Instagram changes the rules for one of its most popular features
You'll need to be popular to access this Instagram feature
🚨 Instagram is narrowing its requirements for its popular Live feature
✋ Public or private accounts with less than 1,000 followers will no longer be able to go live
🤔 According to Meta, this change is designed to optimize the live experience for creators
👉 It brings the popular app further in line with TikTok, which has the same 1,000-follower minimum for livestreams
Instagram has changed a key rule for one of its most popular features in recent days.
Some users have reported that their accounts are no longer eligible to use the Live broadcast feature, and they all have one thing in common. They're public accounts with less than 1,000 followers.
The change is being communicated to affected users via a notice that pops up whenever they try to start a broadcast. It reads: "Only public accounts with 1,000 followers or more will be able to create live videos."
Meta spoke to Engadget about the changes and argued that it has implemented the rule to provide "the best experience for creators that host Live broadcasts", although it didn't elaborate on why it couldn't do so for accounts with less than 1,000 followers.
They also clarified that the requirement applies to both public and private accounts, with the change only rolling out to the latter at the moment.
The change brings Instagram's livestreaming rules in line with TikTok's, which has the same 1,000 follower minimum to allow a user to go live.
By comparison, YouTube requires an account to have a minimum of 50 subscribers to go live, while Facebook pages and professional profiles need at least 100 followers.
Some suspect that this change may be a money-saving measure for Meta as they may not wish to continue to support broadcasts that only pull in a handful of viewers at a time. It could also prevent less desirable accounts from livestreaming.
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.