iPad-Exclusive Instagram Puts Reels First

Meta’s long-anticipated app for the iPad has made its debut, launching on 3 September 2025 after over 15 years of user demand. Tailored to take advantage of the larger screen, the app opens straight to Reels—a shift that signals Instagram’s strategic emphasis on short-form videos. Unlike previous work-arounds, which relied on an upscaled iPhone app or the web version, this release offers a fully redesigned experience with native layout and functionality.

The app leverages the iPad’s wider display with a sidebar navigation replacing the traditional bottom bar. It provides streamlined access to Home, Reels, Search, Direct Messages, notifications, and profile settings. On opening, users encounter a vibrant Reels feed, while Stories remain at the top of the screen. A “Following” tab creates a more personalised browsing option, dividing content into “All”, “Friends” and “Latest” streams, including a chronological feed.

Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, had previously said that demand for an iPad app did not justify the development effort—but evolving user habits and platform competition have prompted a rethink. The app’s Reels-first interface appears to position Instagram as a primary destination for short-form content, particularly amid TikTok’s uncertain regulatory landscape in the US.

Beyond Reels, the app’s multi-panel layout enhances usability: Reels play alongside comments in an adjacent pane, while the Direct Messages section offers an inbox-plus-chat view akin to Messenger on desktop. Notifications and activity alerts similarly benefit from side-by-side panels, reducing the friction of navigation.

The new iPad release integrates features long available on mobile: feed, Stories, Explore, content-creation capabilities, notifications, and messaging. However, several interface refinements make the experience more fluid. Landscape orientation support, proper image and video scaling, and compatibility with iPad multitasking systems like Split View and Slide Over underline Instagram’s intention to deliver a refined tablet experience.

Market analysts note that iPad remains a significant revenue driver for Apple—its growing audience and hardware sales may have contributed to Meta revisiting the project. At the same time, strengthening Instagram’s Reels presence across devices positions it to better challenge TikTok’s dominance.

User responses to the app are mixed. Some celebrate the arrival of a well-designed tablet version, while others express discontent over the Reels-first model. Critics argue that opening directly into Reels accentuates the platform’s push for continuous video consumption, a trend that can feel overwhelming. A few early impressions describe the layout as sparse or excessively white-space.

Still, the launch marks a major upgrade for an entrenched platform that, until now, relegated iPad users to sub-optimal interfaces. As one observer put it, after such a delay, “at least there is now a native app” to work with. This move lays the groundwork for future updates driven by user feedback and platform trends.