You Can Finally Use Instagram on iPad – But It’s Built Differently

After years of requests, Instagram for iPad has officially launched, bringing a fresh, tablet-optimized experience to Apple users worldwide. The new app version is now available for iPad models running iPadOS 15.1 or later.

In a post on its official blog, Instagram said that users “have asked for this for a while” and that they’d “taken the time to design an experience that optimizes your favorite parts of Instagram for a bigger screen.” They took literally 15 years, but hey, I guess it’s better late than never, right? Right?

Reels First: Entertainment on the Big Screen

The company says that Instagram for iPad was designed with “lean back entertainment” in mind. That’s why, unlike the mobile version, opening Instagram on iPad drops you directly into Reels. Yeah, we all know photos aren’t Instagram’s thing anymore, so this doesn’t come as a surprise. Stories remain visible at the top for quick access, and messaging is just one tap away, thanks to a new layout designed to reduce navigation steps.

Reels remain in full view even when expanding comments, and side-by-side tabs let you multitask more easily.

A Better Way to Follow Your Favorites

One of the standout features of the iPad Instagram version is a redesigned Following tab. “We’ve heard your requests for easier ways to make sure you’re not missing updates from your favorite accounts,” Instagram writes. The Following tab offers three different views:

• All: Recommended posts and reels from accounts you follow
• Friends: Posts and reels from accounts that follow you back
• Latest: A chronological feed with the newest posts shown first

You can customize the order of these views to prioritize how content appears. And yeah, you have the chronological feed! Well, kind of.

Instagram Designed for iPad, Not Just a Bigger App

Instagram points out that this isn’t just a stretched version of the mobile app. The company says they’ve focused on making full use of the iPad’s screen space. “We’ve made it easier to catch up on your messages and notifications with layouts that display both tabs,” the announcement reads further. ” It’s the Instagram you love, now with more space to play.”

Instagram for iPad is now rolling out globally via the App Store, and is free to download for users on iPadOS 15.1 or later. According to Instagram, this new tablet-friendly design will also be coming to Android tablets “soon,” but no official date has been shared.

[via Engadget]

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