Instagram has finally released a dedicated app for iPad. The interface has been optimized for large screens: upon opening, the user is immediately taken to Reels, with Stories displayed at the top, and messages and notifications visible side by side.
Instagram has finally released a dedicated app for iPad. The interface has been optimized for large screens: upon opening, the user is immediately taken to Reels, with Stories displayed at the top, and messages and notifications visible side by side.
The companyannounced the launch on its blog. A new Following tab has appeared on the iPad with three feed modes: All (recommended posts and reels from accounts you follow), Friends (content from those you mutually follow), Latest (chronological display). The user can determine the order of these feeds themselves — what to see first. When viewing reels, comments expand to the side, and the video remains full screen, so the discussion does not interfere with viewing.
The team specifically emphasizes the «lean back» scenario: the application is focused on video consumption «from the couch» — that’s why Reels is «at the entrance.» Convenient layouts for correspondence have also been transferred to the big screen: incoming and selected conversations are displayed simultaneously, which speeds up responses. Switching between sections has become easier thanks to the updated navigation that uses the free space of the tablet.
Instagram for iPad is rolling out globally and supports iPadOS 15.1 and later. It’s free to download from the App Store. It also says the updated tablet design will be coming to Android tablets «soon,» bringing the company’s approach to large screens to both major platforms.
Users have been waiting for years for their own iPad client: previously, tablet owners had to use a scaled-down iPhone version or a web interface. The new app removes these compromises while simultaneously enhancing Instagram’s core feature, namely short videos. For creators, this means a wider reach on large screens, for brands, new interaction formats and longer viewing sessions, and for users, fewer «clicks» and more content on one screen.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how Instagram is launching a new feature that allows content creators to combine multiple reels into a single series. This should simplify navigation for users and increase viewing time.
