You open Instagram to scroll through for a few idle minutes and suddenly an hour has gone by. We’ve all been there (like, at least twice a day). But prepare for it to happen wayyyyy more often.

Instagram has just launched a brand-new feature, IGTV. The long-form video hub will feature vertical video from some of your fave IG content creators. And these videos won’t be broken up into short, 15-second clips—they can be up to one hour long. 

Among the stars already adding to IGTV? Selena Gomez (whose debut video is directed by Petra Collins), Kim Kardashian West, Virgil Abloh and Chris Hemsworth.

 

 

From our CEO @kevin: “Today, we have two big announcements to share. First, Instagram is now a global community of one billion! Since our launch in 2010, we’ve watched with amazement as the community has flourished and grown. This is a major accomplishment — so from all of us at Instagram, thank you! Second, we’re announcing our most exciting feature to date: IGTV, a new app for watching long-form, vertical video from your favorite Instagram creators, like LaurDIY (@laurdiy) posting her newest project or King Bach (@kingbach) sharing his latest comedy skit. While there’s a stand-alone IGTV app, you’ll also be able to watch from within the Instagram app so the entire community of one billion can use it from the very start. IGTV is different in a few ways. First, it’s built for how you actually use your phone, so videos are full screen and vertical. Also, unlike on Instagram, videos aren’t limited to one minute. Instead, each video can be up to an hour long. We made it simple, too. Just like turning on the TV, IGTV starts playing as soon as you open the app. You don’t have to search to start watching content from people you already follow on Instagram and others you might like based on your interests. You can swipe up to discover more — switch between “For You,” “Following,” “Popular” and “Continue Watching.” You can also like, comment and send videos to friends in Direct. Also like TV, IGTV has channels. But, in IGTV, the creators are the channels. When you follow a creator on Instagram, their IGTV channel will show up for you to watch. Anyone can be a creator — you can upload your own IGTV videos in the app or on the web to start your own channel. Instagram has always been a place to connect with the people who inspire, educate and entertain you every day. With your help, IGTV begins a new chapter of video on Instagram. We hope it brings you closer to the people and things you love. IGTV will be rolling out globally over the next few weeks on iOS and Android.

A post shared by Instagram (@instagram) on Jun 20, 2018 at 11:10am PDT

 

There’s a new, stand-alone IGTV app, but the videos are also viewable from the Insta app already on your phone. IGTV “channels” are based on the creator, so when someone you follow uploads to the hub, their channel will show up for you to watch.  

IGTV is available around the world today.