Much like WhatsApp, Instagram users have been clamouring for a native iPad app for quite a while. Now, Instagram for iPad has become a reality, 15 years after the photo-sharing platform first came into existence. However, there is a slight twist here: the dedicated app is focused on the Reels feature.
When opening the app, the user will be dropped into Reels. According to Instagram, this change is to better match the way people currently use big screens. Stories are still located at the top of the app for easy access to the accounts the user is following.
Speaking of which, Instagram has also introduced a “Following” tab to the app. This section is further broken down into three categories: All, Friends, and Latest. The All category shows recommended content from accounts the user is following. Meanwhile, the Friends section is reserved for accounts that follow the user back. And as it says on the tin, Latest shows content in reverse chronological order.
Moreover, the app has been optimised to fit the bigger screen on a tablet. Previously, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the lack of a dedicated app was partly due to Meta’s concerns about how it would look on a tablet. It seems like Instagram’s solution to this is to display more features at a time. For instance, the user can view their messages and notifications at once as the app shows both tabs at once. When watching reels, comments can be expanded while maintaining the clip at full size.
The Instagram for iPad app is available for iPad models that support iPadOS 15.1 and later. Those who wish to download it can head over to the App Store. According to Instagram, the new app design is “coming soon” to Android, although it did not offer an exact time frame.
(Source: Instagram blog)
