How to Live Stream on Instagram
Starting a live video stream is a bit like preparing to post a story. Here’s how:
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.
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.
