How to Go Live on Instagram (2026): Phone, Guests and PC
By Sofia Vance··8 min read
On the phone: swipe right anywhere in Feed, scroll to Live, add a title and tap Go live. You need a public account with 1,000 followers. For guests, start the live and invite up to three people. From a computer, open instagram.com, choose Create, then Live video, and paste the stream URL and key into OBS. Every setting below comes from Instagram's own help pages.
Pick Your Route
Phone app
Best for: Q&As, quick check-ins, IRL moments
Needs: Instagram app, public account, 1,000+ followers
Live Rooms (guests)
Best for: Interviews, collabs, co-streams
Needs: Started from the app. Up to 3 guests, who must follow you
Computer (Live Producer)
Best for: Gameplay, overlays, cameras, OBS scenes
Needs: instagram.com + streaming software with Custom RTMP
| Method | Guests | What you need | Stream key |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone app | Yes, via Live Rooms | Instagram app, public account with 1,000+ followers | No |
| Phone app with guests | Up to 3 guests | Same as above. Guests must follow you to be invited | No |
| Computer, Live Producer | Not supported | instagram.com, OBS or other software with Custom RTMP output | Yes (URL + key, new each time) |
Who Can Go Live on Instagram
Instagram Live is gated, and a lot of older advice is stale. Per the Start a live video help article:
| Public account | Instagram's help center says only public accounts can start a Live video. |
| 1,000 followers | The same page sets 1,000 followers as the minimum. Older guides that say there is no minimum are out of date. |
| Clean account standing | You may not be able to go live if you posted something that was removed for breaking Community Standards. Newly created accounts may not be able to go live either. |
| Teen accounts | Live is off by default. Under-16s need a parent's or guardian's permission to turn it on. 16 and 17-year-olds can turn it on themselves. |
The help article lists the public account and follower count as the conditions and does not mention a Creator or Business account for going live itself.
How to Go Live on Instagram from Your Phone
Start a live
- 1Open Instagram and swipe right anywhere in Feed (or tap Create), then scroll to Live at the bottom.
- 2Tap Add a title, type one and tap Done.
- 3Tap Go live at the bottom. Viewer count shows at the top, comments at the bottom.
- 4Tap a comment, then Pin comment, so newcomers see it first. Under Options you can turn off commenting or turn off requests to go live with you.
- 5When you finish, tap Close in the top right, then End Now to confirm.
- 6On the end screen tap Share as reel or Download (next sections).
Menus move around between app versions. If a label above is missing, look for the same words under the Create or Options buttons. Instagram also lets you schedule a live from 1 hour up to 90 days ahead, and you can change the start time until 45 minutes before it begins.
Streaming outside on mobile data is its own problem. Our IRL streaming guide covers connection backups and what breaks on the street.
Going Live with Someone: Live Rooms
Instagram's help center says you can invite up to three guests to your live using Live Rooms, or ask to join someone else's. The guest accounts must be following you to be invited.
Invite guests
- 1Tap Create or swipe right in Feed, then swipe to Live.
- 2Open the guest controls on the live screen. Requests to join your room show up there.
- 3Pick followers to invite and tap Invite. You see if someone accepts or declines.
- 4To remove a guest, tap the X in the top right of their video frame.
Join someone else
- 1Open the live you are watching.
- 2Tap the request-to-join button, then Send Request.
- 3If the host accepts, you get a notice that you are about to join the room.
Source: Instagram Help Center, Live. Two caveats: guests are not supported when you stream through Live Producer on a computer, and adding photos or videos from your camera roll (iOS) is not available in a live room with guests.
How to Go Live on Instagram from a Computer (Live Producer + OBS)
Instagram's computer route is Live Producer on instagram.com. It gives you an RTMP URL and stream key, so any software with a Custom RTMP destination works. OBS Studio is the free default. If you haven't set up scenes yet, start with our OBS setup guide. The follower and public-account rules above apply here too.
Connect OBS to Instagram
- 1On instagram.com, click Create, then choose Live video.
- 2Enter a title and pick the audience: Practice goes live for no one, Public goes live to your followers.
- 3Instagram shows your unique URL and stream key. Copy the key (or reset it if you need a new one).
- 4In OBS open Settings → Stream, set Service to Custom, paste the URL into Server and the key into Stream Key.
- 5Click Start Streaming in OBS. The Live Producer preview should mirror your scene and can take a few seconds to appear.
- 6Click Go live in Live Producer. To finish, click End live video in Live Producer first, then stop OBS.
Two traps in the official steps
The stream key is not static. Instagram refreshes it every time you use Live Producer, so a key saved in OBS last week will fail. And if you stop OBS before ending the live in Live Producer, the live keeps showing the last frame it received. End it in Live Producer first.
