Instagram is to introduce long-form videos to the platform, despite being opposed to the idea for several years.
On Monday, head of Instagram Adam Mosseri appeared in a video with the platform's vice president of products, Tessa Lyons, where he said a long-form video section called "Features" would be introduced in the weeks ahead.
"We’re excited to give creators more room to tell their stories with the communities they've already built here," a caption accompanying the video read.
Since introducing Reels, a short-form vertical video feature that followed in the success of TikTok, Meta has tended to prioritise videos that were under 90 seconds, insisting that users preferred shorter videos.
"There's just so much different format now happening around creativity and storytelling on video that we want to make sure that we're doing a good job of serving," Ms Lyons said during the video.
She said the Instagram team had analysed data that showed users were interested in longer videos.
"We know that people like to get together in persona and actually watch Reels and video together, and we see this happening on TV, so we've been working on a TV version of Reels and we know that to do that well, we need more than just short-form video."
On Threads, Mr Mosseri posted a video showing him with two prominent content creators, Colin and Samir, in which he explained more about the long-form video update.
Users will be able to upload horizontal videos lasting up to 90 minutes, and those videos will be accessible through shorter versions of the video seen in the platform's Reels section, he said.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Meta indicated it would be testing the long-form videos with select US creators after a successful trial in Brazil.
Meta also said its Instagram for TV app was now available for the Apple TV platform in the US. The app will also incorporate Instagram's long-form Features content.
