Instagram launches an Apple TV app for Reels, longer videos and live shows
Instagram's TV app is now on Apple TV (tvOS 26 or later), joining Fire TV, Google TV and Samsung. It's US-only, with no comments or DMs.
The skim
- Instagram now has an Apple TV app, bringing Reels, longer videos and live shows to the big screen. It needs tvOS 26 or later.
- Apple TV joins Amazon Fire TV, Google TV and Samsung smart TVs, where Instagram's TV app was already available. It's still US-only.
- You can watch, like and follow on the TV, but you can't comment, send messages or change parental supervision settings there.
What happened
Instagram's App Store listing now shows the app running on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, with the Apple TV version requiring tvOS 26.0 or later. MacRumors reported the launch late Saturday and says it appears to have gone live on Oct. 23, based on Apple's release data for the TV version. The app description promises Reels, longer videos and live shows, plus the ability to pick up watching where you left off on another device.
It's the latest step in a gradual rollout. Instagram began testing its TV app on Amazon Fire TV in the US in December 2025 and added Google TV in February, according to MacRumors. In June, Instagram brought it to Samsung smart TVs from 2020 and later, saying the app then reached "the majority of connected TV devices in the US."
What you can do on it
According to Instagram's help page, the TV app lets you browse interest-based channels, like and share Reels and photos, read comments, watch stories and highlights, view profiles and saved posts, and follow or unfollow accounts. Several people can add their own accounts to the same TV and switch between them, and you can cast Reels from your phone to a compatible TV.
Some things stay on your phone. You can't leave comments, read or send messages, or change account and content settings from the TV, and parental supervision controls aren't available there either. The help page says Instagram for TV is currently available only in the United States.
Why it matters
Meta wants Instagram to compete for living-room viewing time, not just phone scrolling. In June it said it was exploring longer creator videos, episodic series and live broadcasts for TV, and the Apple TV listing now mentions longer videos and live shows alongside Reels. Adding Apple TV fills a notable gap in that lineup.
For families, one detail matters: what plays on the TV is personalized to whichever account is logged in. Parents who use Instagram's supervision tools will still need to manage them from the phone app.
What's next
Watch for Instagram to bring the TV app to more countries and roll out more of the TV-first formats it previewed in June. If you're in the US and have an Apple TV, the app is free in the tvOS App Store now.
Sources: MacRumors, Apple App Store, Instagram Help Center and Instagram.
