You Need 1,000 Followers to Livestream on Instagram Now

Instagram now requires users to have a public account with at least 1,000 followers to go Live on the app.

Previously, anyone could livestream on Instagram, no matter how many followers they had or whether their account was public or private. Now, many Instagram users will find themselves locked out of the feature if they don’t meet the new criteria.

According to a report by TechCrunch, Instagram has raised the requirements for going Live. The updated policy blocks users who haven’t reached 1,000 followers or who keep their account private from starting a Live video. Those affected will see a notice when they try to use the feature.

The message reads: “We changed requirements to use this feature. Only public accounts with 1,000 followers or more will be able to create live videos.”

The update will likely be a setback for smaller creators and everyday users who used Instagram Live to connect with their friends on the platform. It limits access to a feature that was previously available to everyone, regardless of account size.

Instagram’s parent company Meta tells Engadget that the change is meant to improve the overall experience for creators and boost the quality of livestreams on the platform. However, it didn’t explain to the news outlet why users with fewer followers couldn’t also contribute to that goal.

The new rule brings Instagram closer to other social media platforms with similar restrictions. TikTok also requires users to have at least 1,000 followers to livestream, while YouTube allows Live for users with 50 or more subscribers.

YouTube has also recently raised the age requirement for livestreaming in its app to 16, which is the same minimum age Instagram introduced in April.

Meta adds that the new follower rule will also apply to private Instagram accounts, but that change is still rolling out. For now, only public accounts are blocked if they have fewer than 1,000 followers.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.