Instagram Rolls Out New “Live Moderator” Feature. Here’s How to Use It

The wait is over: Instagram's introducing a new “Live Moderator” feature.  

With it, creators (and brands) can now appoint someone to be a moderator during their livestream. 

Moderators will be able to report comments, turn off comments for specific viewers, and even remove viewers from the Live.

Previously, those hosting Instagram Lives would be left to moderate and host simultaneously — a potential recipe for disaster.

The addition of a moderator means the Instagram Live host has one less thing to worry about and can instead focus on guiding the conversation.

Instagram has been doubling-down on creators this year — especially with the launch of their new Creator Lab.

“We believe in the importance of the creator community. We believe that they’re pushing culture forward, establishing trends, and setting new norms,” said Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, in a recent Tweet.  

With the addition of this new “Live Moderator” feature, Instagram’s showing that they’re heavily invested in making their platform not only a go-to for creators, but a safer one too. 

Farewell, Instagram Live trolls. 

PS: Never miss a major social media moment with Later’s free newsletter. Get the latest Instagram news and trends delivered straight to your inbox — subscribe today: 

How to Use Instagram’s Live Moderator Feature

If you don’t have access to the moderator feature yet, hang tight! If you do, here’s how to use it in your next broadcast: 

Step #1: Go Live on Instagram

Start an Instagram Live broadcast. 

For a full how-to about going live on Instagram, check out this post: A Step-by-step Guide to Instagram Live.

Step #2: Assign Moderator 

After your livestream has begun, tap the three dots in the comment box. 

Then choose your moderator — either from a list of suggested profiles or a manual search. 

At the moment, only one moderator can be assigned, but this may increase in the future. 

When your moderator has been selected, they will receive a pop-up notification: 

Image via Instagram

They will then be able to report, remove, or restrict certain viewers.

As Instagram adds more features like moderation and scheduling, we could see more creators and brands shifting their digital events and conferences to Instagram Live.

So if you’re considering jumping on the Instagram Live train, now’s the perfect time to experiment. 

Sign up to our free newsletter and keep up with the latest Instagram news — delivered to your inbox twice a week: