Instagram has finally released a special app just for iPads, after people asked for this many times over 15 years. Before, iPad users had to use the iPhone version of Instagram, which looked stretched and did not fit the big screen well, or they had to use Instagram through a web browser on their iPads.
Now, the new app is designed specifically for iPads with a simple and neat layout that uses the whole screen properly. It works on all iPads with iPadOS 15.1 or newer, and anyone can download it for free from the App Store.
When you open the Instagram app on the iPad, the first thing you see is Reels, which are short videos. This is in the middle of the screen, making it easy to watch lots of videos on the big display. On top, you will find Stories, which show updates from friends and followed accounts.
On the left side, there is a sidebar with quick buttons to go to Feeds, messages (DMs), Explore, Search, and notifications. This makes moving around the app fast and simple.
The Feed section is new and allows users to see different groups of posts. There are three options: "All" mixes recommended posts and accounts users follow, "Friends" shows posts from friends who also follow you, and "Latest" shows posts in the order they were posted, from newest to oldest. Users can change the order of these tabs to what they like best.
Instagram also changed how comments and messages work on the iPad. While watching a Reel, the comments now appear beside the video instead of covering it. In messages, you can see all your active chats on one side while reading or replying to a conversation on the other side. This makes it easier to multitask on the bigger screen.
For many years, Instagram did not make an app just for iPad, even though many users asked for it. Instagram’s boss, Adam Mosseri, said before that they were not in a hurry to build one. But now, they finally did. Meta also said that a similar app design will come to Android tablets soon, so people using those devices can get a better Instagram experience too.
In short, this new Instagram app makes using Instagram on an iPad much better and more fun. It looks good on the big screen and makes it easy to watch videos, see posts from friends, chat, and explore new content all in one place. This update is a big step for Instagram to give tablet users what they wanted for a long time.