2 min read
Instagram has finally delivered something users have been requesting for more than a decade: an iPad app. The company admits that “people have asked for this for a while,” a comment that feels like a massive understatement. Still, it says the extra time was spent creating an experience designed specifically for larger screens.
The main feed still appears confined to the center of the display, leaving wide margins on either side. That limitation stems from the iPad’s aspect ratios, which are less straightforward to design for compared to iPhones.
Once installed, the app launches directly into Reels, placing short-form video front and center. Stories remain at the top of the interface, and messaging sits one tap away. A new Following tab has also been added, offering three distinct views: All, which mixes recommended posts and Reels from followed accounts; Friends, which narrows the feed to mutual followers; and Latest, a chronological timeline of the most recent posts.
There is at least one upside to the iPad’s unusual dimensions. While watching Reels, users can expand the comments section without shrinking the video itself, a rare case where the extra space enhances the experience rather than detracts from it.
Instagram for iPad is now rolling out worldwide for devices running iPadOS 15.1 and newer. A similar tablet-focused layout is also in development for Android.
