Instagram today announced the launch of IGTV, a new video streaming service that's designed to compete with YouTube. The news was shared during a live broadcast from Instagram's headquarters in San Francisco.

With the launch of IGTV, which is mobile first and built with smartphones in mind, content creators on Instagram can now upload videos that are as long as one hour to Instagram, up from a single minute.

instagramigtv
IGTV focuses on full-screen vertical video, with the ability to interact with other users while watching videos. Anyone can upload IGTV content to Instagram starting today.

Longer-form video content on the social network can be discovered through the IGTV section of the Explore Tab, with Instagram highlighting popular videos from well-known Instagram users. Instagram is also releasing a standalone IGTV app that's going to launch in the next few weeks.

instagramigtv2
In the upcoming IGTV app, content will begin playing as soon as it's opened, which Instagram says is meant to be "just like turning on the TV." You'll be able to watch content from people you already follow on Instagram, with the new app also suggesting content based on your interests.

IGTV has channels that are based around creators. When you follow a creator, their content will be displayed for you to watch.

Instagram today also announced that it now boasts 1 billion monthly active users, giving it a huge user base for the new IGTV video service.

Update: The new IGTV app is now available for download from the iOS App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

techpr Avatar
71 months ago
1 Hour Long Vertical Videos, just perfect!

/s
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H3LL5P4WN Avatar
71 months ago
I miss the days when Instagram was iOS-only and an independent company.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
al256 Avatar
71 months ago
I long for the days when YouTube, a Google company, was Android-only. :cool:
YouTube was a bundled app in iPhone OS 1.0. Even though Android was in development, there were no Android phones on the market. This made-up example is just the worst.

I fear for future generations trying to learn facts in a sea of unending misinformation.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mikey44 Avatar
71 months ago
THOTS?
Something that these youngins came up with. According to Urban Dictionary (source of all great things /s) it stands for 'That Ho over There' because that's something that normal people say in day to day conversations.

Social media has destroyed society. In fact one of my coworkers was complaining that her new husband isn't an 'Instagram Husband' which I don't even know what that means, let alone why one would be complaining about it.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamjackson Avatar
71 months ago
Are they paying creators? The only reason I exclusively upload to YouTube is because I make $300-$400 a month on YouTube. If Instagram, Vimeo and Snapchat want to pay me, I'm happy to upload there as well.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H3LL5P4WN Avatar
71 months ago
1. Just to play devils advocate, have you ever conducted user research to find out that user's don't want this?
2. Apple is famous for giving users what they didn't know they wanted. Maybe Instagram can pull it off too.
When has facebook ever given us something we didn't know we wanted? For that matter, when has facebook ever given us something we did want?

IG (and FB) users: Give us back chronological feeds.

IG/FB: HERE'S 60 MINUTE VERTICAL VIDEOS!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple card 1

Apple Ending Apple Card Partnership With Goldman Sachs

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:09 pm PST by
Apple is ending its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple plans to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months, and it is not yet clear if Apple has established a new partnership for the Apple Card. Apple and Goldman Sachs will dissolve their entire consumer partnership, including the Apple Card and the Apple Savings account....
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.2 Beta 4

Tuesday November 28, 2023 12:18 pm PST by
Apple is wrapping up development on iOS 17.2, with the update expected to come out in December. While we're getting to the end of the beta testing period, Apple is still tweaking features and adding new functionality. We've rounded up everything new in the fourth beta of iOS 17.2. Default Notification Sound Under Sounds & Haptics, there's a new "Default Alerts" section that allows you to ...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.1.2 With Security Fixes

Thursday November 30, 2023 10:12 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2, small updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating systems that Apple introduced in September. iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2 come a few weeks after the release of iOS 17.1.1, another bug fix update. iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update....
Apple 5G Modem Feature Triad

Apple to Discontinue Custom 5G Modem Development, Claim Reports

Wednesday November 29, 2023 4:19 am PST by
Apple is discontinuing in-house modem development after several unsuccessful attempts to perfect its own custom 5G modem chip, according to unconfirmed reports coming out of Asia. According to the operator of news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Naver blog, supply chain sources related to Apple's 5G modem departments claim that the company's attempts to develop its own modem have...
All New CarPlay Five New Features Article 2

What to Expect From All-New CarPlay, Still Listed as Coming 'Late 2023'

Tuesday November 28, 2023 7:44 am PST by
At WWDC in June 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, increased personalization, and more. Apple's website still says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in "late 2023," but it has not shared...
Apple Logo

Apple Discontinued These 5 Products This Year

Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
iOS 17

iOS 17.1.2 Update for iPhone Likely to Be Released This Week

Monday November 27, 2023 8:24 am PST by
Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
iOS 17

28 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in December's iOS 17.2 Update

Friday December 1, 2023 2:57 am PST by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers in October. Since then we've seen three more betas, and with each iteration Apple continues to add more new features and changes, many of which users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 28 new things that are coming to your iPhone when the finalized version is publicly released this December. 1. Help...