The iPad's ugliest app might be getting a glow-up

Summary

Instagram has lacked a dedicated iPad app for over a decade, running only a zoomed-in version of the iPhone app.
Meta is reportedly developing an iPad version of Instagram finally, possibly due to TikTok’s uncertain US status.
Meta has previously deemed an iPad app unnecessary, but it seems the company has finally gotten the memo the people want an iPad app.

There are many apps on the iPad that have special versions specifically designed for the larger screen experience that the tablet offers over the iPhone. A couple of excellent examples include Chrome, Netflix, Disney+, X (formerly known as Twitter), OneDrive, and Discord, and the list continues. However, one app has been missing an iPad version for over a decade now: Instagram.

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. Many people use it to connect with friends, share photos and videos, and doomscroll reels. Yet, somehow, one of the largest social media apps in the world does not have a dedicated iPad app.

Currently, downloading Instagram on your iPad simply runs a zoomed-in version of the iPhone app. It is neither scaled nor designed properly for the iPad’s larger display and aspect ratio. It looks terrible, yet for over a decade, Meta has chosen not to create an Instagram app for the iPad, even though it has one for Facebook. It’s genuinely a puzzling situation. However, that might finally be about to change.

Instagram

Instagram is a popular social media platform for connecting with friends and sharing photos.

Apple mail app on iPhone next to Mail app icon.

Miss the old Apple Mail app look? Here’s how to get it back

Apple introduced changes to its Mail app with iOS 18.2, but its easy to revert back to the old-style.

Instagram might finally be getting an iPad app

A long-overdue development

According to a report from The Information, Meta is finally developing an iPad version of Instagram. While this is obviously welcome news after a decade of waiting, it does raise the question: Why now, all of a sudden? It could be due to TikTok’s uncertainty in the US.

….Meta’s sudden push to create an Instagram app for the iPad stems from TikTok’s potential US ban.

Reportedly, Meta’s sudden push to create an Instagram app for the iPad stems from TikTok’s potential US ban. TikTok’s future in the US is even more uncertain, following the Trump Administration’s recent tariffs on China, which could complicate TikTok’s negotiations with US officials. Trump recently extended the deadline for the ban in the US, allowing it to remain operational for another 75 days while a deal is negotiated. The US law banning TikTok, passed by Congress and signed by President Biden last year, requires TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, to divest its US operations or face a ban. Any deal that does come fruition must also be approved under Chinese law.

Meta has been trying to capitalize on TikTok’s uncertainty in the US by pushing updates to Instagram Reels and adding new features to Threads. Developing an iPad app for Instagram would provide another means to boost engagement on the platform, especially if a TikTok deal falls through in the US.

5 upgrades that would make macOS the perfect desktop OS for me

macOS has matured greatly over the decades, but there’s always room for improvement – here’s what I’m hoping to see in the OS’s next platform release.

Could this finally be the moment we’ve been waiting for?

Since Meta acquired Instagram in 2012, it has resisted calls to build an app specifically for the iPad, which is perplexing given how popular Apple’s tablets are in the US.

There’s no word on when the Instagram app for iPad will be released, or even how far it is into development.

In February 2022, Marques Brownlee, a prominent tech YouTuber, posted on X: “The year is 2022 and there’s still no proper Instagram app for iPad.” Instagram chief Adam Mosseri responded to his tweet, saying, “Yup, we get this one a lot. It’s still just not a big enough group of people to be a priority.”

Fast-forward three years later, and it seems Meta has finally gotten the memo to build an iPad app for Instagram. It just took over a decade of waiting and a lingering TikTok ban to do it. There’s no word on when the Instagram app for iPad will be released, or even how far it is into development. As someone who uses Instagram a lot on their iPhone, being able to use a properly designed Instagram app on my iPad, like I do with other social media platforms like X, would be a game-changer. It shouldn’t have taken this long to reach this point, but better late than never, I suppose.