Instagram is testing a push into longer, horizontal videos in the US, under the name “Features.” The test is small, and the company is also testing the format with some creators in Brazil, Instagram spokesperson Megan Buckley told The Verge.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri said he had been concerned that long videos could shift attention away from connecting with friends. In a six-and-a-half-minute video with product vice president Tessa Lyons, he said people might watch videos instead of sharing Reels, photos and carousels with friends, leading to fewer likes and shares.
Mosseri said the team is working to make short and long videos “symbiotic,” with longer videos that can also be broken into shorter clips. The announcement follows Instagram’s TV app launch late last year. The app began as a Reels-focused pilot on Amazon Fire TV devices in the US and has since expanded to Google TVs, Samsung TVs and Apple TV. Instagram also added the ability to watch Stories earlier this year.
The company is testing other video features, including clips that point to a longer video, tools for creators to make a “series” of Reels, and improvements to live video discovery.
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