Instagram Live is a great way to connect with your audience in real-time. You start a Live session, and all your followers can log in and interact with you. But what if you want to create a more intimate atmosphere? Can you share live moments with a select group?
The answer is yes. Instagram’s “Close Friends” feature comes in here, allowing you to go live specifically for your closest followers. With this article, we’ll show you how to go live for Close Friends. We’ll give you step-by-step instructions and tips to ensure a successful live experience for your inner circle.
Understanding the Close Friends Feature
Before we get to the guide, let’s brush up on the concept of Close Friends on Instagram.
Close Friends are a curated list of followers on your Instagram that you can share private content with. This content won’t be shared with anyone who isn’t on that list. So you can keep it exclusive.
To go Live with Close Friends, you have to create a Close Friends list first. Here’s how to do it:
- Get to your profile: Access your profile by tapping on the profile photo at the bottom right of the screen.
- Settings and Activity: Tap the three horizontal lines at the top right corner to get to the “Settings and Activity” menu.
- Close Friends list: Navigate to “Close Friends” and tap on it. Then, add the accounts you want to include in your inner circle. Click “Done” when you’re finished.
How to Go Live With Close Friends
Now that you understand the Close Friends feature, we can move on to exclusive Live sessions. Here’s the kicker: You can’t go Live with Close Friends on Instagram. Instead, you can start a private live session and invite each friend to it. Here’s how to do it:
- Access the “Create” screen: Open the Instagram app and tap the plus sign (+) at the center of your home screen. Alternatively, swipe left from your home screen.
- Choose “Live”: From the options displayed, select “Live.” The Live camera interface will appear.
- Navigate to Audience Selection: This is the critical step. Locate the “Audience” button on the left side of the screen. It looks like two people together. Tap on it.
- Select “Private”: This brings up a menu to choose your audience between “Public” and “Private”. Tap on “Private” and tap “Set audience.”
- Go Live: Now, you can go live by pressing the capture button.
- Tap the Invite icon: Once you’re Live, find the Invite icon. It looks like the audience icon with a plus above it.
- Invite friends: Type in each follower’s username and invite them individually. Now, you are Live with just your Close Friends.
Trying Out Private Live Sessions
With these tips, you can start your private Live session at any time. However, you should let your Close Friends know you’re planning a livestream by creating a Close Friends Story or sending a DM beforehand.
With Instagram’s private live sessions, you can connect with a select group on a deeper level. Try it out later.
