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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND IV
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Apr. 30, 2013
Init | Utilities Portfolio
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading Fund Summary

Fund/Class:
VIPUtilities Portfolio/Initial Class
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock The fund seeks capital appreciation.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fee Table
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock The following table describes the fees and expenses that may be incurred, directly or indirectly, when you, as a variable product owner, buy, hold, or redeem interests in a separate account that invests in shares of the fund. The table does not include any fees or other expenses of any variable annuity or variable life insurance product; if it did, overall fees and expenses would be higher.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual class operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a % of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 181% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 181.00%
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock This example helps compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

Let's say, hypothetically, that the annual return for shares of the fund is 5% and that the fees and the annual operating expenses for shares of the fund are exactly as described in the fee table. This example illustrates the effect of fees and expenses, but is not meant to suggest actual or expected fees and expenses or returns, all of which may vary. This example does not include any fees or other expenses of any variable annuity or variable life insurance product; if it did, overall expenses would be higher. For every $10,000 invested, here's how much you, as a variable product owner, would pay in total expenses if all interests in a separate account that invests in shares of the fund were redeemed at the end of each time period indicated:
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock
  • Normally investing primarily in common stocks.
  • Normally investing at least 80% of assets in securities of companies principally engaged in the utilities industry and companies deriving a majority of their revenues from their utility operations.
  • Investing in domestic and foreign issuers.
  • Using fundamental analysis of factors such as each issuer's financial condition and industry position, as well as market and economic conditions, to select investments.
Strategy Portfolio Concentration [Text] rr_StrategyPortfolioConcentration
  • Normally investing at least 80% of assets in securities of companies principally engaged in the utilities industry and companies deriving a majority of their revenues from their utility operations.
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal Investment Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock
  • Stock Market Volatility. Stock markets are volatile and can decline significantly in response to adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments. Different parts of the market and different types of securities can react differently to these developments.
  • Foreign Exposure. Foreign markets can be more volatile than the U.S. market due to increased risks of adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, or economic developments and can perform differently from the U.S. market.
  • Utilities Industry Concentration. The utilities industries can be significantly affected by government regulation, interest rate changes, financing difficulties, supply and demand of services or fuel, intense competition, natural resource conservation, and commodity price fluctuations.
  • Issuer-Specific Changes. The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than, and can perform differently from, the market as a whole. The value of securities of smaller issuers can be more volatile than that of larger issuers.
In addition, the fund is considered non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of assets in securities of a smaller number of individual issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in share price than would occur in a more diversified fund.

You could lose money by investing in the fund.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney You could lose money by investing in the fund.
Risk Nondiversified Status [Text] rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus In addition, the fund is considered non-diversified and can invest a greater portion of assets in securities of a smaller number of individual issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in share price than would occur in a more diversified fund.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock The following information is intended to help you understand the risks of investing in the fund. The information illustrates the changes in the performance of the fund's shares from year to year and compares the performance of the fund's shares to the performance of a securities market index and an additional index over various periods of time. The indexes have characteristics relevant to the fund's investment strategies. Index descriptions appear in the Additional Information about the Indexes section of the prospectus. Prior to October 1, 2006, the fund was named VIP Telecommunications & Utilities Growth Portfolio, and the fund operated under certain different investment policies and compared its performance to a different additional index. The fund's historical performance may not represent its current investment policies. Returns for shares of the fund do not include the effect of any sales charges or other expenses of any variable annuity or variable life insurance product; if they did, returns for shares of the fund would be lower. Past performance is not an indication of future performance.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The information illustrates the changes in the performance of the fund's shares from year to year and compares the performance of the fund's shares to the performance of a securities market index and an additional index over various periods of time.
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture Past performance is not an indication of future performance.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Year-by-Year Returns
Calendar Years
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text] rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads Returns for shares of the fund do not include the effect of any sales charges or other expenses of any variable annuity or variable life insurance product; if they did, returns for shares of the fund would be lower.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock
During the periods shown in the chart:
Returns
Quarter ended
Highest Quarter Return
23.40%
June 30, 2003
Lowest Quarter Return
-25.89%
September 30, 2008
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Average Annual Returns
For the periods ended
December 31, 2012
Init | Utilities Portfolio | Initial Class
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Redemption fee on interests in separate accounts held less than 60 days (as a % of amount redeemed) rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption 1.00%
Management fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.56%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.18%
Total annual operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.74%
1 year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 76
3 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 237
5 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 411
10 years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 918
2003 rr_AnnualReturn2003 26.17%
2004 rr_AnnualReturn2004 24.61%
2005 rr_AnnualReturn2005 9.54%
2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 31.79%
2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 20.67%
2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (35.61%)
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 15.42%
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 11.20%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 13.20%
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 7.40%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Highest Quarter Return
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Jun. 30, 2003
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 23.40%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Lowest Quarter Return
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (25.89%)
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel Initial Class
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 7.40%
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 0.10%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 10.65%
Init | Utilities Portfolio | S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel S&P 500® Index
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 16.00%
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 1.66%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 7.10%
Init | Utilities Portfolio | MSCI® U.S. IMI Utilities 25-50 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Label rr_AverageAnnualReturnLabel MSCI® U.S. IMI Utilities 25-50 Index
Past 1 year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 2.07%
Past 5 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 0.95%
Past 10 years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 10.40%