Instagram Eliminates Apple Watch App

Monday April 2, 2018 11:35 am PDT by Juli Clover

Instagram today became the latest company to ditch the Apple Watch, eliminating its Apple Watch app in an update that was released this morning.

In a statement given to French site iPhoneAddict, Instagram said the Instagram Apple Watch app was built using the watchOS 1 SDK, which was obsoleted by Apple on April 1. Rather than putting effort into rebuilding the app, Instagram has decided to end support for the wrist-worn device.

instagramapplewatchapp

"The Instagram app for Apple Watch will no longer be available as a stand-alone experience once users upgrade to Instagram version 39 on iOS, released April 2, 2018. We are committed to providing users with the best experience with their Apple products and we will continue to explore ways to achieve this on all platforms. Users with an Apple Watch will continue to enjoy a great Instagram experience through various rich and varied notifications. "

Apple last year began notifying developers that Apple Watch apps need to be native apps built with the watchOS 2 SDK or later as of April 1, 2018. Apple first began requiring new apps to use the watchOS 2 SDK in June of 2016, and watchOS apps that continue to use the watchOS 1 SDK can no longer be updated. Apple now requires all new watchOS apps to be built using the watchOS 4 SDK.

Instagram has had a watchOS app available since 2015, and it was one of the first companies to support the Apple Watch when it first launched. The app was designed to let you view and like photos from the social network on your wrist. Instagram features will continue to be available on Apple Watch, but through notifications sent to a linked iPhone.

Instagram joins several other major companies that have abandoned development for the Apple Watch and eliminated their watchOS apps, including Twitter, Google Maps, Amazon, and eBay.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11

Tag: Instagram

Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

New Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 Features Revealed

Sunday August 30, 2026 7:54 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today further outlined what to expect from the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 set to be unveiled on September 9. While it was initially rumored that Touch ID may be coming to the Apple Watch this year, Gurman reiterated that he does not expect the Series 12 or Ultra 4 to have any major design changes compared to the current Series 11 and Ultra 3 models. ...

• 156 comments

Apple Event Today: iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo Cheat Sheet

Tuesday September 8, 2026 10:24 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple's biggest event of the year is almost here, and all eyes are on Cupertino. With the first foldable iPhone expected to headline Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday, September 9, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, the rumor mill has been running full throttle, fuelled by the biggest single design change in the life of the iPhone. To get you up to speed, here's a quick reference...

• 35 comments

Leak Hints at Four New Features for Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4

Monday September 7, 2026 8:57 am PDT by Hartley Charlton

Ahead of the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 later this week, code in the watchOS 27 and iOS 27 betas points to a series of new features for the product line. The information comes from a new post from MacRumors forums member "pdfu." The findings include: New "Readiness" app: An all-new separate Watch app referred to in code as "Readiness," distinct from the...

• 109 comments

Top Rated Comments

hayesie

110 months ago

How about they focus on making an iPad app. It's 2018 . . . almost exactly 8 years after the iPad launched. I can't fathom a legitimate reason why one of the world's top-10 most valuable companies (Facebook) hasn't made an iPad app for, arguably, the most loved Social Media platform.

Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)

djcerla

110 months ago

A photo sharing app for a watch wasn’t a very good idea to boot.

Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)

69Mustang

110 months ago

Right when I was thinking of buying one, a lot of companies are ditching it. Either people are not holding onto their Apple watches or they just really are not using the apps built for them. What gives?

Companies are starting to realize that every app doesn't fit the AW proposition. That's not saying anything negative about the AW. It's just a realization that AW works better as a notification device, a quick hit-n-run device... ya know, just like Apple said it was designed to be.

Most of the companies removing their AW apps probably shouldn't have had AW apps to begin with, imo. I mean seriously, who's going through pics on a ~1.5" screen?

Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)

NikeSG

110 months ago

Right when I was thinking of buying one, a lot of companies are ditching it. Either people are not holding onto their Apple watches or they just really are not using the apps built for them. What gives?

The apps that are dropping are impractical and slow. Apple Watch is still solid, there’s nothing that has been taken away that I miss. While, yes, there is still plenty of room for growth and innovation for watch apps. Apple also needs to open it up a bit more to developers, but I assume that’s all in due time.

Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)