Most video is landscape, but the era of smartphones has led to an explosion of people shooting portrait video. Instagram embraced portrait videos when it launched IGTV last year. You could be forgiven if you forgot all about it in the intervening months. Now, Instagram is looking to give IGTV a boost with a new feature: landscape video.

According to Instagram, it has listened to feedback from viewers and creators, and the people want landscape video. Instagram is still committed to the idea of holding your phone in landscape while watching, though. You'll be able to watch the new landscape videos in portrait orientation with black bars. Turn the phone sideways, and it'll take up most of the screen like a normal video.

The announcement draws parallels between the vertical-only restriction when IGTV launched to the way IG used to require all photos to be square. Instagram says engagement increased when it started allowing different photo ratios, and it believes the same thing will happen with IGTV. I guess we'll see.

Source: Instagram