Instagram Tests Out 90-Minute Horizontal Videos in Push for TV Viewing

Skip to content The test, which started with creators in Brazil, will roll out to select U.S. creators this month October 26, 2026 @ 8:32 AM The Instagram logo (Getty Images) Instagram is giving creators the ability to upload longer horizontal videos on its platform, the company announced on Monday. Testing has been taking place with certain creators in Brazil and will be rolling out to select U.S. creators. The offering will let creators upload longform videos that are up to 90 minutes long. “Instagram is all about connecting people over creativity, and creativity is so much more than just shortform video or just posts and carousels,” Tessa Lyons, vice president of product at Instagram, said in a longform video announcing the news. She outlined that creators have been using Reels to creator shortform series, that they’ve used clips on Reels to drive discovery to other content and that they’re using Instagram Live. “There’s just so much different format now happening around creativity and storytelling on video that we want to make sure we’re doing a good job of serving.” This development is clearly part of a strategy to make the social media platform more competitive when it comes to longer form content. Back in June, the company announced Instagram for TV, an offering that lets users watch Instagram videos from the living room. The option launched last year for Samsung, Fire TV and Google TV in the U.S. and will launch on Apple TV this month. It also comes at a time when YouTube has been a dominant player in television for years. For the past three years, YouTube has reigned as the No. 1 most-watched streamer or channel on all of television. The platform hit an all-time high in August, accounting for 15.8% of all TV usage during the month, which was more than twice the share of the next most-watched platform Netflix. YouTube also ranked as the top company when it came to Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge, a report that reflects the most-watched streamers and channels by parent company. In the month of August, YouTube beat The Walt Disney Company. That’s not the only announcement Instagram revealed on Monday. Another test that started in Brazil and lets up to eight clips point to one longform video will be rolling out to a small group of U.S. creators. Instagram’s series option, which is a way for creators to sort episodic Reels on their platform, is being tested for TV. The platform has rolled out the offering for select creators in the U.S., India and Mexico since the spring and plans to roll the option out to more countries through the end of the year. Instagram Live will also be rolling out in more countries in the future. Instagram is also experimenting with an option that will let users utilize their phone as a remote. Users will also be able to see what their friends are watching in a Friends tab and save Series and Features on mobile to watch later on TV.