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New Delhi: It has taken more than a decade, but Instagram has finally arrived on the iPad. Meta announced that the app is rolling out this week, giving Apple tablet users a proper way to scroll, swipe and tap their way through Reels and Stories without relying on the stretched-out iPhone version.
For years, users had complained about the absence of a native iPad app. Now, Instagram says it has designed an interface that takes advantage of the bigger screen, with a heavier focus on video and new ways to keep up with friends and creators.
The company said the app has been redesigned to make Reels more prominent on a larger display. “Now, when you open the app, you’ll drop into Reels, so you can get the entertaining content you love on a bigger screen. You’ll also see Stories at the top, so you can easily connect with the people that matter to you, and messaging is one tap away,” Instagram explained in its blog post.
This means iPad users will now watch short videos in an interface that feels native, instead of expanding a mobile-sized feed. For many creators, this might also mean better engagement on tablets, which continue to find space in homes, classrooms and work setups.
One of the biggest changes is a dedicated Following tab. The feature lets users choose how they want their feed displayed:
Instagram head Adam Mosseri said the iPad app has been built with extra attention to layout. “You’ll see all the parts of Instagram you know, but we’ve taken advantage of the extra space to make Reels more prominent, and built a following tab so you can easily stay on top of all the posts from the people you follow,” Mosseri said.
Instagram was launched in 2010, two years after the iPad first appeared. Since then, the platform has resisted creating a tablet app, often arguing that usage trends were mobile-first. That stance has finally changed, perhaps pushed by how video and messaging have evolved.
The app also seems timed with Instagram’s wider push to improve how users manage feeds. With new layouts, bigger video viewing, and more ways to customize what you see first, the iPad version may become the go-to for long sessions of scrolling and video consumption.
The arrival of Instagram on iPad doesn’t come with any new exclusive features, but the bigger screen means users can expect a different experience altogether. Watching Reels without black borders, flipping through Stories seamlessly, and using messaging in landscape mode are subtle but long-requested updates.
For now, Instagram says this rollout is just the beginning, and users should expect further tweaks as feedback comes in. What’s clear is that after years of waiting, iPad owners finally have their own seat at the Instagram table.
