You will now need 1,000 Instagram followers to go live

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Instagram is making a big change to who can go live on the app. Now, if you don’t have at least 1,000 followers, you can’t host a livestream, even if your account is public. 

Over the past few days, users have noticed this change when they try to start a Live video. 

Instead of going live, they get a pop-up message saying: “We changed the requirements to use this feature. Only public accounts with 1,000 followers or more will be able to create live videos.”

Meta has now confirmed this new rule in a statement to Engadget. The company says the decision is meant to improve the Live feature overall and give creators a better experience when they use it. 

However, Meta didn’t explain why smaller accounts supposedly hurt the experience or how limiting access actually helps.

Although the notice currently says the change applies only to public accounts, Meta also confirmed it will soon apply to private accounts as well. 

This means that even people who only go live to a few friends from a private account won’t be able to use the Live feature anymore unless they have at least 1,000 followers.

This is especially surprising because, earlier in 2024, Instagram launched a feature that allowed users to do private livestreams for up to three close friends. 

With the new rule, that option may effectively disappear for anyone without a large following.

It’s not entirely clear why Meta is making this move, but it could be to reduce spam, improve content quality, or make Live video more exclusive. 

Whatever the reason, many smaller creators and casual users will no longer have access to a feature that was once available to everyone.

If you’re on Instagram and have fewer than 1,000 followers, you’ll soon lose, or may have already lost, the ability to go live, regardless of whether your account is public or private.

Do you think Instagram’s 1,000-follower requirement for Live videos will improve content quality? Or does this unfairly exclude smaller creators and casual users who should also have access to these features? Tell us below in the comments, or reach us via our Twitter or Facebook.