The big changes coming to Instagram’s IGTV feature

Instagram is finally acknowledging that IGTV, its first big push into video, didn’t really work out as planned

On Wednesday, the company revealed it is rebranding video feature IGTV as “Instagram TV,” and it’s getting rid of the exclusive IGTV video format.

Videos posted to the main Instagram feed can now run up to 60 minutes long, a major change that many users have long been requesting from the Facebook owned social media platform.

That’s a length previously reserved for IGTV videos — and you’ll no longer have to leave the main app to view them.

A spokesperson for Instagram says the IGTV app, now called the Instagram TV app, will remain as a “destination for people to visit with the intent of watching video.”

Instagram head Adam Mosseri recently said it was “no longer a photo-sharing app,” noting the company was prioritising a shift into video amid significant competition from TikTok and YouTube.

Will the changes impact Instagram Reels?

None of these changes will impact what Instagram is doing with Reels, though. The company’s short-form video platform and TikTok rival will continue to remain separate, we’re told. They won’t be mixed into this feed of videos, if users choose to scroll.