Earlier this year it seemed like hell would have to freeze over before WhatsApp and Instagram appeared natively on Apple’s popular line of tablets. The ice has obviously shifted as – fresh from WhatsApp’s debut in May – there’s finally a version of Instagram that works on iPad. Who said pigs can’t fly?
Instagram’s iPad app is available now through the App Store. As with the debut of WhatsApp it seems there’s no real rhyme or reason why these apps have waited 15 years after the debut of the iPad to appear fully on the platform. Meta has only ever said that it doesn’t think enough people would use an Instagram iPad app. Hmmm. I think we’ll probably learn more about it when tech industry emails appear in the public domain.
In any case, Meta has decided to bring Instagram to iPads in… an unusual way. Rather than opening up to your feed like the regular app, Instagram for iPad is all about Reels. That’s the Instagram version of TikToks for those that don’t play with socials. When you open the app it will go directly to the Reels page. Sigh. Reels suck. But I’m apparently in the minority, and most people enjoy scrolling through them for hours. So I suppose this does make sense for Instagram.
Stories and DMs will be available at the top of the app, where you’d expect. If you’d like to see your regular feed, you can head to the Following tab. It will let you filter between posts from the algorithm and only the accounts that you follow. You can even pick to only see posts from friends (accounts you follow and that follow you back). I love the number of options you get here.
Apparently, Instagram for iPad was designed to take advantage of larger displays. You can check notifications and messages at the same time, using a dedicated layout that shows both tabs. You can also view the comments section on Reels and posts without obscuring the content. But there does also seem to be an awful lot of dead space in the app – particularly around the side-tab navigator.
If you do want to install Instagram on your iPad, it’s available now through the App Store.