How to go live on Instagram

Instagram's help centre gives these steps for the iPhone and Android apps:

1. Swipe right anywhere in Feed, then scroll to Live at the bottom.
2. To add a title, tap Add a title, enter it and tap Done.
3. Tap Go live at the bottom. The number of viewers appears at the top and comments appear at the bottom.
4. To keep an important comment in view, tap it and tap Pin comment.
5. When you're done, tap Close in the top right, then tap End now to confirm.
6. Tap Share to share the live video to your profile.

• Turn off comments: tap Options at the bottom, then Turn off commenting. Keyword filters you've set also apply to live comments
• Stop requests to join: tap Options, then Turn off requests to go live
• Show photos or videos: on iOS, tap Add from camera roll in the bottom right (not available in a live room with guests)

Source: Instagram Help Centre: Start a live video on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026

On a computer you use Live Producer on instagram.com with streaming software, which suits a planned broadcast with slides, several cameras or a better microphone.

1. On instagram.com, click Create and select Live video from the dropdown menu.
2. Enter a title and choose an audience: Practice doesn't go live for anyone, Public takes you live to your followers.
3. Copy the URL and stream key Instagram shows you. The key refreshes each time you use Live Producer.
4. In your streaming software, select Custom RTMP and add the URL and stream key.
5. Start the stream in your software and check the preview in Live Producer.
6. Click Go live. When you finish, click End live video in Live Producer first, then stop the stream in your software.

Source: Instagram Help Centre: Start a live video on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026

You can schedule a live from 1 hour to 90 days in advance. Scheduling gives people a reminder to sign up for, which is the best way to get an audience at the start.

1. Tap Create at the top, or swipe right anywhere in Feed.
2. Tap Live at the bottom, then tap Schedule on the left.
3. Enter a video title, select a start time and tap Done.
4. Tap Schedule live video at the bottom.
5. Tap Share to post it as a post or story. These include the title, start time and a reminder option.

• Your soonest scheduled live appears on your profile below your profile picture
• Instagram reminds you 24 hours and 15 minutes before the start time
• You can change the start time up to 45 minutes before it's due, or cancel from the same Schedule screen

Source: Instagram Help Centre: Schedule a live video on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026

You can invite up to three guests into a Live Room, and a viewer can ask to join yours. Guests must follow you. From the live screen you'll see requests to join and can invite followers; to remove a guest, tap X in the top right of their video frame.

You can also assign one moderator, who must be watching the live and must be a different account from any co-host:

1. During the live, tap Options in the top right.
2. Tap Add Moderator.
3. Search for the account, or tap Add next to it below Suggested.
4. Tap Confirm. The moderator has to accept before they can act.

• Moderators can report comments, remove an account from the live, and turn off comments from a specific account
• After the live ends, tap Review moderator actions to block a viewer, remove them as a follower or hide future lives from them

Sources: Instagram Help Centre: Invite guests to join your live broadcast on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026; Instagram Help Centre: Assign a moderator to your live broadcast on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026

Tap Share as reel on the screen after you end the live to post the replay to your profile and Feed as a reel, with a caption and tags. You can also share it later from your Live archive: Menu, then Archive, then switch to Live archive, open the broadcast and tap Share.

• Replays don't include the likes or comments from the original live
• The viewer count starts again once you share a replay
• You can't edit or trim the live video before sharing it as a replay
• Tap Download to save the video to your camera roll. Only the video is saved, not comments, likes or viewers

Sources: Instagram Help Centre: Share a live video on Instagram after it's ended, checked 15 October 2026; Instagram Help Centre: Share a live broadcast from your archive on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026; Instagram Help Centre: Start a live video on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026

Instagram's help centre lists these reasons:

• Your account is private, or has fewer than 1,000 followers. Only public accounts with 1,000 or more followers can start a live
• The account is newly created
• You've previously posted something that was removed for going against the Community Standards. Account Status shows your permissions
• It's a Teen Account, where live is off by default
• Your stream plays long recorded music. Instagram says full-length tracks make it more likely a live is muted or blocked, so use short clips and keep the video, not the music, as the main focus

Sources: Instagram Help Centre: Start a live video on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026; Instagram Help Centre: How to use music in your videos on Instagram or Threads, checked 15 October 2026

Disclosure: this is our product. Live video works best alongside a steady feed. Zolyp keeps that feed going: it plans, writes and designs your Instagram posts and reels, then publishes them once you approve. There's a 3-day free trial, no card required.