--- title: "Instagram’s October 2026 update: Features, Series, Live, and TV" description: "Instagram is testing 90-minute Features, episodic Series, bigger Live discovery, and Apple TV viewing. What creators and small brands should do." url: https://dumbcmo.com/blog/instagram-october-2026-features-series-tv category: "Building an audience" tags: ["instagram", "reels", "creators", "long-form-video", "connected-tv"] published: 2026-10-28 updated: 2026-10-28 reading_time: 9 min author: "The DumbCMO" --- # Instagram’s October 2026 update: Features, Series, Live, and TV > **TL;DR:** Instagram is testing horizontal Features up to about 90 minutes, Clips as Reels, episodic Series, and more discoverable Lives — plus Apple TV in the US. Most of it is invite-only, with no YouTube-style ad share yet. Steal the clip-to-long habit; don’t rebuild your week around a beta. [Notebook](https://dumbcmo.com) › [Blog](https://dumbcmo.com/blog) › Building an audience › Instagram’s October 2026 update: Features, Series, Live, and TV For years Instagram’s boss, Adam Mosseri, said long videos would wreck the friend-sharing bit of the app. Watch something for twenty minutes and that is a lot of Reels, photos and carousels you never sent to anyone. In late October 2026 he changed his mind on camera — with product VP Tessa Lyons beside him — and Instagram started talking like a streaming app that still wants your DMs. ## In normal-people words The package Instagram previewed around **26 October 2026** (Mosseri/Lyons video plus press briefings; a dedicated post was not yet listed on the About Instagram blog index when we checked) has several named pieces: **Features.** Horizontal long-form video aimed at podcasts, vlogs, interviews and episodes. Instagram is testing different length limits, **including up to 90 minutes**. Already tested with some creators in Brazil; expanding as a **limited US test** from 26 October. Bloomberg reported a beta for tens of thousands of US creators — that is press reporting, not a public invite list. **Clips as Reels.** Creators can link up to **eight** Reel clips back to one longer Feature, so discovery still happens in the short-form feed. Also expanding from Brazil into a small US test the same week. **Series.** A home on the profile for episodic Reels (think microdramas or a tip series). Testing since spring / June 2026 with select creators in the US, India and Mexico; Instagram says it is expanding to more countries through the end of 2026. **Live discovery.** Instagram Live has been around since 2016. The new push: make Lives show up for people who do not follow you — including in recommendations and the Reels tab. Press says discoverability and monetisation tests have been running in places like Indonesia and Brazil, with more countries “soon.” Exact GA dates were not published in the materials we used. **Instagram for TV, now including Apple TV (US).** The TV app already reached Fire TV, Google TV and Samsung in the US. Apple TV support arrived in late October 2026 (App Store metadata pointed at ~23 October; Instagram’s Features announcement talked about Apple TV availability around 26 October — we are not inventing a single “launch day”). The TV experience is meant to grow beyond Reels into Features, Series, channels, a Friends tab, and livestreams “soon.” **Phone as a remote.** Coming soon: use your phone as a remote, see what friends are watching, save Series/Features on mobile to finish on TV. Not generally available yet. **Money (the awkward bit).** Unlike YouTube’s Partner Program, Instagram is **not** announcing an ad-revenue share for Features. A spokesperson told TechCrunch and Variety it is funding some longer-form creators directly, that it is “too early to share a long-term monetization model,” and that it is exploring ways to earn from brands, fans and Instagram, including performance-based incentives. If you only post for a local shop, this is still useful context: Instagram is fighting YouTube and TikTok for watch time. The formats that win discovery (Reels, clips, Live) stay the front door. For the paid side of Meta in the same month, see [Meta ads in October 2026](/blog/meta-ads-october-2026-updates). > **The DumbCMO:** Steal the clip-to-long habit. Don’t rebuild your week around a beta you haven’t been invited to — “Features money” talk without a pay page is bullsh#t. ## What it means if you post for a living (or a shop) **What it means for you** - **If** You are a creator already invited to Features **→ then** Upload one horizontal