After a decade and a half of user requests, Instagram has officially launched a version tailored for the iPad. Starting this week, iPad users running iPadOS 15.1 or later can download the app directly from the App Store.
Instead of opening to the traditional photo feed, the app greets users with a full-screen Reels display — a clear nod to Instagram’s shift toward short-form video content. Stories remain accessible at the top, and a new Following tab gives users three viewing options: All (recommended content), Friends (mutual followers), and Latest (chronologically ordered posts). Users also get the flexibility to reorder these tabs based on their preference.
The interface has been rethought for the iPad’s larger screen: Reels playback can run side by side with comments, while direct messages appear in a split view that mirrors desktop-style layout. This redesign creates a more immersive, multitasking-friendly experience — a significant upgrade from the stretched-out mobile version users had previously resorted to.
Meta had previously suggested that limited development resources and a smaller audience made an iPad app a low priority. But in today’s landscape — with rising tablet usage and short-video dominance — that stance has clearly changed. An Android tablet version is reportedly in the works as well.
For longtime users and creators, this launch marks a major improvement in how Instagram content is consumed and produced on larger devices.
