Instagram to Stay Away From Long Form Video Format

Instagram will have no plans of entering the long-form video format realm as their main competitor, Tiktok, is now aiming to battle it out with YouTube after allowing users to post 60-minute videos.

This comes as Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, announced the platform’s focus on short-form video content. Mosseri, in a video on his Instagram account, stated the app’s core identity centers on “two functions”: connecting users and interest exploration, primarily achieved through short videos.

“We do a number of different things on Instagram but at the heart of it there are really two jobs. One: connecting you with friends. Two: helping you explore your interests, usually through short-form video,” Mosseri said.

Mosseri also emphasized the interconnectedness of short videos and user interaction. “You see a great video…and you send it to someone,” he said, highlighting how short clips become social tools.

He contrasted this with longer videos, suggesting they hinder user engagement. Mosseri explained that watching longer videos reduces exposure to content from friends and decreases interaction, implying long-form content disrupts Instagram’s core functionality.

“It turns out long-form video is less symbiotic with these other jobs. If you watch a 10 or 20-minute video, you see less content from friends, you interact with your friends less, and you’re actually less likely to send that content or that video to a friend,” Mosseri said.

This decision comes as competitor TikTok has recently embraced longer videos, extending their upload limit to an hour.

Meanwhile, Mosseri did not mention any update regarding the photo. (GFB)