Platform Updates

July 13, 2026

YouTube tightens monetization rules on repetitive and "inauthentic" content

YouTube renamed its inauthentic content monetization policy to "Generic or Repetitive Content" and clarified what cannot earn ad revenue: templated or mass-produced videos, emotionally manipulative formats that feel interchangeable, and AI personas giving advice on health, finance, legal, or political topics. Repurposed content must add clear original value to stay monetized.

July 8, 2026

LinkedIn brings the video tab and "Videos for you" feed to desktop

LinkedIn expanded its short-form video feed from mobile to desktop, added playback speed controls, and reported video watch time up 36% year over year. Post analytics are also rolling out an in-network vs. out-of-network reach split for creators.

July 2, 2026

Threads tests in-app YouTube playback and fullscreen horizontal video

In early July, Threads began testing native in-app playback for YouTube links on iOS and added a fullscreen button for horizontal videos — a signal Meta is pushing Threads further into video distribution.

June 30, 2026

Instagram Reels camera gains 20-minute recording and new editing tools

Instagram updated the Reels camera with a 20-minute in-app recording length, an undo button for recorded clips, an updated green screen experience, and a set of new fonts for Reels and Stories that rolled out June 30.

June 24, 2026

TikTok lets creators add custom search keywords to videos

In June, TikTok rolled out the ability to manually attach custom keywords to videos to improve search visibility, alongside a new floating Cover Title option. With TikTok doubling down on search, keyword tagging is now a core part of caption strategy.

June 15, 2026

TikTok video duration extended to 10 minutes for all creators

TikTok raised the maximum video length from 3 minutes to 10 minutes globally, making it competitive with YouTube for long-form content. Portrait 9:16 at 1080×1920 remains the recommended format.

May 20, 2026

YouTube Shorts max duration extended to 3 minutes

YouTube increased the Shorts cap from 60 seconds to 3 minutes (180 seconds). Aspect ratio remains 9:16 at 1080×1920. Shorts under 60 seconds still qualify for the Shorts feed.

April 28, 2026

Instagram Reels algorithm now favors original audio over trending sounds

Instagram updated its Reels ranking signals to down-rank Reels using recycled or watermarked content, and to boost Reels with original audio. TikTok watermarks continue to suppress reach.

April 10, 2026

Instagram Reels max file size raised to 1 GB

Instagram raised the Reels file size limit from 650 MB to 1 GB. Maximum duration remains 90 seconds for Reels. Feed video remains at 60 seconds and 1 GB.

March 15, 2026

LinkedIn video posts now receive 3× the reach of text posts

LinkedIn confirmed internally that native video posts receive significantly more distribution than text or link posts in 2026. Recommended specs: 16:9, 1920×1080, MP4, under 5 GB, under 10 minutes.

February 22, 2026

Bluesky video support launched — 60-second limit, 50 MB max

Bluesky officially launched native video support. Videos can be up to 60 seconds and 50 MB. Recommended format is 16:9 at 1920×1080 MP4/H.264. Videos auto-play muted in the feed.

January 30, 2026

X video upload limit raised to 4 hours for Premium subscribers

X (Twitter) increased the maximum video length for Premium subscribers from 2 minutes 20 seconds to 4 hours. Free accounts remain at 2 minutes 20 seconds. File size cap is 512 MB for all tiers.

January 12, 2026

Facebook Reels now distributed beyond followers for all pages

Facebook expanded Reels distribution to non-followers for all Page types, not just creator accounts. Reels with original audio and no watermarks receive priority in the suggested content feed.

November 5, 2025

TikTok caption character limit raised to 2,200 characters

TikTok increased the caption limit from 150 characters to 2,200 characters, matching Instagram. Hashtags still count toward the total. Longer captions improve search discoverability within TikTok.

September 18, 2025

YouTube adds automatic dubbing for standard channel videos

YouTube rolled out automatic AI dubbing to standard channel videos in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German. Dubbing is opt-in per video in YouTube Studio and available on channels with 1,000+ subscribers.