Earlier coverage in 2020s Cinema Revolution: YouTube Creators Changing Hollywood shows how the argument developed.

Key Takeaways from the Announcement

• Features is a new Instagram feature for horizontal videos up to 90 minutes.
• It will be tested with a select group of creators starting Monday.
• Reels will remain a central part of Instagram, according to Tessa Lyons.
• The move is a direct challenge to YouTube's dominance in long-form video.
• Instagram aims to keep creators and audiences on its platform for all video formats.

How Features Compares to Other Video Formats

What to Watch Next

The initial test will involve a small group of creators, and Instagram will likely gather feedback before a wider rollout. Key questions remain: How will Features be integrated into the Instagram feed and Explore page? Will there be monetization options for creators? And how will Instagram prevent the spread of misinformation in longer videos? A closer look at the same subject appears in Digital Infidelity: How WhatsApp and Instagram Redefine Cheating. Anyone following the wider picture can start with AI Influencers With Wild Haircuts Are Taking Over Instagram. The same theme surfaces in Meta Apologizes for Suspending No Kings Instagram During Protests, which takes a different angle.

As Instagram continues to evolve, the line between social media and video platforms blurs further. If Features succeeds, it could reshape how creators distribute long-form content and how audiences consume it. For now, all eyes are on the test to see if Instagram can truly challenge YouTube at its own game. Context on how this played out before sits in What Does CLFS Mean on Instagram? Texting Slang Decoded — Explained. A companion piece, Reclaiming Real Life After Deleting Instagram for Good, approaches the same subject from another angle.