TL; DR
- Instagram launched its first-ever native iPad app, ending 15 years of blown-up iPhone apps and awkward web hacks.
- The app takes advantage of the big screen with Reels on launch, split-view DMs and notifications, and comments that show up side by side with reels.
- It seems to be way more polished than Android’s tablet app, which still looks like a stretched phone version despite some minor tweaks.
Instagram has finally done it. After 15 years of users asking, complaining, and even giving up hope, there’s now a proper iPad app. It dropped today, September 3, 2025, on the App Store, almost 15 years after Instagram itself launched in 2010 and just months after the first iPad.
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For the longest time, iPad users were stuck with the worst experience possible, a giant, pixelated iPhone app that made everything look messy. Now, the wait is over, and the preview videos suggest this is not just a catch-up move. On tablets, Instagram is actually ahead of Android tablets now.
The design is the first thing that stands out. Open the app and you’re hit with Reels straight away, making it clear Meta wants TikTok’s audience on the iPad too. Stories are still at the top, but there’s also a new “Following” tab that feels built for this screen.
You can swipe between “All,” “Friends,” and “Latest,” with “Latest” giving you the long-demanded reverse chronological feed. Basically, you get more control and better use of the display.
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Multi-column layout support to take advantage of the larger screen
DMs have also been improved. Instead of jumping back and forth, you now get a split view with the inbox on one side and the chat on the other, similar to how Messenger works on desktop. Reels and video comments are no longer an overlay either, they sit side by side with the video, which means you do not have to pause the content just to see what people are saying.
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Android, as usual, lags behind
And here’s the big comparison. On Android tablets, Instagram still feels like a phone app that’s been stretched, as there is no multi-column layout support. The iPad app, however, has been rebuilt for big screens with a proper new interface.
Meta even said it’s designed so you can “lean back” and scroll without the usual zooming or cropping issues. So, now both iOS and iPadOS have a better app experience than Android phones and Android tablets.
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But what’s wild is how long this took. Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s head, has said since 2020 that an iPad app wasn’t a priority. By 2023, he was still repeating the same line, calling it “good to have at some point, but not happening right now.” Something clearly shifted, maybe TikTok pressure or the rise of younger users on tablets, but whatever the reason, it is here at last.
You can download the app now
The app is live today for free, available on iPads running iPadOS 15.1 or later. If you have been stuck zooming in on that weird iPhone app all these years, this is your chance. Instagram on iPad is finally real, and it is not just real, it is better than Android tablets. Now, it’s time to build a better Instagram app for Android phones and tablets (I don’t have much hopes though).
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