PostEaseThe short answer
Instagram Live is live video on Instagram. Instagram’s Help Center says you can “start a live video to connect with your followers in real time,” then share a replay or keep it in your Live Archive once it ends.
Only public accounts with 1,000 followers or more can start a Live video, according to Instagram. You can bring up to three guests into a Live, schedule one from an hour to 90 days ahead, and assign a moderator to handle comments.
Who can go live
Instagram’s rule is a public account with at least 1,000 followers. It adds two conditions: you may not be able to go live if something you posted was removed for going against the Community Standards, and newly created accounts may not be able to go live. Your account status shows your permissions.
For Teen Accounts, going live is off by default. Teens under 16 need a parent’s or guardian’s permission to turn it on; teens aged 16 and 17 can turn it on themselves.
During a Live
From Instagram’s Help Center, these are the tools a host has while streaming:
| Tool | What Instagram says it does |
|---|---|
| Title | Add a title before going live |
| Pinned comment | Tap a comment and Pin comment to pin it for viewers to see |
| Guests (Live Rooms) | Invite up to three guests, who must follow you, or accept requests; remove a guest with the X on their frame |
| Moderator | Assign one moderator, a different account from a co-host, who is watching the Live; they can report comments, remove viewers and turn off an account’s comments |
| Comment controls | Turn off commenting; keyword filters you have set also apply to Live comments |
| Camera roll | On iPhone, show photos and videos from your camera roll, only when there are no guests |
Scheduling a Live
You can schedule a Live from 1 hour to 90 days in advance: tap Create, then Live, then Schedule, and enter a title and start time. Instagram shows your soonest scheduled Live below your profile picture, and posts or stories you share about it include its title, start time and a reminder option for viewers. You get reminders 24 hours and 15 minutes before it starts, and you can change the start time up to 45 minutes before.
You can also boost a Live as an ad, shown in Feed, Stories and Reels, which runs only while you are streaming. Instagram recommends scheduling the ad at least two hours before you go live to reduce delivery delays.
After a Live
Instagram gives you these options once the broadcast ends:
| Option | What happens |
|---|---|
| Share the replay | It appears in the Reels tab of your profile; its viewer count only counts people who watched after you shared it |
| Live archive | Shared Live videos save to your Live archive, visible only to you unless you share them |
| Download | Saves the video only, without comments, likes or viewers |
| Turn off archiving | Settings, Live, turn off Save Live to Archive; Lives from then on are deleted when they end |
| Review moderator actions | See what your moderator did, then block a viewer, remove a follower or hide future Lives from someone |
Planning a Live that people attend
Scheduling does most of the promotion: the Live sits on your profile, sharers’ posts carry a reminder button, and you are reminded yourself. Schedule a few days out, share it to your story and feed, and pin a comment that says what the Live is about for people who join late.
Instagram notes that archived Live videos you shared publicly are used to improve AI at Meta unless you delete them or make your account private, so decide what to keep before the archive fills.
Questions
How many followers do you need to go live on Instagram?
1,000, on a public account. Instagram adds that new accounts, and accounts with content removed for breaking the Community Standards, may not be able to go live.
How many people can join an Instagram Live?
Up to three guests can join you in a Live Room, and each guest must follow you. Viewers can also request to join.
How far ahead can you schedule an Instagram Live?
From 1 hour to 90 days. You can change the start time up to 45 minutes before the Live, or cancel it.
Does Instagram save my Live video?
Yes, to your Live archive, unless you turn off Save Live to Archive. You can share the replay to your profile or download the video, which saves it without comments or likes.
Sources
- Instagram, Start a live video on Instagram, checked October 2026.
- Instagram, Schedule a live video on Instagram, checked October 2026.
- Instagram, Invite guests to join your live broadcast on Instagram, checked October 2026.
- Instagram, Assign a moderator to your live broadcast on Instagram, checked October 2026.
- Instagram, Turn off Live video archiving on Instagram, checked October 2026.
- Instagram, Boost your live video on Instagram, checked October 2026.