Instagram is testing three distinct video initiatives, and their reported rollout remains limited. In an October 28 report, Instagram head Adam Mosseri was described as clarifying that Features had not been fully launched and access was expanding gradually. The U.S. is among the reported test markets for Features and Series; broader Live discovery was described as planned for the U.S. in 2027.
What Features, Series and Live each do
Features is a test format for horizontal videos lasting up to 90 minutes. That is the reported ceiling for the test, not a universal upload limit. Series organizes episodic Reels, including short-form microdramas. The Live initiative changes how viewers may discover existing livestreams, including by surfacing them to non-followers in Reels.
| Initiative | What it does | Reported test markets and timing |
| Features | Tests horizontal videos up to 90 minutes; short Reels can link to a longer video. | Selected creators in Brazil and a limited U.S. group. One report described the U.S. beta as reaching tens of thousands of creators. |
| Series | Organizes episodic Reels, including short-form microdramas. | A subset of creators in the U.S., Mexico and India. |
| Instagram Live discovery | Tests surfacing livestreams more broadly, including to non-followers in Reels. | Tests reported in Brazil and Indonesia; U.S. expansion planned for 2027. |
For U.S. creators, the reported tests cover Features and Series, while the U.S. Live expansion is a plan for 2027. The markets differ by initiative, so one test does not imply access to the others.
How short clips can lead to longer video
In the Features test, creators can make short Reels from a longer video and link viewers to the full version. The approach gives a viewer who finds a clip a route to the longer video on Instagram. Reports also describe a recommendation constraint: Reels longer than three minutes are not recommended to new audiences. Features is intended to give longer videos a different route to viewers; the test does not establish how well that path works.
Instagram vice president of product Tessa Lyons has described the broader goal as social entertainment and community around creators’ work. She has also framed mobile as a place to discover horizontal long-form video and television as a place to watch it.
What Meta has said about creator pay
A Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch on October 26 that it was too early to share a long-term monetization model for long-form video. The spokesperson said Meta was exploring creator earnings from brands, fans and Instagram, including performance-based incentives. That statement describes options under exploration, not a settled Features payment arrangement.
