Remember when Instagram was an app where people posted pictures of their lunch?
Yeah, things have changed.
Instagram is now testing videos that can last up to 90 minutes, in what looks like another step toward becoming a major destination for long-form content.
The new format, called Features, is designed to let creators publish longer horizontal videos, moving beyond the short clips we’re used to seeing in Reels.
And yes, that’s basically enough time to watch an entire movie.
From 15 second reels to 90 minute videos
The experiment began with selected creators in Brazil and is expanding to a limited number of creators in the United States.
The idea is to give creators more space for content that doesn’t necessarily fit into a short Reel.
Think podcasts, interviews, documentaries, vlogs and longer conversations.
Instead of asking audiences to leave Instagram and visit another platform, Instagram wants more of that content to live inside its own app.
It’s also part of a wider strategy to make Instagram content suitable for bigger screens, including televisions.
Is Instagram coming for YouTube ?
That’s certainly the question.
YouTube has long dominated long-form video, while Instagram built much of its recent identity around short, scrollable content.
Now those worlds are starting to overlap.
For creators, this could eventually mean more freedom to tell stories without cutting everything into 30-second clips.
For viewers, it might mean fewer reasons to leave the app.
But here’s the important part: this is still a limited test. The feature isn’t available to everyone, and Instagram hasn’t confirmed a worldwide release date.
So don’t go looking for the 90-minute upload button just yet.
One thing is clear, though. Instagram no longer wants to be somewhere you scroll for five minutes.
It wants to be somewhere you stay.
