Instagram Tests Features, Linking Reels to Long-Form Video

Instagram’s “Features” test is designed to connect the audience-building power of Reels with longer, horizontal videos. The format could give creators a path from short clips to full episodes or specials, though Instagram hasn’t announced a revenue-sharing program like YouTube’s. That gap matters: a new place to publish can help creators reach viewers, but it doesn’t by itself explain why they should move more of their work there.

Connecting Reels to longer stories

In a six-minute video, Instagram head Adam Mosseri and VP Tessa Lyons describe Features as a way for creators to expand on ideas introduced in Reels. A podcast clip, for example, could lead viewers to a longer episode; a comedy excerpt could point to a full special. The two formats are intended to work together, with a short video serving as an introduction and the longer one offering the complete work.

That arrangement leans on a familiar creator strategy: make a short, easy-to-share segment that gives people a reason to watch something longer. Instagram’s pitch is that creators could use an audience already gathered around Reels to introduce a different viewing experience without asking followers to start from scratch elsewhere. Whether viewers make that transition will depend on how clearly the app connects the clip to its longer counterpart.

Mosseri said Instagram is still testing the idea and gathering feedback. He described Features as part of a wider set of video formats that includes Reels, Series, Live and TV, with the aim of giving creators more room to tell stories to audiences they’ve already built. That list suggests Instagram wants video to serve several purposes on the same service, from quick discovery to scheduled or extended viewing. The test will show whether those formats feel connected to users or simply add another option to an already crowded video menu.

Sat down with @tessalyonsss to talk about why we’re investing in longer videos, which we’re going to call Features, and how they fit with Reels, Series, Live and TV. It’s early, and we’re testing and listening to feedback as we go. But we’re excited to give creators more room to tell their stories with the communities they’ve already built here. More to come.

Distribution is only part of the pitch

Mosseri said he had previously been against long-form video on Instagram. The shift reflects how people now watch Reels together, including on television apps, and gives Instagram a reason to consider horizontal video as well as its short-form feed. A format made for a larger screen can support viewing habits that don’t fit the quick, vertical clips most associated with Reels. It also signals that Instagram sees video as something people may watch in different settings, not only while scrolling on a phone.

This is more significant than it looks: changing the shape and length of a video affects how creators plan it, how viewers find it and how they spend time with it. A longer upload asks for more attention than a Reel, so the recommendation and navigation experience has to make the extra commitment feel worthwhile. Instagram hasn’t described those details yet. For now, the stated concept explains how Features might relate to other formats, but leaves the viewing experience itself open.

The business model remains an open question. The Hollywood Reporter reports that the test will begin in the US and that Instagram plans to carry over creators’ existing ad deals. The announcement didn’t outline a platform-wide ad-sharing scheme. That omission quickly surfaced in the comments, where users questioned why creators would post longer videos on Instagram when YouTube shares ad revenue.

The distinction is practical. Existing ad deals may give some creators a way to bring commercial partnerships into longer videos, but that won’t necessarily work for creators who don’t already have those relationships. A platform-wide revenue model would answer a different question: whether Instagram itself will help creators earn from audience attention on Features. It hasn’t answered that question in the announcement.

What creators need to see next

Lyons said Instagram sees an opportunity to support creators who don’t yet have the infrastructure or business behind them. That points to a creator-support pitch, but leaves the practical value of Features dependent on how creators can earn from the format. If you're working in this space, the key test will be whether Instagram can pair discovery with a clear reason to invest time in longer work. Reach can bring an audience to a video; it doesn’t automatically pay for the production.

Here’s the thing: Instagram is asking creators to imagine a fuller video offering before it has described the business terms that might sustain one. The test can still be useful if it shows whether Reels viewers will follow creators into longer viewing and what kinds of stories hold their attention. And yet, creators will judge the format by what they can do with that attention, not just by how it fits into Instagram’s product lineup.

For now, Instagram is testing the connection between Reels discovery and longer viewing; its next challenge is making that path worthwhile for creators. The details that emerge from the test will matter more than the name. The missing piece.

More on Instagram:

• Instagram cracking down on accounts that feature AI-generated influencers
• Instagram now supports using Google Cast to watch Reels on your TV
• Instagram finally settles on pause for a tap on Reels instead of mute

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