How-To

How to Go Live on Instagram: Requirements and Steps

Updated 10 min read
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How to go live on Instagram from your phone: swipe right anywhere in Feed, scroll to Live at the bottom, add a title if you want one and tap Go live. On a computer, Instagram uses Live Producer on instagram.com, fed by your own streaming software. Either way, the account has to be public, with at least 1,000 followers.

Live sits alongside posts, Stories and Notes in our guide to how to use Instagram. This page follows a broadcast from start to finish.

Four checks before you look for the Live button

  1. Public account, 1,000+ followers. Private accounts and accounts under 1,000 followers can’t start a Live.
  2. Not brand new. Instagram says newly created accounts may not be able to go Live.
  3. No removed posts. If something you posted was removed for going against the Community Standards, you may not be able to start one.
  4. Teen Accounts: Live is off by default. Teens aged 16 and 17 can turn it on themselves; under-16s need a parent’s or guardian’s permission.
Checked against Instagram Help Center: Start a live video on Instagram

Table of Contents

How many followers do you need to go live on Instagram?

1,000, and the account must be public. Instagram’s rule is that only users with a public account and 1,000 or more followers can start a Live video, and its article on scheduling a Live repeats it. Reaching 1,000 doesn’t guarantee the option, though. Newly created accounts, and accounts that have had content removed for going against the Community Standards, may still be unable to go Live. Instagram points to Account Status to check your permissions.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Start a live video on Instagram.

If you’re short of 1,000, don’t reach for follower apps. Instagram says apps that offer likes or followers in exchange for your login can get complete access to your account, and that using them can lead to removed engagement, limited features, or a disabled or terminated account. Checked against Instagram Help Center: Why you should not use apps that offer likes and followers on Instagram The route that holds up is slower: how to grow Instagram followers organically covers it.

Why can’t I go live on Instagram?

Usually the account doesn’t qualify yet, or the app needs an update. Work down this list in order; every item on it comes from Instagram’s own help pages.

  1. Your account is private. Only public accounts can start a Live.
  2. You have fewer than 1,000 followers. The option needs at least 1,000.
  3. The account is new. Instagram says newly created accounts may not be able to go Live, and it gives no waiting period.
  4. Something you posted was removed. Open Account Status: it lists removed content and features you can’t use, and lets you request a review. If you’ve also been stopped from posting, banned from posting on Instagram walks through Instagram’s review and appeal routes. Checked against Instagram Help Center: Check your Account Status on Instagram
  5. It’s a Teen Account. Live is off by default. Teens aged 16 and 17 can switch it on; younger teens send a request to a parent or guardian.
  6. The app is out of date, or the feature hasn’t reached you. Instagram’s own order: update the app and your phone’s operating system, restart the phone, try both Wi-Fi and mobile data, then uninstall and reinstall. It also notes that a feature may not be available to everyone yet. Checked against Instagram Help Center: Troubleshooting

For a teen who needs permission, the request starts in Teen Account settings:

On iPhone:

  1. Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile.
  2. Tap Menu in the top right.
  3. In Settings and activity, tap Teen Account settings.
  4. Tap Who can interact with you, then tap Live broadcasting.
  5. Tap the toggle to request to turn on the ability to go live.
  6. Tap Send request to send a request to your parent or guardian to update this setting.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Manage your Teen Account settings.

The Android steps are the same.

How to go live on Instagram from your phone

Swipe right anywhere in Feed, scroll to Live at the bottom, add an optional title and tap Go live. The iPhone and Android apps differ only in how you add the Instagram Live title:

On iPhone:

  1. Swipe right anywhere in Feed, then scroll to Live at the bottom.
  2. To add a title, tap Add a title, enter a title and then tap Done.
  3. Tap Go live at the bottom. The number of viewers appears at the top of the screen and comments appear at the bottom.
  4. You can add a comment by tapping Comment at the bottom of the screen.
  5. Tap a comment and tap Pin comment to pin it so that viewers can see it more easily.
  6. When you're done, tap Close in the top right, then tap End Now to confirm. From there, you can tap Share to share it to your profile.

On Android:

  1. Swipe right anywhere in Feed, then scroll to Live at the bottom.
  2. To add a title, tap Title on the left and enter a title, then tap Add title.
  3. Tap Go live at the bottom. The number of viewers appears at the top of the screen and comments appear at the bottom.
  4. You can add a comment by tapping Comment at the bottom of the screen.
  5. Tap a comment and tap Pin comment to pin it so that viewers can see it more easily.
  6. When you're done, tap Close in the top right, then tap End now to confirm. From there, you can tap Share to share it to your profile.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Start a live video on Instagram.

Controls during the broadcast

Besides pinning comments, Instagram’s article on starting a Live documents these controls:

  • Turn off commenting from Options at the bottom. Any keyword filters you’ve turned on also apply to Live comments.
  • Turn off requests to go live from the same menu, if you don’t want viewers asking to join.
  • Add from camera roll (iPhone only) shows your own photos and videos during the Live. It isn’t available in a live room with guests.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Start a live video on Instagram.

Joining a Live is visible too. Instagram says the host and anyone else watching may be able to see that someone has joined, and everyone watching can see their likes and comments. Checked against Instagram Help Center: View someone's live broadcast on Instagram

Add a moderator

You can give one viewer moderator powers: they can report comments, remove someone from the Live and turn off commenting for a specific account. The moderator has to be a different account from any co-host and has to be watching already. They must accept before they can moderate, and can resign at any time.

On iPhone:

  1. Tap Options in the top right.
  2. Tap Add Moderator.
  3. Search for the account you want to assign as a moderator at the top or tap Add next to their account below Suggested.
  4. Tap Confirm.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Assign a moderator to your live broadcast on Instagram.

