Instagram tests 90-minute horizontal videos with Features

Instagram wants you to go from a clip in Reels to the full video, in landscape, without leaving its platform. The new product is called Features. Its test supports videos up to 90 minutes and expands to selected US creators on October 26 after testing in Brazil, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s interview with Tessa Lyons, Instagram’s VP of Product.

If you saw that “Reels can now play horizontally,” there is a useful distinction: Features is the long-form product Instagram is connecting to Reels. The announcement does not make every Reel a 90-minute video or confirm access for every account.

What horizontal video looks like on phones and TV

The promotional artwork shows a landscape phone player with a progress bar and 15-second skip controls. Alongside it is Instagram for TV. Enlarge either screen to inspect the controls and the catalog layout.

See Instagram’s proposed experience

Enlarge either screen to inspect the official artwork.

Open the full image ↗

The artwork shows the proposed interface. Account access and the controls people encounter will depend on the test; the sources reviewed do not document a public way to enable Features on any profile.

What Features is, and how it connects to Reels

In their joint October 26 announcement, Adam Mosseri and Tessa Lyons explain the idea using podcasts and comedy specials: a creator can have a long piece and several short clips. Reels helps people discover those excerpts; Features provides a place to watch the extended content.

In the THR interview, Lyons describes creators being able to link a Reel to its Feature. For someone who finds an interesting clip, that offers a way to continue inside Instagram.

Why Mosseri is changing his position

Mosseri opens the video by acknowledging that he opposed long-form video on Instagram for a long time. His concern was about connections between people: spending several minutes on one piece leaves fewer opportunities to send other content to friends.

The team’s proposed answer connects the two experiences. Lyons describes discovering a clip on your phone, then opening Instagram on TV later and receiving a suggestion to continue that podcast or special. This is the experience they are building and testing, with changes and broader access over time. Original explanation, starting around 2:29.

Watch the full conversation on Instagram. Around 4:05, Mosseri explains that some updates start rolling out this month, with more people and features to follow progressively.

Is it available yet? What if it is missing?

Launch reporting describes Features as a test with selected creators, expanding to the US after Brazil. That does not establish general access in Chile, Spain or the rest of Latin America. The announcement also leaves out minimum iOS or Android versions, an open application form and a worldwide launch date.

If you cannot find the option, you do not need to assume you configured something incorrectly. First check whether your account received access and what instructions Instagram shows you. Rotating your phone or updating the app alone does not establish that the test is enabled for you.

What this changes for interviews, podcasts and tutorials

An interview with two people can use a landscape frame to keep both participants in view. A vertical clip can highlight one answer and lead to the full piece. That is a possible editorial use of the connection Instagram proposes; the announcement does not demonstrate that landscape video will get more reach.

If your team already produces long-form video, retain the original and make clips around a specific question the episode develops. Before changing your whole production workflow, check access and review how your piece looks on each screen. Our guide to repurposing social media content can help you organize those versions.