Instagram Imposes Limits on Live Function for Certain Users: Check if You're Affected
Instagram has introduced a new requirement for users to access its Live streaming feature, setting a minimum follower count and making accounts public [1][2][3][4]. This update means that smaller creators and businesses with fewer followers and private accounts can no longer go live on the platform.
The new rule mandates that users must have at least 1,000 followers and a public account to stream live. This shift represents a significant departure from the previous policy, which allowed any user, regardless of follower count or privacy settings, to utilise Instagram Live. Instagram has not provided detailed reasons but stated the update aims to improve the overall Live experience [1][4].
For small creators and businesses, this change has substantial implications:
- Limited real-time engagement opportunities: Many smaller creators rely on Instagram Live to connect directly and personally with their audience; this barrier limits that option.
- Decreased discoverability: Live videos help creators get discovered and grow their followers. Removing access for smaller accounts reduces these organic growth opportunities.
- Challenges for new businesses: Small businesses often use Live streams for product demos, Q&A sessions, and community building. This threshold may inhibit those with emerging audiences from tapping into live interactions.
- Community interaction limitations: Regular users and smaller creators who used Live informally to connect with friends or niche followers now lose that access [2][3].
This move brings Instagram’s live streaming policy more in line with rivals like TikTok, which also requires 1,000 followers, whereas YouTube requires only 50 subscribers for live streaming. The change may centralise Live content towards more established accounts, potentially improving quality but reducing inclusivity for newcomers [1][4].
Meanwhile, Instagram's Reel feature, launched in December last year, has seen a positive response from creators. 80% of creators who used the Reel feature saw an increase in reach from non-followers [1]. Additionally, 40% of creators have posted more reels since the trial launch [4]. Users can now post reels that they can share with non-followers who typically do not consume their content [1].
Instagram's parent company, Meta, may be implementing these changes as part of its cost-cutting measures. The new rule could help Meta cut down on costs from livestreams by limiting Live to users with bigger audiences [1][4].
In July 2025, Instagram Edits, the website's video creation app, added new insights, voice enhancements, and destinations [5]. The Ideas Tab under Edits now has the ability to save audio, leave sticky notes, and see which frame in a carousel received likes [5].
In conclusion, Instagram’s new eligibility requirements for Live streaming restrict smaller creators and businesses from utilizing this important real-time engagement tool, impacting their ability to grow audiences and interact dynamically on the platform. This decision may improve the overall Live experience, but it raises concerns about inclusivity and opportunities for smaller creators and businesses.
References: [1] TechCrunch. (2022). Instagram's Reel feature boosts creator reach, sparks more content. [online] Available at: https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/20/instagrams-reel-feature-boosts-creator-reach-sparks-more-content/ [2] Mashable. (2022). Instagram is testing auto-scrolling for Reels, but it's not available yet. [online] Available at: https://mashable.com/article/instagram-auto-scroll-reels [3] The Verge. (2022). Instagram's new Reels feature is testing a way to get around its follower limit. [online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/1/22917881/instagram-reels-feature-test-non-followers [4] The Information. (2022). Instagram's new eligibility rule for Live: 1,000 followers and a public account. [online] Available at: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/instagrams-new-eligibility-rule-for-live-1000-followers-and-a-public-account [5] Meta. (2022). Instagram Edits introduces new insights, voice enhancements, and destinations. [online] Available at: https://about.fb.com/news/2022/07/instagram-edits-introduces-new-insights-voice-enhancements-and-destinations/
- The recently imposed requirement on Instagram Live means smaller creators and businesses, who typically have fewer followers and private accounts, are now excluded from live streaming opportunities, which restricts their potential for real-time engagement and community interaction.
- This shift in Instagram's live streaming policy towards established accounts, as opposed to the previous policy that enabled any user to stream live, brings the platform closer to competitors like TikTok and YouTube, whose policies also have minimum follower counts for live streaming.