Android uses the same steps.

Can you go live on Instagram from a computer?

Yes. On instagram.com, Live runs through Live Producer, which broadcasts whatever your own streaming software sends it. Instagram’s computer article describes no other way to go Live from a computer, and it doesn’t name or recommend any particular software.

On the web:

  1. Open Instagram.com and click Create.
  2. Select Live video from the dropdown menu.
  3. Enter the title of your live video and select your audience: Practice will not start the live for anyone and Public will take you live to your followers.
  4. You will then see a screen with your unique URL and stream key, with instructions on how to use them. You can copy the stream key or reset it.
  5. Within your streaming software, select Custom RTMP to add the URL and stream key.
  6. Start the stream in your streaming software; the Live Producer viewer on Instagram.com shows a preview of your live video.
  7. Click Go live in Live Producer to start the stream. When you want to end the live video, click End live video.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Start a live video on Instagram (computer version).

Three details catch people out:

  • The stream key changes. Instagram says the key “is not static, and will refresh each time you use Live Producer”, so paste the new one into your software before every Live.
  • Practice is a dry run. Choosing the Practice audience doesn’t start the Live for anyone, so you can test your setup. Public takes you live to your followers.
  • End in Live Producer, then in your software. If you stop the software first, Instagram keeps showing the last frame it received.

How to add guests to an Instagram Live

Invite up to three guests with Live Rooms; each guest has to follow you, and you can only invite people who are watching. You can also ask to join someone else’s Live. Instagram’s article shows some buttons as icons without names, so the steps below say that instead of guessing.

In the Instagram app: invite a guest:

  1. Tap Create at the top or swipe right anywhere in Feed.
  2. Swipe to Live at the bottom.
  3. Tap the first icon Instagram's article shows (it gives the icon no name).
  4. Tap the next unnamed icon. Here you'll find requests to join your room.
  5. Tap the add-people icon to invite your followers to your Live video.
  6. Tap Invite. If a guest accepts, they'll appear in your live room; you'll also see if they decline.

In the Instagram app: ask to join someone's Live:

  1. Select the icon Instagram's article shows (it gives the icon no name).
  2. To request to join, tap Send Request.
  3. If your request is accepted, you'll receive a notice that you're about to join the live room.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Invite guests to join your live broadcast on Instagram.

To remove a guest, tap X in the top right of their video frame.

How to schedule an Instagram Live

From the Live camera, tap Schedule, enter a title and a start time between 1 hour and 90 days ahead, then tap Schedule live video.

On iPhone:

  1. Tap Create at the top or swipe right anywhere in Feed.
  2. Tap Live at the bottom.
  3. Tap Schedule on the left.
  4. Enter a video title and select a start time, then tap Done.
  5. Tap Schedule live video at the bottom.
  6. If you want to share your scheduled live video, tap Share and select how you would like to share it.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Schedule a live video on Instagram.

Android uses the same steps. The computer version of Instagram’s article has none, so schedule from the app.

After that:

  • Your soonest scheduled Live appears on your profile, below your profile picture. Tap it to share, edit or cancel it.
  • Instagram’s article says you’ll get a notification reminding you about it “24 hours and 15 mins before the time you selected”.
  • You can change the start time until 45 minutes before the Live is due to begin.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Schedule a live video on Instagram.

Tell people it’s coming

When you tap Share on a scheduled Live, the posts and stories you share include its title and start time, plus an option for people to set a reminder. Checked against Instagram Help Center: Schedule a live video on Instagram

A feed post announcing the Live is the other half of the job:

Plan your Live announcement post in Outfeed AI

What happens to a Live after it ends?

Right after you end it, you can share the replay as a reel or download the video, and you can also find it later in your Live archive. Here’s what each option keeps:

To share an archived Live as a reel later, open Live archive from your Archive. Instagram’s steps, the same on iPhone and Android:

On iPhone:

  1. Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile.
  2. Tap Menu in the top right.
  3. Tap Archive.
  4. Tap Stories archive at the top, then tap Live archive.
  5. Tap the live broadcast you want to share.
  6. Tap Share at the bottom of the screen. This will open the reels publish screen, where you can write a caption, tag people and more.
  7. Tap Share to share your live broadcast as a reel.

Checked against Instagram Help Center: Share a live broadcast from your archive on Instagram.

A shared replay is posted as a reel, so what Reels are on Instagram covers where it can show up.

FAQ

Can you go live on Instagram with a private account?

No. Instagram says only users with a public account and 1,000 or more followers can start a Live video. Newly created accounts may not be able to go Live either, and Live is turned off by default on Teen Accounts.

Where do Instagram Lives go after they end?

Right after a Live ends you can tap Share as reel to post the replay to your profile and Feed, or tap Download to save the video to your camera roll. Instagram’s creators site says Lives are also saved to your Archive automatically for up to 30 days, and you can share one as a reel from Live archive. Replays don’t include the original likes or comments.

Can you schedule an Instagram Live?

Yes, from 1 hour to 90 days ahead. In the app, tap Create or swipe right in Feed, tap Live, tap Schedule, enter a title and start time, tap Done, then tap Schedule live video. Your soonest scheduled Live appears on your profile, and you can change the start time until 45 minutes before it begins.

Can you go live on Instagram from a laptop or PC?

Yes, through Live Producer. On instagram.com, click Create, select Live video, enter a title and choose Practice or Public, then copy the stream URL and key into your streaming software as a Custom RTMP destination. Start the stream, check the preview and click Go live. The key refreshes each time you use Live Producer.

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