Instagram set to restrict Live feature for some users; did you make the cut?

Instagram now requires to have at least a 1,000 followers before you're eligible to go live, a new update which could be a part of Meta's cost-cutting measure.

You can no longer go live on Instagram if you have less than a thousand followers

Now, just like TikTok, you'll need to hit a minimum of a four figure follower count to go Live. This is not something small creators and businesses are happy about since it may hamper their business.

If you don’t meet the requirement, you’ll see a message saying your account is no longer eligible for Live. People who went live casually with friends or followers will now be blocked.

However, YouTube is more relaxed on this aspect since channels there need only 50 subscribers to go live. Instagram is clearly shifting toward stricter access, possibly to raise content quality and possibly to cut costs.

It is expensive for Meta to let users host livestreams. By limiting Live to users with bigger audiences, Meta may be trying to cut down on costs from streams that draw a small audience anyway.

In July 2025, Instagram Edits, the website's relatively new video creation app, added new insights, voice enhancements and destinations. The Ideas Tab under Edits got new features like the ability to save audio and leave sticky notes. Now, you can also see which frame in your carousel received likes.

Instagram also launched its trial reel feature in December last year, which led to 40% of creators posting more reels than before, 80% of whom saw an increase in reach from non-followers. This feature allows users to post reels that they can share with non-followers who typically do not consume their content. If they want to, they can later share the same with their following.

Instagram is currently testing an auto-scroll option.

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