Instagram Reels App Arrives on Apple TV With Longer Videos and Live Shows

Instagram has launched a dedicated Apple TV app, bringing Reels, longer videos, Stories, and live shows to the big screen with cross-device support.

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Meta is making strides in expanding its large-screen experience as Instagram launches a special app on Apple TV, providing users with yet another way of watching Reels, videos, and even live shows on their television sets. Thus, Instagram makes a video-based experience possible not only on mobile devices but also on a large display from the comfort of one’s own living room. As such, Meta is continuing the strategy of making Instagram more accessible on television.

As noted by MacRumors, the Instagram app has launched on Apple TV on October 23, 2026. Now users can easily browse and view Instagram Reels without the need of screen mirroring from an iPhone or iPad. The app also allows users to watch videos and live shows alongside with the regular short clips that Instagram has to offer.

Instagram App for Apple TV Brings More Than Just Reels

However, the Instagram app for Apple TV comes with numerous similar sections that allow discovering and accessing some content. By analyzing the app images, it may be stated that there is a home feed, an Explore tab, saved posts and profiles of users. Instagram Stories are accessible from this application as well, allowing users to learn the news about their friends and other content creators in a larger format.

First of all, this version of Instagram allows enjoying a variety of videos and live broadcasting. The initial application for Instagram was oriented mostly at Reels but now the content selection has been improved significantly. Thus, users are able to find entertaining videos, learn about new content creators and follow stories from their profiles on their televisions.

The application allows cross-device continuity which means that the user can start watching something on his/her mobile device and then continue on a TV, if the account is linked to the Apple TV, iPhone and iPad.

Instagram Expands Its TV Presence Beyond Apple TV

The announcement of the Apple TV app is an initiative by Meta to expand the presence of Instagram to more television platforms. Prior to that, the company released an Instagram TV app on Amazon Fire TV as well as took its television experience to Samsung TVs in the USA. In addition, Instagram introduced the TV experience for Google TV as well, which allowed Google TV to get access to users preferring watching video content on larger screens.

In terms of expansion to Apple TV, the company is giving another chance for its users to access video content outside the mobile screen. Moreover, such a decision is connected to the growing competition of social media platforms to win more time spent by people on television.

For Meta, television applications provide another way to expand the audience of Instagram. Using the TV interface for watching content together as well as discovering videos and enjoying creator content becomes easier.

Is Instagram Available on Apple TV Worldwide?

While the Instagram application is now on the Apple TV, its worldwide accessibility is yet to be determined. Initially, there is no indication that the users from all over the world could install the app or that the service would be available only for certain countries, including the United States of America.

The question is especially pertinent for those users from other countries who are interested in the possibility to use Instagram directly from their televisions. Previous television apps from Meta were not widely accessible; for example, Fire TV, Google TV, and Samsung TV apps were available only for users from the USA. Further plans of the company regarding wider availability are unclear.

For the ones interested in testing the new product, it is possible to look through the App Store on one's Apple TV.

Instagram's Big-Screen Push Could Change How People Watch Reels

Bringing Instagram to Apple TV gives users another option for enjoying short-form and longer video content outside their phones. While Reels remain central to the platform’s video experience, support for longer videos, Stories, and live shows could make the television app useful for a wider range of viewing habits.

The launch also puts Instagram in a better position to compete for attention on connected TVs, where people already spend time watching streaming services and online video platforms. Cross-device continuity adds another layer of convenience by allowing users to move between their personal devices and television without necessarily losing track of what they were watching.

However, the app’s broader impact will depend partly on its availability in more countries and the features Meta introduces in future updates. For now, the Apple TV launch marks another step in Instagram’s expansion beyond mobile devices, bringing its video experience to a larger screen.