Wondering what the URL and key actually do? Our RTMP explainer covers it. Want the same show on Instagram and other platforms at once? Start with our multistreaming guide.
Live Producer Video Settings
Instagram's Live Producer announcement lists these encoder requirements. Instagram is a vertical-first platform, so build a 9:16 scene instead of squeezing a 16:9 one.
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 recommended, not required |
| Resolution / frame rate | 720×1280 at 30 fps (60 fps also supported) |
| Video bitrate | 2,250 to 6,000 kbps |
| Audio | 44.1 kHz, stereo, up to 256 kbps |
That post is older than the current help article, so if Live Producer rejects a setting, trust the error over the table. Check your upload against our internet speed guide and compare platforms in the bitrate cheat sheet.
Replays, Archive and Sharing to Reels
- Right after the live: tap Share as reel to post a replay to your profile and Feed, or Download to save it to your camera roll. Download is offered only right after you end the live.
- Later: Profile → Menu → Archive → Live archive, pick the live and tap Share to open the reel publish screen.
- What carries over: only the video. Likes, comments and viewers are not saved, the viewer count restarts when you share a replay, and you can't edit or trim it first.
- Find your replay: it lives under Reels on your profile once shared.
Sources: share a live after it ends and share from your archive.
Making Money from Instagram Live
Instagram's creator page for Live lists Badges (viewers supporting you during content you already make) and Live Fundraisers. You can also promote a live with live video ads. Who sees the Badges option depends on account type, country and Instagram's monetization policies, and these change often. Check the professional dashboard in your own app instead of trusting a number from a blog.
No Live Option, or Can't Go Live
- 1No Live in the Create menu? Check the account is public and has 1,000 followers. Both are required.
- 2Account is new? Instagram says newly created accounts may not be able to go live.
- 3Something of yours was removed for breaking Community Standards? That can block Live. Check Account Status in the app to see your permissions.
- 4Teen account? Live is off by default. Under 16 needs a parent or guardian to turn it on.
- 5OBS connects but Live Producer shows nothing? The key refreshes every time. Copy a fresh URL and key, and give the preview a few seconds.
- 6Live still shows a frozen frame? You stopped OBS first. Click End live video in Live Producer.
- 7Guests missing from a computer stream? Live Rooms isn't supported through Live Producer. Start the live from the phone app for guests.
Compare with Other Platforms
Instagram is vertical, phone-first and limited to accounts with an audience. If you are starting from zero, the faster routes are TikTok LIVE and YouTube. Check their requirements, since each platform sets its own bar.
Instagram's own reference pages: start a live video, Live help hub, schedule a live video and Live Producer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many followers do you need to go live on Instagram?
1,000, and the account must be public. Instagram's help center states that only users with a public account and 1,000 followers or more can start a Live video. The rule applies to the phone app, to Live Producer on a computer, and to scheduled lives.
Why don't I have the Live option on Instagram?
The usual causes, from Instagram's help center: your account is private, you are under 1,000 followers, the account is new, or you have posted something that was removed for going against Community Standards. On a teen account, Live is off by default and under-16s need a parent's permission to switch it on. Check your account status in the app to see which permissions you have.
How do I go live on Instagram from a computer?
Open instagram.com, click Create, then Live video. Enter a title, choose Public (or Practice), and Instagram shows a stream URL and stream key. Paste both into OBS or other software that supports a Custom RTMP destination, start the stream there, then click Go live in Live Producer once the preview appears.
Is there an Instagram stream key for OBS?
Yes. Live Producer on instagram.com generates a URL and stream key. The key is not static: Instagram refreshes it every time you use Live Producer, so copy a fresh one before every broadcast. You can also reset it from the same screen.
Can I go live with someone on Instagram?
Yes. Live Rooms let you invite up to three guests to your live from the app, and you can also send a request to join someone else's live that you are watching. The guest accounts must follow you to be invited. Guests are not supported when you stream through Live Producer on a computer.
How long can you go live on Instagram?
Instagram announced in October 2020 that live broadcasts could run up to four hours, up from one hour. Instagram's current help pages do not state a maximum length, so treat four hours as the working ceiling and plan long broadcasts in separate sessions.
What is practice mode on Instagram Live?
Practice is an audience setting. In Live Producer, Instagram's help page says Practice will not start the live for anyone, while Public takes you live to your followers. Use it to check your scene, audio and stream key before the real broadcast.
What happens to my Instagram Live after it ends?
Tap Share as reel on the screen right after you end it, or Download to save the video to your camera roll. The download is only offered right after the live ends. Later, find it in your profile menu under Archive, Live archive. A replay does not carry over the original likes or comments, and you can't trim it before sharing.