Instagram launches dedicated app for iPad after years of user demand
After more than a decade and a half of user demand, Meta-owned Instagram has officially launched a dedicated app for iPads, providing a fully optimised experience for Apple’s tablets. The new app is now available worldwide on the Apple App Store for iPads running iPadOS 15.1 or later.
Previously, iPad users had to rely on a stretched-out version of the iPhone app, which offered a subpar experience with blurry visuals and awkward layouts. The new Instagram iPad app is designed specifically for larger screens, using a multi-column layout that makes navigation, messaging, and viewing content much more intuitive.
The app opens directly to the Reels feed, signalling Instagram’s strategic focus on short-form video content to compete with platforms like TikTok. At the top, Stories remain easily accessible, while navigation icons on the left sidebar provide quick access to the Following tab, Direct Messages, Search, Explore, and Notifications.
Within the Following tab, users can filter content into three categories:
- All: Recommended posts and reels from followed accounts
- Friends: Posts and reels from mutual followers
- Latest: A chronological feed showing the newest posts first
The app’s interface takes full advantage of the iPad’s larger display. Users can view comments alongside Reels without interrupting playback, and in the messaging section, conversations display in a two-pane format showing chats on one side and contacts on the other.
Instagram Head Adam Mosseri acknowledged the long wait but expressed the company’s excitement about finally delivering an app that leverages the iPad’s screen real estate for a richer user experience.
While this launch will delight iPad users, Android tablet owners are still waiting for a similarly optimised Instagram app. Meta has confirmed an Android tablet version is in development, but has not announced a release date.
The launch also continues Meta’s broader effort to strengthen its ecosystem with dedicated apps across multiple platforms, following the recent release of a WhatsApp iPad app.
The Instagram iPad app is free to download on the App Store.