Instagram tests 90-minute horizontal videos called Features

Instagram has begun testing Features, a new format for long, horizontal videos that lets creators publish videos. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri and product chief Tessa Lyons announced the test on Monday; the article provides no broader rollout details or performance figures.

Analysis

This is an option on creator retention, not yet an earnings catalyst for Meta Platforms. Long-form horizontal video could give creators a reason to keep more of their content—and audience—inside Instagram rather than sending viewers to YouTube. The countervailing risk is product coherence: horizontal viewing may fit poorly into Instagram’s mobile, vertically oriented browsing behavior and could divert attention from Reels without generating better monetization. Any benefit depends on repeat viewing, creator adoption, and ad formats that monetize the additional watch time; the test announcement establishes none of those outcomes. In the near term, expect limited fundamental read-through. Over 1–3 months, the useful signals are expansion beyond a test, creator uptake, and evidence of incremental viewing rather than substitution from existing Instagram formats. Over 6–18 months, a successful format could strengthen Instagram’s position in creator video, while increasing competition for YouTube and adding content moderation and infrastructure demands. The contrarian point is that format availability alone may be less important than recommendation quality and monetization: copying a long-video format does not guarantee creators or viewers will switch. No trade is justified on this item alone.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Treat as a watch item, not a standalone long or short in Meta Platforms; the test has no demonstrated revenue or engagement impact.
• Track whether Instagram expands the test and reports or signals incremental watch time, creator participation, and monetization—not merely video uploads.
• Reassess the competitive read-through if creators materially shift long-form releases from YouTube to Instagram; absent evidence of substitution, do not assume YouTube is a loser.
• Falsify the bullish engagement thesis if horizontal video remains a limited test, creator adoption is weak, or viewing mainly cannibalizes Reels and other Instagram formats.