Instagram debuts official app optimized for iPad screens with Reels focus

📅 Published: 9/3/2025
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 7:01:15 PM
📊 15 updates
⏱️ 10 min read
📱 This article updates automatically every 10 minutes with breaking developments

Instagram has officially launched a dedicated app optimized for iPad screens, marking a significant development after more than a decade since the platform’s original iPhone debut. The new app is designed for iPads running iPadOS 15.1 or later and is now rolling out globally on the App Store as a free download.

The iPad version of Instagram takes full advantage of the de...

The iPad version of Instagram takes full advantage of the device’s larger display, delivering a visually appealing and user-friendly experience that was long overdue. Key features include full support for Reels and Stories, Instagram’s popular video and ephemeral content formats, with a particular emphasis on Reels to align with the platform’s video-centric direction.

A standout addition is the new “Following” tab, which organi...

A standout addition is the new “Following” tab, which organizes content into multiple sections: posts and Reels from friends who follow you back, a “Latest” section sorted chronologically, and an “All” section for a broader feed. This structure offers users more control over how they browse content, enhancing the social experience on the larger screen.

Messaging on Instagram has also been optimized for iPad. Wit...

Messaging on Instagram has also been optimized for iPad. With more screen real estate, users can now view their inbox and message threads side by side, improving multitasking and conversation flow. The app supports iPad-specific features such as keyboard, trackpad, and Apple Pencil input, offering versatility for different usage preferences.

This launch comes as a surprise to many, as Instagram had no...

This launch comes as a surprise to many, as Instagram had not released an official iPad app for years, despite the platform’s growth and expanded functionality. The new app works both in full-screen mode and, with the upcoming iPadOS 26 windowing features, can adopt a more iPhone-like interface if desired.

The iPad app’s debut reflects Instagram’s commitment to adap...

The iPad app’s debut reflects Instagram’s commitment to adapting its service to a wider range of devices and enhancing user engagement, especially through Reels, which have become a central focus for the platform.

Users can now find and download the Instagram app for iPad o...

Users can now find and download the Instagram app for iPad on the App Store globally, with availability continuing to roll out to all regions in the coming days. This move is expected to improve the Instagram experience for iPad users, who previously had to rely on the iPhone app or web browser versions.

In summary, Instagram’s official iPad app brings a tailored...

In summary, Instagram’s official iPad app brings a tailored experience that leverages the iPad’s capabilities, highlights Reels content, and offers improved navigation and messaging features, closing a long-standing gap in the Instagram ecosystem[1][2][3][4].

🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 4:40:43 PM
Instagram has launched its long-awaited official iPad app, optimized for iPadOS 15.1 and later, with a strong focus on Reels as the default landing page to cater to "lean back entertainment" on larger screens, a move experts say addresses a longstanding user demand and aligns with shifting content consumption trends[1][2][5]. Industry analysts highlight the app's new features like the “Following” tab offering customized feeds—All, Friends, and Latest—and a multi-column layout enabling multitasking, which together enhance browsing and messaging efficiency, marking a significant UX upgrade compared to the previous blown-up iPhone version[3][4]. Meta’s decision to prioritize Reels on iPad is viewed as a strategic step to compete with Tik
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 4:50:42 PM
Instagram has launched its official iPad app, optimized for larger screens with a primary focus on Reels to enhance "lean back entertainment," marking a strategic push against TikTok's dominance in short-form video[1][2]. The app introduces new features like a customizable Following tab with three feed options—All, Friends, and Latest—and a multi-column layout allowing simultaneous browsing and messaging, aiming to deepen user engagement on tablets[1][3]. This move positions Instagram more competitively within the social media landscape by offering a tailored experience that was previously absent on iPad, potentially increasing its share of users who prefer tablet browsing[4].
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 5:00:44 PM
Following Instagram's debut of its official iPad app optimized for larger screens and focused on Reels, Meta's stock showed a modest uptick, closing 1.8% higher on September 3, 2025, reflecting investor optimism about enhanced user engagement opportunities[5][2]. Market analysts noted that the app’s Reels-centric design positions Meta to better compete with TikTok, potentially driving ad revenue growth, with one expert commenting, "This update could significantly boost watch time and ad impressions on iPads"[5]. Overall, investors appear cautiously positive, viewing the move as a strategic step to expand Instagram's footprint on Apple’s tablet platform.
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 5:10:43 PM
Meta’s Instagram officially launched a dedicated iPad app on September 3, 2025, now available globally for iPads running iPadOS 15.1 or later, optimizing the user experience specifically for larger screens with a Reels-first interface[1][2][3]. Internationally, this move has been praised for addressing long-standing user demands in multiple regions, as it provides a more immersive, full-screen Reels viewing experience and enhanced multitasking features—such as side-by-side messaging and customizable Following feeds—which are expected to boost engagement especially in markets where tablet use is high[1][4]. Instagram’s announcement emphasized that the iPad app aims to support creativity and entertainment on a bigger canvas, reflecting global trends toward video content consumption
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 5:20:43 PM
Meta Platforms’ stock (NASDAQ: META) showed a modest positive reaction following Instagram’s official launch of the iPad-optimized app with a Reels focus on September 3, 2025, rising by about 1.3% in early trading as investors welcomed the move to enhance user experience on larger screens and compete more effectively with TikTok[1][4]. Market analysts noted that the app’s new features—such as a vertically oriented Reels interface and a “Following” tab—could boost engagement and ad revenue on iPads, potentially expanding Instagram’s reach in the tablet market[3]. While the stock gain was measured, experts highlighted this rollout as a strategic step for Meta amid growing competition in video content, with some forecasting further
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 5:30:45 PM
Instagram has launched its first official iPad app, optimized for larger screens with a special focus on Reels, signaling a strategic push to capture more lean-back entertainment users on tablets[1][2]. The app defaults to a full-screen Reels interface, includes a new "Following" tab with customizable feeds ("All," "Friends," and "Latest"), and supports multitasking layouts for messaging, enhancing competition against TikTok and Apple’s other video-focused social platforms[1][4]. Meta’s move follows WhatsApp’s recent arrival on iPad, consolidating its ecosystem and intensifying its position in the tablet social media market[2].
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 5:40:59 PM
Instagram has officially launched a dedicated iPad app optimized for larger screens, requiring iPads to run iPadOS 15.1 or later. The app opens directly to the Reels feed, emphasizing short video content, and features a redesigned three-column layout that allows users to watch Reels with comments visible alongside, and manage DMs with simultaneous chat and inbox views. It adds a new Following tab with filter options including "All," "Friends," and a chronological "Latest" feed, enabling more personalized and efficient content discovery[1][2][3][4][5].
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 5:50:59 PM
Instagram has launched a native iPad app optimized for iPads running iPadOS 15.1 or later, featuring a Reels-first interface that opens directly to a full-screen Reels feed with comments displayed side-by-side, enhancing multi-tasking and content interaction on larger screens[1][2][4]. The app introduces a customizable feed with three tabs—All, Friends, and Latest—that allow sorting posts and Reels chronologically or by relationship, and also adds a split-view design for simultaneous access to messages and notifications, which leverages the iPad’s increased screen real estate to reduce navigation taps[1][3][4]. This redesign addresses previous user frustrations with the blown-up iPhone app on iPad by delivering a tablet-specific
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 6:01:05 PM
Meta’s Instagram has officially launched a dedicated iPad app optimized for larger screens, marking a significant shift in the competitive social media landscape[1][3]. This move directly challenges TikTok’s dominance in short-form video by emphasizing a redesigned Reels interface that opens in full-screen for lean-back viewing, aiming to capture users on iPads with a tailored experience[1][3]. With features like the new “Following” tab and enhanced multitasking, Instagram now rivals other major apps like Snapchat and YouTube that have long offered iPad-specific versions, positioning Meta to better compete for engagement on tablet devices[2][3].
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 6:10:59 PM
Instagram has officially launched a dedicated iPad app as of September 3, 2025, available on iPads running iPadOS 15.1 or later, ending years of user reliance on a cramped iPhone version or the web interface[1][5]. The app prioritizes Reels, opening directly into a full-screen, lean-back viewing experience optimized for larger screens, with Stories prominently displayed at the top and messaging one tap away[1][2]. New features include a customizable Following tab with multiple feed views—All, Friends, and Latest—and a multitasking-friendly multi-column layout for browsing while messaging or checking notifications[1][2][5].
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 6:21:01 PM
Instagram has officially launched its long-awaited iPad app, optimized for iPads running iPadOS 15.1 or later, with a clear focus on Reels, which now open in full-screen mode for a lean-back viewing experience[1][4][5]. Industry experts note that this tailored redesign addresses prior user frustration with the cramped iPhone app on larger screens and enhances multitasking by allowing side-by-side messaging and notifications, a significant improvement for power users[1][4]. The app also introduces a customizable Following tab with three distinct feeds—All, Friends, and Latest—offering users more control over content discovery, which analysts view as Instagram reinforcing its push toward video-first social engagement on tablets[2][5].
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 6:31:06 PM
Instagram's launch of its official iPad app on September 3, 2025, with a strong emphasis on Reels, is seen by industry experts as a strategic move to enhance user engagement and compete with TikTok in the short-form video space. Meta’s design prioritizes full-screen Reels on larger tablet displays, offering a lean-back viewing experience, while introducing a sophisticated Following tab that allows customized content sorting, addressing long-standing user demands for better iPad optimization[1][2][5]. Analysts highlight that this app not only improves usability with multi-column layouts for simultaneous messaging and browsing but also demonstrates Meta’s commitment to revitalizing Instagram’s growth by capitalizing on the popularity of short-form video content[3][5].
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 6:41:04 PM
Instagram’s launch of its official iPad app on September 3, 2025, marks a strategic push to strengthen its position against TikTok by emphasizing Reels with a full-screen, immersive interface optimized for larger displays[1][2]. This move addresses a major gap in the competitive landscape, as Instagram aims to boost user engagement on iPads—now leveraging multitasking features and a new “Following” tab for better content discovery[1]. Meta’s focus on Reels as the centerpiece signals a renewed effort to capture short-form video viewers amid intensifying competition.
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 6:51:12 PM
Instagram officially launched its first dedicated iPad app on September 3, 2025, optimized for iPads running iPadOS 15.1 or later, featuring a redesigned interface that opens directly to full-screen Reels for immersive viewing[1][3][4]. The app introduces a “Following” tab with three feed options—“All,” “Friends,” and “Latest”—and supports multitasking with side-by-side messaging and notifications, enhancing usability on larger screens[1][2][4]. Instagram stated, “People have asked for this for a while, and we’ve taken the time to design an experience that optimizes your favorite parts of Instagram for a bigger screen”[1].
🔄 Updated: 9/3/2025, 7:01:15 PM
Instagram has launched a native iPad app optimized for iPadOS 15.1 and later, delivering a redesigned interface that leverages the larger screen with a primary focus on Reels, which opens immediately upon launch for immersive, lean-back entertainment[1][2][3]. The app introduces a new "Following" tab featuring three feed filters—All (recommended posts and reels), Friends (mutual follows), and Latest (chronological)—enabling users to customize their browsing; comments on Reels appear alongside full-size videos, and the messaging interface allows simultaneous viewing of inbox and chats, enhancing multitasking[1][2][3][4]. This technical revamp addresses past frustrations with the iPhone app's stretched interface on iPads,
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