Instagram is quietly testing support for horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long, a shift that would let the app host full-length Instagram long-form video content instead of forcing everything into vertical, bite-sized Reels. Early signs of the test surfaced through interface tweaks spotted by creators and tipped off by tech reporters tracking Meta’s app code.
Key Takeaways
- Instagram is internally testing horizontal video uploads running as long as 90 minutes, far beyond the current Reels cap.
- The move signals Meta wants a slice of the YouTube-style long-form audience, not just short-form scrollers.
- It could change how Indian creators, especially those doing podcasts, vlogs and gaming streams, think about where to post first.
- Nothing is confirmed as a global rollout yet — this is a limited, staged test, not a finished feature.
What Exactly Is Instagram Testing?
Right now, Instagram’s video world is built around vertical clips. Reels top out at a few minutes, and even regular feed videos rarely run long. The new test changes that math entirely. Screenshots and code-level findings shared by app researchers show an option for horizontal, landscape-oriented uploads stretching up to 90 minutes.
That’s roughly the runtime of a feature film’s first half, or three full episodes of a web series back to back. It’s a different category of content altogether — closer to a YouTube upload than anything Instagram has hosted before.
Meta hasn’t issued a formal press statement confirming every detail, which is typical for early-stage app tests. But the pattern fits a company that has spent the last two years pushing hard into video, and watching rival platforms eat into watch-time that used to belong to Instagram.
Why Horizontal, Not Vertical?
This is the part that’s genuinely interesting. Instagram built its entire video identity around vertical scrolling. So why test horizontal now?
Because long-form content simply works better landscape. Think about it — a 45-minute interview, a cooking masterclass, or a stand-up comedy set filmed on a proper camera is shot horizontally by habit and by convention. Forcing that into a vertical frame means cropping, letterboxing, or re-editing, and creators hate doing extra work for a single platform.
By allowing native horizontal Instagram long-form video uploads, Meta removes that friction. A creator could, in theory, upload the same cut they already have ready for YouTube straight to Instagram without touching the aspect ratio.
How Does This Compare to What Instagram Already Offers?
| Format | Typical Length | Orientation | Primary Use |
| Reels | Up to ~3 minutes | Vertical | Quick, scrollable entertainment |
| Feed Video / Stories | Seconds to a few minutes | Vertical/Square | Casual updates |
| IGTV (discontinued) | Up to 60 minutes | Vertical/Horizontal | Early long-form attempt, folded into feed in 2022 |
| New long-form test | Up to 90 minutes | Horizontal | Interviews, vlogs, podcasts, gaming streams |
Worth remembering: Instagram actually tried long-form video before, through IGTV, and quietly shut it down a few years ago because engagement never matched the effort creators put in. This new test feels different because it leans into horizontal format rather than fighting the vertical habit IGTV never escaped.
What Does This Mean for Creators in India?
Here’s where it gets practical. India’s creator economy has grown up almost entirely on two rails — Instagram Reels for reach, and YouTube for depth. A comedian builds an audience on Reels, then funnels them to a 20-minute YouTube special. A finance explainer does the same with a 15-minute breakdown video.
If Instagram genuinely supports 90-minute horizontal uploads, that two-platform routine could collapse into one. A creator in Indore doing a weekly podcast with two guests and a camera setup wouldn’t need to edit twice or choose a primary platform. They could post the same file everywhere.
That’s a real shift for mid-tier creators who don’t have editing teams. Smaller podcast channels, regional-language interview shows, and campus-level gaming streamers stand to gain the most, because the cost of being present on both Instagram and YouTube usually falls hardest on exactly that group.
It also changes the monetisation conversation. YouTube’s mid-roll ads on long videos have been a dependable income source for creators for years. If Instagram wants creators to bring long-form content over, it will eventually need to answer the money question with something competitive, not just a longer upload limit. Instagram’s own announcements page is the place to watch for that kind of monetisation detail once the company is ready to talk.
Is This Instagram Copying YouTube Again?
Fair question, and the honest answer is: partly, yes. Instagram has a well-documented pattern of testing features that rivals already do well — Reels borrowed heavily from TikTok, Stories borrowed from Snapchat. Long-form horizontal video testing borrowing from YouTube fits the same playbook.
But copying a format isn’t the same as winning the audience. YouTube has fifteen-plus years of watch-history data, a mature ad-revenue split with creators, and a discovery algorithm built specifically to surface long videos. Instagram would need more than an upload limit change to pull serious long-form viewing away from that.
When Could This Roll Out Widely?
There’s no confirmed public rollout date. Features like this typically move through a slow staged test — a small creator group first, feedback and bug fixes, then wider regional testing, and only then a global switch, if it survives that long. Meta has killed tested features before they ever went public, so creators should treat this as “worth watching,” not “worth planning around” just yet.
FAQ
What is the Instagram long-form video test about?
It’s an internal test letting select users upload horizontal videos up to 90 minutes long, instead of the short vertical clips Reels currently allows.
Is the 90-minute video feature available to everyone now?
No. Reports indicate it’s a limited, staged test. There’s no confirmed date for a full public rollout.
How is this different from IGTV?
IGTV, which Instagram shut down in 2022, also allowed up to 60 minutes but stayed vertical-first. This new test is built around horizontal video, which suits long-form content shot in standard landscape format.
Will this affect how Indian creators use YouTube versus Instagram?
Possibly. If horizontal long-form uploads become standard on Instagram, creators who currently split content between Reels and YouTube could post the same long-cut video on both without re-editing.
Does Instagram pay creators for long-form video like YouTube does?
Instagram has various creator monetisation tools, but it hasn’t detailed a long-form-specific ad-revenue model tied to this test yet.
Bottom line: the Instagram long-form video test is still early, unconfirmed for wide release, and worth watching rather than acting on today. But if it sticks, it quietly rewrites how creators — especially in India’s fast-growing podcast and interview scene — decide where their longest, most work-intensive content actually belongs.