Instagram iPad App Launches with Reels Front and Center for Bigger Screens
With side-by-side comments, a split-view inbox, and a more spacious layout, Instagram’s iPad version feels built for the bigger screen rather than just a stretched phone app.
After more than a decade of waiting, Instagram has finally released a dedicated iPad app, marking a significant shift in how the platform approaches tablets. Beginning September 3, 2025, users can download an app designed specifically for Apple’s larger screens, moving beyond the scaled-up version of the mobile experience that iPad users have relied on for years.
The new app immediately signals Instagram’s priorities: Reels, the platform’s short-form video feature, dominate the homepage. Users open the app directly to a feed of Reels, reflecting Meta’s ongoing push to compete with TikTok. The decision to prioritize Reels is more than cosmetic — it’s a clear statement about where Instagram sees its growth and engagement in the years ahead.
Other familiar features adapt naturally to the iPad’s larger display. Stories still line the top of the homepage, but the screen now allows for side-by-side viewing of Reels and comments. Direct Messages are presented in a split view, much like Messenger on desktop, giving users a clearer overview of ongoing conversations. A “Following” tab offers a more traditional chronological feed, letting users navigate Instagram in a way that feels closer to the original mobile experience.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri has acknowledged in the past that the audience for an iPad app was smaller than other priorities. What has changed? Analysts suggest several factors: the growing use of tablets among younger users, the global appetite for video content, and TikTok’s uncertain regulatory status in markets like the United States.
For creators, the app could offer a new playground. Extended Reels, reposting options, and faster navigation on a larger screen make producing and interacting with content less cumbersome. It’s a reminder that Instagram’s future, at least on tablets, is firmly anchored in short-form video.
The launch also underscores a subtle shift in social media consumption. As screens grow larger and content evolves, apps that once focused on smartphones are rethinking design and interaction. For iPad users, Instagram now feels less like a stretched phone app and more like a platform built to embrace the possibilities of a bigger display.
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