After years of persistent requests from users, Instagram has officially launched its first dedicated app for iPad. The rollout means users will no longer have to rely on the iPhone version — which was never optimized for larger screens — or access Instagram through a web browser. The new app debuts with a default Reels screen, giving users the ability to enjoy short-form videos in a more immersive big-screen format.
Instagram said the iPad app mirrors nearly all the features of the phone version when it comes to content consumption. Stories appear at the top of the app, while a sidebar on the left provides quick access to the following feed, search, explore, notifications, and direct messages. The feed itself offers three distinct viewing modes: All for recommended posts and reels, Friends for content from mutuals, and Latest for chronological updates, with users able to reorder them according to preference.
The company explained that the new app has been redesigned to make full use of the iPad’s larger display. For example, reels can now be viewed alongside a side panel of comments, and in the messages tab, users can open a specific conversation while still seeing active chats on the left. This marks a significant departure from the old experience, where Instagram on iPad was simply a blown-up version of the iPhone app, often criticized for its awkward interface.
The launch comes nearly 15 years after Instagram’s debut, with the company long resisting calls for an iPad-specific app. Instagram head Adam Mosseri had previously downplayed the urgency of developing one, even as third-party apps like Retro tried to fill the gap. Earlier this year, reports confirmed that development was finally underway. Now available for all iPads running iOS 15.1 or later, the app signals a long-awaited upgrade for millions of Apple tablet user