Instagram has spent the last few years obsessed with short videos, mostly to keep up with TikTok. But now, it looks like the app is getting ready for a major change. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, recently hinted that the platform might soon start embracing long-form videos and premium content to keep growing.
Rethinking the “Short” Strategy
For a long time, Instagram’s main focus has been on Reels—quick, snappy videos that are easy to scroll through. But in a recent interview with Semafor, Mosseri admitted that sticking only to short content might not be enough anymore.
He mentioned that for Instagram to really work in the future, they might need to lean into longer, higher-quality videos. While they don’t want to just copy YouTube, they are realizing that people might want more than just a 30-second clip. This would be a huge shift from the fast-paced, algorithmic feed we are used to today.
Big Screens and Smart Glasses
It’s not just about the length of the videos; it’s about where we watch them. Instagram is already trying to break out of the smartphone screen. They recently launched an Instagram TV app for Fire TV, meaning you can now scroll through Reels on your living room TV.
Looking even further ahead, Mosseri thinks that in about a decade, we might not even be using phones for social media. He predicts that smart glasses could become the main way we connect. This creates a tricky challenge for Instagram: since it’s a visual app, they have to figure out how to make it work on a device that might be mostly audio-based or hands-free.
