For years, iPad users have been asking one simple question: Why doesn’t Instagram have a proper app for tablets? While the platform grew into one of the biggest social networks in the world, it somehow skipped Apple’s tablet, forcing people to rely on the web version or stretched iPhone apps. That finally changes now—Instagram has officially launched an iPad app.
The new app puts Reels front and center. As soon as you open it, you land directly in Reels, which makes sense given how short videos have become Instagram’s main growth engine. Stories sit on top, and messaging is one tap away. It is clear that Meta sees the iPad as a place for “lean back” entertainment, almost like YouTube on a big screen.
But this launch also raises an interesting question: why did it take so long? Instagram first launched in 2010, the same year the first iPad came out. In the years since, we got Instagram on the web, multiple redesigns, shopping tabs, and even a TikTok-inspired Reels push. Yet a proper iPad app was always missing. Some speculated Meta wanted to keep people glued to phones, where ad engagement is higher. Others believed building a tablet version simply wasn’t a priority as Instagram chased younger users on mobile.
The delay may not matter anymore, though. The demand was always there, and the new iPad version comes at a time when people are spending more time watching long sessions of short videos. Bigger screens mean longer watch time, and that’s good news for both creators and advertisers. The addition of the new Following tab, which includes an option to view posts in chronological order, also shows that Instagram is responding to user feedback after years of criticism about its algorithm-first feed.
Looking ahead, this move could hint at Meta’s broader strategy. With a proper iPad app, Instagram could easily expand into productivity-style features, better creative tools, or even live shopping experiences that take advantage of larger displays. The company has also confirmed that a tablet-optimized version for Android is coming soon, which could open up Instagram to millions of users on devices like Samsung’s Galaxy Tab series.
For now, it feels like Instagram is finally catching up with something users have wanted for over a decade. The question is: will this change how people use Instagram, or is it simply too late for a big impact? Either way, iPad owners finally get the Instagram experience they have been waiting for.