piece you would have put on YouTube, then cut 3–8 Reels that point back to it. Measure saves and completion, not vanity views. - **If** You do not see Features in your posting sheet **→ then** Do nothing dramatic. Keep Reels as your discovery engine. Draft one longer talking-head or interview so you are ready when the invite lands. - **If** You teach, cook, repair, or sell in episodes **→ then** Start naming a Series now (Episode 1, 2, 3…). The product is expanding through late 2026 even if you only have Reels today. - **If** You go Live for Q&As or launches **→ then** Treat Live as discovery again. Title it clearly. Assume strangers might show up — behave accordingly. - **If** You care about living-room viewing **→ then** Install Instagram on Apple TV / Fire / Samsung if you have one, and watch how your Reels look on a big screen. Horizontal Features will matter more there than vertical phone clips. - **If** You were hoping Features means YouTube money on Instagram **→ then** Not yet. Brand deals, subscriptions, and affiliate links still pay the rent. Instagram said the long-term model is too early to share. ## The timeline **Instagram video, late 2025 into October 2026** 1. **Dec 2025: Instagram for TV begins.** Instagram for TV begins testing on Amazon Fire TV (US), Reels-first. 2. **2026: TV expands.** Expands to Google TV, then Samsung (June About Instagram post previewed longer-form, episodic, and Live-on-TV explorations). 3. **Spring / June 2026: Series testing.** Series testing with select creators (US, India, Mexico per Variety). 4. **Earlier 2026: Features in Brazil.** Features and Clips as Reels testing in Brazil. 5. **~23–26 Oct 2026: Apple TV + Features US test.** Apple TV app available in the US; Features / Clips US limited tests announced with Mosseri and Lyons. 6. **Through end of 2026: Series + Live rollout.** Series expansion to more countries; Live discovery and phone-as-remote still rolling / “coming soon.” **What shipped vs what is still a test** | Thing | What it is | Status as of late Oct 2026 | | --- | --- | --- | | Features | Horizontal video, length tests up to ~90 min | Limited US test; Brazil earlier | | Clips as Reels | Up to 8 Reels → one long video | Limited US test | | Series | Episodic Reels hub on profile | Expanding through end of 2026 | | Live discovery | Lives outside your follower graph | Testing; more countries soon | | Instagram for TV | Big-screen app | Fire / Google / Samsung / Apple TV (US) | | Phone as remote | Control TV from phone | Coming soon | | Ad-revenue share | YouTube-style split | Not announced | ## The chai stall version You used to shout one-liners from the stall (“Fresh samosa!”). That is Reels. Now Instagram says you can also tell the whole story of how the samosa is made — twenty minutes, wide shot, on the TV in someone’s living room. That is Features. The people walking past still hear the one-liner first. Do not stop shouting. Just keep a longer story ready for the ones who sit down. ## Do this today - [ ] Open Instagram’s create menu. Note whether Features, Series, or Clips-as-Reels appear for your account. If not, you are not in the test — that is normal. - [ ] Pick one topic you already explain badly in a single Reel. Outline a 10–20 minute version (even if you host it on YouTube for now) and three clip hooks that could point to it. - [ ] Schedule one Live this week with a plain title (“Ask me about Diwali orders”) in case discovery is on in your market. - [ ] If you have a smart TV, install Instagram and watch two of your own Reels. Note what looks cheap on a big screen. - [ ] Do not change your monetisation plan based on Features alone. Keep brand outreach and clear links in bio. For paid Meta ads this month, read the [October Meta ads note](/blog/meta-ads-october-2026-updates). ## Not-so-frequently asked questions ### Is this IGTV again? Same family of idea, different decade. IGTV was a separate app Instagram shut down. Features is being built to work with Reels and the TV app on purpose. Whether people stick around is still unproven — Instagram itself says the TV bet is early. ### Will I get paid per view like YouTube? Not under anything Instagram announced in this package. Spokespeople said it is too early for a long-term model, with some direct funding for selected long-form creators. Brand deals remain the main path for most people. ### Should a small local business film 90-minute videos? Almost never. Film clear short Reels. Use Series-style naming for tips. Save long form for