Meta-owned social network Instagram is developing an app for the iPad, according to a report from The Information. An Instagram employee with insight into Instagram's recent moves to take advantage of the situation with TikTok shared the tidbit about the company's work on an app for tablets.
Instagram users have wanted an Instagram app since the social network launched in 2010, but Instagram has only been an iPhone-only app. Instagram hasn't wanted to put the time or effort into iPad app development, and in 2022, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in 2022 that there were no plans for an iPad app because there is "not a big enough group of people" calling for it to make it a priority. In 2020, Mosseri blamed a lack of employees, saying that the company has a limited number of employees and "lots to do," and an iPad app was not the "next best thing to do yet."
While there is no Instagram app for the iPad, the iPad is able to run the iPhone version of Instagram. It's not ideal because the app is not optimized for the larger iPad display.
Not much is known about the iPad version of Instagram, and there's no word on when it might launch. It is part of the company's plan to capitalize on the looming TikTok ban, which has also seen Instagram attempting to lure popular TikTok creators to Instagram.
Yesterday, Instagram invited creators to New York City to use a new video app called Edits, which is meant to replace the ByteDance-owned CapCut video editing app that was removed from App Stores in January. Edits has video editing tools for creators, and it is aimed at those who produce short-form videos on mobile devices.
Instagram has also increased the length of reels from 90 seconds to three minutes to match TikTok's video upload length, and made interface tweaks to make the app more closely resemble TikTok.
