According to recent reports, Instagram is in the process of developing a dedicated app for the iPad, a request that users have made for years. This announcement comes 15 years after the social media platform was launched. At this time, Instagram has not officially revealed any plans to introduce a tailored application for iPad users. Presently, users can only access Instagram on iPads by utilizing an adapted version of the iPhone app or by navigating to the Instagram website through a web browser like Safari.
Instagram iPad App Development Reported 15 Years Post Launch
The Information has reported, as highlighted by 9to5Mac, that Instagram is actively working on an iPad-compatible version of its application. A current team member indicated that the initiative to create a dedicated app for the iPad could significantly enhance user engagement on the platform.
Sources suggest that the decision to focus on an iPad app may have been influenced by two primary developments. Firstly, TikTok, Instagram’s key competitor, is currently facing potential restrictions in the United States due to proposed legislation known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.
Additionally, recent tariff measures imposed by former President Donald Trump on several countries, including India, may also have prompted Instagram’s management to prioritize the development of an iPad app. If these reports hold true, this marks a significant milestone, nearly a decade and a half since Instagram’s inception in 2010.
In the past, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has downplayed the necessity of an iPad-specific app. In a response to YouTube creator Marques Brownlee on X (previously Twitter) in 2022, Mosseri remarked that an iPad app was “still just not a big enough group of people to be a priority.”
Currently, users can download the iPhone version of Instagram on their iPads; however, the app appears centered on the screen and can be zoomed in to fill the display while still lacking the optimized functionality intended for larger screens. A dedicated iPad app would be capable of making full use of the device’s greater screen space.
It is important to mention that the development of a dedicated Instagram app for iPads may take considerable time. For instance, another Meta product, WhatsApp, has been testing an iPad version for several months without providing a definitive release date.
