Instagram Launches native iPad app After Years of Waiting
CUPERTINO,CA – may 29,2024 – Instagram has finally released a dedicated app for iPad,ending years of users being forced to rely on a scaled-up iPhone app with a suboptimal experience. The new app, available today and compatible with iPadOS 15.1 or later, offers a full-screen layout and improved functionality tailored for the larger display.
For years, Instagram on iPad presented a frustrating experience – essentially the same phone app stretched to fit the screen, resulting in awkward gaps and issues like low-resolution image uploads. While Instagram did introduce layout improvements for folding phones a few years ago,leading to a better experience on Android tablets,iPad users were left with the outdated interface. This launch addresses long-standing complaints from a significant portion of Instagram’s over two billion monthly active users who also own iPads, and signals a potential shift in Meta’s approach to app development across platforms.
The new app prioritizes immersive video consumption, promptly launching users into Reels, Instagram’s short-form video platform introduced five years ago to compete with TikTok. The familiar Stories module remains at the top of the screen, with easy access to other tabs via menu icons on the left. A new “Following” tab has also been added, providing a dedicated feed of posts from accounts users actively follow.
Instagram’s leadership,including Adam Mosseri,has previously offered explanations for the delay,often citing resource constraints despite being part of Meta,a multibillion-dollar company. this reluctance to prioritize an iPad app was a recurring criticism, especially as Meta delivered on promises for other platforms - such as the WhatsApp iPad app, released earlier this year after being announced in 2023, following WhatsApp’s initial debut on phones in 2009. The release of the native iPad app marks a significant update for Instagram users and a potential indicator of future platform investment from Meta.
