How to Find Instagram Live

Ever find yourself scrolling through your feed and realizing you just missed an important Instagram Live from a creator you love? You're not alone. Finding live streams as they happen can feel a bit like catching lightning in a bottle. This guide will show you exactly where to find live videos on Instagram, how to get notified so you never miss one again, and how to find replays if you show up a little late.

Where to Find Active Instagram Live Videos

Unlike regular posts or Reels that you can browse any time, Live videos are ephemeral events. Knowing where to look is half the battle. Instagram offers a few different hotspots for spotting active streams from the accounts you follow and even discovering new ones.

1. At the Very Top of Your Home Feed (The Stories Bar)

The most common and immediate place to find a Live video is right at the top of your main Instagram feed, in the same area where Stories appear. When an account you follow starts a live broadcast, their profile photo will move to the front of the line and get a special glowing ring around it with a small, purple and pink "LIVE" badge at the bottom.

Here's how to watch from the Stories bar:

• Open the Instagram app and land on your main home feed.
• Look at the row of circular profile photos at the top of your screen.
• Scan for any profile with a colorful, pulsating ring and the word "LIVE" underneath it.
• Simply tap on that profile picture, and you will immediately join their live stream.

This is your primary method for catching broadcasts from people you already interact with. If you follow hundreds of accounts, you might need to scroll sideways through the Stories bar to see everyone, but active Live videos are typically prioritized and shown first.

2. Directly on a User's Profile Page

What if you want to know if a specific person is Live right now? Instead of scanning your entire Stories bar, you can go straight to the source. If a user is actively streaming, their profile picture will display the same colorful "Live" ring you'd see in the Stories bar.

To check this way:

• Go to the search tab and type in the username of the account you want to check.
• Navigate to their profile page.
• Look at their main profile picture in the top left corner. If they are broadcasting, it will be surrounded by that tell-tale glowing ring.
• Tap their profile picture to jump straight into their live session.

This is the most direct way to check on a specific creator without having to hunt through your feed.

3. On the Explore Page for Discovering New Streams

The Instagram Explore page is the app's central hub for discovering content from accounts you don't yet follow. Sometimes, based on your interests and past interactions, Instagram will feature popular or trending Live videos directly on this page. You might see a dedicated "Live" video tile that you can tap to watch.

While this isn't the most reliable method for finding a specific Live video, it's an excellent way to stumble upon interesting broadcasts from new creators. If a Live video is generating a lot of buzz with high viewership and tons of comments, Instagram's algorithm is more likely to feature it on the Explore page grid.

How to Get Notified the Moment Someone Goes Live

Waiting to organically spot a "Live" badge is a passive approach that often fails. For creators you absolutely don't want to miss, the best strategy is to set up a specific notification. Setting this up ensures you get a push notification on your phone the second they hit that "Go Live" button.

Here's the step-by-step process to set up Live notifications for any account:

1. Go to Their Profile: Navigate to the Instagram profile of the person or brand you want to be notified about.
2. Tap the Bell Icon: In the upper-right corner of their profile page, you'll see a small bell icon next to the "Following" button. Tap on it.
3. Manage Your Notifications: A menu will pop up allowing you to customize which notifications you receive from this account. This gives you granular control separate from your main app settings.
4. Enable Live Video Notifications: Look for the "Live Videos" option in the list. Tap it. You will be given two choices: "Get All Notifications" or "Turn Off." Make sure you select "Get All Notifications."

That's it! The next time that user starts a live stream, you'll get an alert. This is by far the most reliable method for catching live events from your favorite musicians, coaches, small business owners, or friends.

How to Spot and Set Reminders for Scheduled Lives

Smart creators know that promoting their Live in advance builds anticipation and increases viewership. Many of them use Instagram's scheduling feature to let their audience know when to tune in. As a viewer, you can use these announcements to your advantage.

When an account schedules an upcoming Live stream, they will usually create a feed post announcing it. You can identify these posts because they have a small calendar icon on the bottom-left corner of the image or video, along with the title, date, and time of the upcoming Live.

To set a reminder from one of these posts:

• Find the Scheduled Post: Look for a post in their feed that announces an upcoming Live video.
• Tap the Calendar Icon: Tap on the small calendar icon or the text section at the bottom of the post that lists the Live details.
• Set a Reminder: A small pop-up will appear with the option to get a reminder. Simply tap "Remind me," and Instagram will send you a notification shortly before the broadcast begins.

Look out for creators promoting their Lives in their Stories as well. They often use the countdown sticker to link directly to the scheduled broadcast, giving you another easy way to opt-in for a reminder.

Mistakes Were Made: How to Find Live Replays

So what happens if you miss a Live session, despite your best efforts? Don't worry, you might still be in luck. Once a live broadcast ends, the creator has the option to save it and share it as a replay for others to watch later.

There are a few places a creator might put their Live replay:

• Their Main Profile Feed: Most commonly, the replay is shared as a video to their profile grid, just like a regular post. It often has a small icon indicating it was a Live video, distinguishing it from an uploaded Reel. You can watch it, comment on it, and see all the original comments as they appeared during the live broadcast.
• Their Live Tab: On the creator's profile, next to their grid and Reels tabs, you might see a tab specifically for "Live" videos. If they've shared any replays, this is where they will be archived.
• Their Stories: Less common now, but some creators may share the replay to their Stories, where it will be available to watch for 24 hours.

Keep in mind that sharing a replay is entirely up to the creator. If they choose not to save it, or if the video has temporary elements (like copyrighted music) that prevent it from being saved, the content will be gone forever once the stream ends.

Final Thoughts

Watching an Instagram Live connects you directly with creators and brands in a real, unedited way, and now you have all the strategies you need to find them. From checking the Stories bar and enabling notifications to discovering new streams on the Explore page, you're all set to catch the broadcasts that matter to you.

As we help social media managers organize their content, we know how hectic it can be to manage a content calendar that includes spontaneous moments like Instagram Lives. That's why Postbase was designed to streamline everything else - from short-form videos to planned feed posts. Having a visual calendar and a rock-solid scheduler for your pre-planned content frees you up creatively, giving you the mental space to jump into a live stream when the moment feels right.