New Instagam app on Apple TV brings reels, long-form video and live shows
Meta just made it easier to doomscroll from the comfort of your couch.
In less than a month, a new version of Apple TV will launch, boasting desktop-level computing capabilities. This development prompted the re-listing of Instagram on the Apple App Store, now available on iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs. Instagram had previously experimented with its app on Amazon Fire TVs in late 2025 and Samsung TVs in mid-2026, making Apple the last major player to adopt this new TV app.
The most noticeable change in this TV adaptation is Instagram's need to offer both portrait-style videos, typical of phone and tablet designs, and horizontal, landscape videos to suit TV aspect ratios. As Instagram transitions into streaming services and smart TVs, it is exploring new video formats, such as longer-form videos, episodic content, live streaming, and even subscription-based offerings. This move could position Instagram more competitively against YouTube, the leading platform for video content on the internet.
Meta, Instagram's parent company, believes its short-form video content, known for its addictive nature, will translate well to the big screen, where it can be enjoyed in a communal setting. To facilitate this transition, Meta is working closely with content creators to ensure the process of uploading or streaming on Instagram is as seamless as possible. While this venture may appear risky, a share of YouTube's vast audience could prove highly lucrative for Meta.
Written by urgent.news from Mashable's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
