Instagram’s primary focus is on short videos, says head of Instagram

The question of whether Instagram would prioritize long-form content has been a hot topic for a while. Now, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, has put those discussions to rest. He’s made it clear that Instagram will continue to place its focus on short videos rather than shifting gears towards longer content.

Instagram will focus on its core function of connecting people with friends

With platforms like Facebook and TikTok prioritizing both long-form and short-form content, there’s always been a debate about when or even if Instagram will start focusing on long-form videos. The debate quieted down for a while when the company released IGTV, where you could post long videos. However, the app was shut down in 2022 with the explanation that the company wanted to focus on Reels. And it seems Instagram is still committed to that decision.

In response to a creator question about whether the platform will support long-form videos, Adam Mosseri stated that the core purpose of Instagram is to connect users with their friends and help them explore content they enjoy, typically through short videos. He further explained that connecting with friends and exploring short videos go hand-in-hand. According to him, users are more likely to share a short video they like with a friend who might also enjoy it, compared to a long-form video.

Instagram currently allows you to upload an hour-long in-feed video

It’s not that you can’t upload long-form videos on Instagram. In fact, you can upload videos up to an hour long to your Instagram feed. However, if you want to upload a video longer than that, you will need to use the built-in Instagram editing tools to crop the video. Alternatively, you also have the option to upload them as a carousel post in segments.

It will be interesting to see how long Instagram continues to focus on short videos, especially as competitors like TikTok are continuously working on increasing the maximum duration of videos allowed on their platform. Recently, they have increased the limit to one hour. Will Instagram follow suit and allow even longer videos in feeds? Only time will tell!