Instagram has made a big change: you now need at least 1,000 followers to go live. This started on August 1. If you don’t have enough followers or your account isn’t public, you can’t use the Live feature anymore. Basically, if your follower count is 999 or less, you’re locked out of going live.
Why did Instagram do this? They haven’t given a clear reason. They just said it makes the experience better for everyone, but a lot of people think it’s to stop spam, cut down on random live videos, and maybe even save the company money. Other apps like TikTok have a similar rule, so Instagram is kind of following the crowd.
But here’s what’s really going on: if you’re a small creator, a hobbyist, or just someone who likes going live for a handful of friends or fans—you’ve just lost that chance. Only bigger creators with lots of followers get to use Live now. Some people on social media are upset, feeling like Instagram no longer cares about the “regular” user. Others are okay with it, hoping to see fewer pointless live videos popping up.
In short, Instagram wants to focus on bigger, more popular live streams. If you’re just starting out or have a small audience, you’ll have to stick to Stories, Reels, or just wait until you get more followers.
It’s a tough change for many, and it means social media is moving away from “anyone can be a creator” to “only the big accounts get the mic.” If you want to go live again—get those followers up, or look for another app that lets you broadcast, no matter your size.