Highlights
- Instagram’s dedicated iPad app launches with a Reels-centric design.
- It offers a new Following tab with customisable feed views, multitasking support for side-by-side messaging and notifications, and seamless comment expansion.
- The app is now live and available for free on the App Store for iPadOS 15.1+.
Instagram has officially launched its long-awaited iPad app, available now on the App Store. The redesigned application places Reels at the heart of the user experience, as parent company Meta continues to ramp up its rivalry with TikTok in the short-form video space. Here’s a quick roundup of everything you need to know about this new iPad app.
Instagram iPad App Brings Optimised Experience
iPad users have been reliant on a stretched version of the iPhone app, which often led to blurry visuals and missing features. The new iPad app addresses these frustrations, offering a fully optimised experience tailored to larger screens.
The app, compatible with devices running iPadOS 15.1 or later, launches directly into a Reels feed. Stories remain pinned at the top, while users also get one-tap access to direct messaging. Instagram refers to this approach as “lean-back entertainment,” highlighting Reels’ growing importance on the platform.
In a detailed announcement post, Instagram specifies, “With Instagram for iPad, we’ve redesigned the experience to reflect how people use bigger screens today – for lean back entertainment. Now, when you open the app, you’ll drop into Reels, so you can get the entertaining content you love on a bigger screen. You’ll also see Stories at the top, so you can easily connect with the people that matter to you, and messaging is one tap away.”
Reels has become a major driver of user engagement, now accounting for more than 20% of the time people spend on Instagram. By making Reels the focal point of the iPad app, Meta is further cementing its strategy to compete in the booming short-video market.
New Features and Layout Options
The iPad app introduces a Following tab that provides multiple feed-viewing options, such as recommended posts, content from mutual followers, and chronological feeds. Users can also rearrange these options to better suit their preferences.
In addition, the interface now supports multitasking layouts. Messages and notifications can appear side by side, while comments expand seamlessly without disrupting video playback. Instagram’s announcement post explains, “When designing Instagram for iPad, we wanted to take advantage of the bigger screen to give people more features with fewer taps, while keeping it simple. We’ve made it easier to catch up on your messages and notifications with layouts that display both tabs. When you watch reels, you can expand the comments while the reel stays at full size, making it easy to catch up on the best reactions without missing a moment. It’s the Instagram you love, now with more space to play.”
Availability and Future Plans
The new iPad app is free to download from Apple’s App Store, giving iPad users a richer Instagram experience for the first time.
Meanwhile, Instagram has also confirmed that an optimised Android tablet version will be released in the near future.
FAQs
Q1. What’s new in Instagram’s dedicated iPad app?
Answer. Instagram’s iPad app offers a fully optimised experience with a Reels-centric layout, improved visuals, and one-tap access to Stories and messaging.
Q2. Which iPad models support the new Instagram app?
Answer. The app is compatible with iPads running iPadOS 15.1 or later, delivering a tailored interface for larger screens and multitasking features.
Q3. Is Instagram planning a tablet version for Android?
Answer. Yes, Instagram has confirmed that an optimised Android tablet version is in development and will be released in the near future.
Also Read –
https://www.mymobileindia.com/instagram-dm-management-tools-picture-in-picture-reels/