interviews, workshops, or podcasts if that is already your thing. ### Does this change Instagram ads? This note is about the organic product. Ads Manager changes in the same month (product browsing defaults, creative tools, and more) are covered in [Meta ads in October 2026](/blog/meta-ads-october-2026-updates). For choosing platforms, see [Instagram ads or Google ads?](/blog/instagram-ads-or-google-ads). ### Where is the official Instagram blog post? The announcement was delivered in a Mosseri/Lyons video and confirmed to press (TechCrunch, Variety, Social Media Today, The Verge, Bloomberg). When we checked the About Instagram blog index, a dedicated Features announcement page was not listed yet. We will prefer Instagram’s own post once it appears. ## Things your agency won’t say - “We need a long-form strategy this quarter” is how agencies bill for a format you cannot even open yet. D#mn convenient for the invoice. - If someone promises “YouTube money on Instagram” because of Features, ask for the Instagram page that says so. There is not one. - The useful work is still boring: better hooks, replies to DMs, and one platform done well — see [What is social media marketing?](/blog/what-is-social-media-marketing). ## Jargon Jail **Locked up: “Features”** Instagram’s name for longer horizontal videos (podcasts, vlogs, interviews, episodes) meant to sit alongside Reels instead of replacing them. Still rolling out as a limited test in late October 2026. Not the same as a paid ad product. ## Where to go next - Social basics: [What is social media marketing?](/blog/what-is-social-media-marketing) - Paid vs organic this month: [Meta ads in October 2026](/blog/meta-ads-october-2026-updates) · [What are paid ads?](/blog/what-are-paid-ads) - Platform choice: [Instagram ads or Google ads?](/blog/instagram-ads-or-google-ads) - Related Meta liability notes (ads only): [AI ad edits](/blog/meta-ai-ad-edits-your-responsibility) · [Crawl terms](/blog/meta-crawling-terms-delayed) - Hubs: [Social media, dumbed down](/social-media) · [PPC, dumbed down](/ppc) ## Sources 1. [Social Media Today, “Instagram rolls out limited Features test in the US”](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/instagram-rolls-out-limited-features-test-in-the-us/872825/), 26 October 2026. 2. [TechCrunch, “Watch out, YouTube — Instagram goes from short-form to 90-minute videos”](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/26/watch-out-youtube-instagram-goes-from-short-form-to-90-minute-videos/), 26 October 2026. 3. [Variety, “Instagram Is Testing Ability to Share Videos up to 90 Minutes Long…”](https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/instagram-videos-90-minutes-apple-tv-not-paying-creators-1236931293/), 26 October 2026 — includes product status table (Features, Clips, Series, TV, Live). 4. [The Verge, “Instagram chases YouTube with a push for longer, widescreen videos”](https://www.theverge.com/tech/1018688/instagram-longform-widescreen-video-features-youtube), 26 October 2026. 5. [Bloomberg via The Star, “Instagram ramps up video strategy…”](https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2026/10/27/instagram-ramps-up-videostrategy-in-escalating-tiktok-youtube-rivalry), 27 October 2026 — “tens of thousands” of US creators; Live in Reels tab; TV bet early. 6. [MacRumors, “Instagram Launches Apple TV App With Reels and More”](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/10/25/instagram-launches-apple-tv-app/) — App Store metadata ~23 October 2026; tvOS 26+. 7. [About Instagram, “Instagram for TV Gets Bigger…”](https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/instagram-tv-gets-bigger), 22 June 2026 — earlier TV expansion and exploration of longer-form / episodic / Live on TV. ## Related notes - [What is social media marketing?](https://dumbcmo.com/blog/what-is-social-media-marketing): Social media marketing is showing up where your customers already scroll, often enough that they remember you when they need you. Pick one platform, post for the people who’d actually buy, and count messages and orders, not followers. - [WhatsApp Business: catalog, quick replies and broadcasts](https://dumbcmo.com/blog/whatsapp-business-basics): The free WhatsApp Business app gives you a shop profile, a product catalog, saved replies and broadcast lists. Broadcasts only reach people who saved your number, so ask customers to save it. Message people who said yes, and don’t spam. --- From [DumbCMO](https://dumbcmo.com): The marketing notes you were too embarrassed to take.