Tech Desk 
Aug 01, 2025
Instagram has recently announced that users will now need at least 1,000 followers and a public account to start Live videos. This means big changes for both creators and other users of the app.
Previously, anyone, regardless of follower count or account type, could go Live on Instagram. With this new rule in place, smaller creators and casual users who enjoyed the ability to broadcast Live to their friends will now lose access to that feature—assuming that they do not meet the new threshold.
Users below 1,000 followers or who have private accounts will receive a note (shown above) upon attempting to start a Live saying, "We changed requirements to use this feature. Only public accounts with 1,000 followers or more will be able to create live videos."
This update is causing backlash online, with many users calling the change unfair and asking Instagram to reverse this decision.
The decision has also drawn the attention of industry observers, who note that this aligns Instagram's Live functionality similarly to TikTok, which also has a 1,000-follower requirement to stream live. YouTube live only requires 50 subscribers to unlock the ability to go live.
Instagram has not given a detailed explanation of the move, only saying that the update will "improve the overall Live consumption experience."
Analysts suggest the change could help reduce low-quality streams and ensure that only users with an engaged audience can broadcast.
There’s also speculation that Meta, Instagram’s parent company, may be cutting costs. Hosting live streams is expensive, and limiting the feature to larger accounts could reduce bandwidth used for streams with just a handful of viewers.
