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How to Start an Instagram Live Video
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By Elise Moreau Elise Moreau Freelance Contributor University of Ontario George Brown College Elise Moreau is a writer that has covered social media, texting, messaging, and streaming for Lifewire. Her work has appeared on Techvibes, SlashGear, Lifehack and others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on March 11, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article
Expand Jump to a Section Step-by-Step: Live Stream Live Rooms Engage With Viewers Pin or Turn Off Comments End the Video When Others Broadcast When you want to use the Instagram app to start your own live stream, you'll find the feature hidden in the camera tab of the Stories feature. Instagram Stories changed the way people used Instagram in August 2016. By the end of 2016, Stories was expanded to include a live video streaming feature that allowed users to connect with followers in real-time. The screenshots here were taken on an Android phone, but the outlined procedures should apply to most other current phones as well. How to Live Stream on Instagram
Starting a live video stream is a bit like preparing to post a story. Here's how: Tap your profile bubble (it's located to the left of your Stories feed, above Your Story). Or, swipe right anywhere in the app to display the Stories camera tab. By default, the camera tab is on the Normal setting, which you can see at the bottom of the screen beneath the capture button. To switch to a live video stream, swipe right or tap LIVE. You're not live yet. To choose the options to share your live feed, tap the gear icon that's located in the upper-left corner of the Live screen. Hide your live video from certain people and allow certain users to reply to your live video using direct message. Facebook Messenger has been integrated into Instagram Direct, so you can send direct messages to your Facebook contacts from Instagram. When you're satisfied with your settings, tap the back arrow next to Story to return to the Live screen. When you're ready to go live, tap Go Live. This triggers the live broadcast of your video, and your followers will be able to see that you're live. To stop broadcasting, tap End. The total viewer count displays to let you know how many people tuned in over the course of your live video. Tap Save to save the session to your camera roll, or share it to your story. Instagram Live Rooms
Instagram has introduced Live Rooms, which let you go live with up to three other people. From the Instagram camera screen, select Live at the bottom of the screen, then tap the Rooms icon (the two silhouettes) to invite guests. You'll see a list of other users who are currently live, but you can also search for users to invite. Streaming with other Instagramers in Live Rooms is a great way to get more exposure on the social platform. Engage With Your Viewers
When you start an Instagram live video, your followers can receive notifications to encourage them to tune in. When they do, you'll notice a few things appear on the screen: Viewer count: This appears in the upper-right corner of the screen next to the eye icon. Comments: Viewers can publish live comments on your video using the comment field, which appears at the bottom of the screen. Likes: A heart button appears in the lower-right corner of the screen, which viewers can tap to express their approval of your live video. You'll see a heart animation play in real-time as viewers like it. Pin a Comment or Turn Off Comments
Along with talking to your viewers directly through the video, leave comments on your video and pin comments to the screen so that comments stay there for your viewers to see. This is a useful feature if your live video is centered on a certain topic or question. To pin a comment, type a comment into the comment field, post it, and tap the published comment. A menu appears from the bottom of the screen with a Pin Comment option. Alternatively, turn comments off so nobody has the ability to comment. Tap the three dots in the lower-right corner of the screen and tap Turn Off Commenting. End Your Video When You' re Done
You can broadcast live for up to an hour. The amount of data used while broadcasting a live video varies depending on the show's length and the signal strength. If you're concerned about saving data, connect to Wi-Fi before you start recording. How to Tell When Other Users Are Broadcasting Live
You can tell someone is using Instagram Live by looking at the bubbles in your stories feed. The bubbles of friends who are using Instagram Live have pink Live badges displayed directly beneath them. Tap the appropriate bubble to start watching a live feed. Need a bigger screen? Try watching Instagram live from a computer or TV. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Watch Instagram Live From a Computer or TV How to Add Captions to Instagram Stories How to Go Live on TikTok How to Repost an Instagram Story How to Live Stream on YouTube How to Pin a Comment on Instagram How to Go Live on Facebook Get Started with Reposting on Instagram How to Repost a Video on Instagram How to Pin Comments on Instagram What Is Instagram, and Why Should You Be Using It? How to Make a Poll on Instagram How to Use Instagram How to Live Stream on Twitter How to Use Instagram Shopping How to See Who Saved Your Instagram Posts Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies