Instagram Finally Arrives on iPad

Sep 03, 2025

Jeremy Gray

An iPad displays the Instagram app in dark mode, showing a vertical video of two people, one playing a cello and the other looking at the camera. Instagram stories icons are visible at the top.

Instagram is finally available natively on Apple iPad, answering the calls from iPad users who have requested an iPad Instagram for many years.

Instagram announced the news today, acknowledging that people have been asking for this release “for a while.” The company promises the wait was worth it, describing a native iPad app that has been optimized for the iPad’s relatively larger screen. In particular, Reels has been revamped for the bigger screen.

“Instagram has always been the place where people connect over creativity, and Reels has become a primary way people discover and share entertaining content,” Instagram says. “With Instagram for iPad, we’ve redesigned the experience to reflect how people use bigger screens today — for lean back entertainment.”

A hand with painted nails rests next to a plate filled with fresh strawberries. The image is displayed on a tablet screen showing a social media post.

Much like YouTube does on iPhone with Shorts, Instagram for iPad places a strong emphasis on short-form video content. When iPad owners open Instagram, the app jumps straight to Reels, which Instagram says delivers “the entertaining content you love on a bigger screen.” On this opening screen, Stories are located at the top, and Instagram’s other areas are accessible via a vertical panel on the left side of the display.

A big complaint against Instagram in recent years is how much more difficult it has been for users to find content from the accounts they follow and interact with the most. Instagram on iPad features a new “Following” tab that provides users with multiple ways to view the latest content from the accounts they follow, including filtering for all followed accounts, friends, and a chronological feed.

Three tablet screens display different user interfaces: a group chat list, a direct messaging conversation, and a video chat feed. The background features a pink and orange gradient.

“When designing Instagram for iPad, we wanted to take advantage of the bigger screen to give people more features with fewer taps, while keeping it simple,” Instagram explains. “We’ve made it easier to catch up on your messages and notifications with layouts that display both tabs. When you watch reels, you can expand the comments while the reel stays at full size, making it easy to catch up on the best reactions without missing a moment. It’s the Instagram you love, now with more space to play.”