The 15-year-long-awaited app is now available on iPad

More than a decade after its iPad debut, Instagram has finally released a tablet version, with Reels, the platform's short-form video section, at the center.

iPad version of the app. Photo: Instagram .

Starting September 3, users will be able to download a new Instagram app specifically developed for Apple tablets. However, this version will be slightly different from the mobile version.

The most notable point is that when opening the Instagram app on iPad, users will be taken straight to the Reels section. This is the short video interface of Meta, TikTok's competitor in the same field.

People have been asking for a tablet version for years, and the Instagram team has noticed. “People have been asking for this for a long time, so we’ve spent some time redesigning the experience and optimizing our most popular features for larger screens,” the company wrote in a blog post.

In April, it was reported that Meta was developing an Instagram app for iPad after years of delays, in part due to TikTok’s fraught legal and political situation. For years, Instagram for iPad was just a paper version, until its biggest rival was threatened with a ban in the US.

Other features will also be available on iPad, like Stories, which will still appear horizontally at the top of the home page. Users can switch to the “Following” tab to see videos reposted by friends or acquaintances in a similar experience to the phone.

The new interface allows for a natural, multitasking experience. Photo: Meta.

Bigger screens mean more space and less work. Comments on Reels will appear alongside full-screen videos, and the Messages (DMs) page will display your inbox alongside the chat window, similar to Messenger on desktop. Now, users can expand comments while Reels continues to play in full-screen mode, ensuring they don’t miss a second of the video.

In the future, Instagram also revealed that a similar tablet-optimized experience will soon be rolled out to Android devices, expanding its reach beyond Apple users. This design will help Instagram feel more natural in the iPad ecosystem and increase its user acquisition rate, according to MacDailyNews.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri has previously said that the group of people who want an iPad app isn’t big enough to be a priority. The company’s new app launch could be due to the growing number of kids using tablets, or because rival TikTok is in legal trouble.

According to The Verge , it's clear that Instagram is ramping up its Reels game. It's lengthened videos, added reposting and fast-forwarding capabilities, and earlier this year, the company even tried to lure popular TikTokers over, showing the potential of short-form video as a central part of the platform.

Source: https://znews.vn/ung-dung-duoc-cho-doi-15-nam-da-co-mat-tren-ipad-post1582414.html