After more than a decade of user requests, Meta is developing a version of Instagram for iPad, according to a new report by The Information. Currently, iPad users only have access to a scaled-up version of the iPhone app, but this long-awaited native version is expected to offer a much better experience on Apple’s larger screens.
Why Now?
Meta has resisted creating an Instagram app for iPad for years. Back in 2022, Instagram head Adam Mosseri explained the company’s position in a reply to tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, saying the iPad user base just wasn’t a big enough priority. The sentiment was echoed again in 2023, when Mosseri noted that while a native iPad app was “a good thing to do,” it still wasn’t making the cut amid other development priorities.
So what changed?
TikTok’s Uncertain Legal Future
According to The Information, the timing may have less to do with iPad user demand and more with TikTok’s shaky legal status in the U.S. With looming restrictions, a potential ban, or forced divestiture on the horizon due to national security concerns, Meta may see an opportunity to strengthen its position by appealing to a broader base of content creators and viewers.
Expanding Instagram’s availability to iPad users especially those who use tablets for editing and posting content could help Instagram pick up any potential slack left by TikTok’s legal troubles.
What’s Next?
Meta has yet to officially confirm the project, and no release date has been announced. Still, given how long iPad users have waited and how competitive the social media space has become, this move could mark a strategic shift in Meta’s approach to platform accessibility.
