Instagram is expanding Reels viewing beyond mobile, the social network announced Tuesday. The company is piloting IG for TV, a new experience that lets you watch Reels on your TV, starting with Amazon Fire TV.
By bringing Reels to TV, Instagram will be able to better compete with YouTube, which largely dominates the TV space. Instagram seems to want viewers to switch to the TV app while they’re watching content on the couch, similar to how you switch channels on your TV. For example, you might be watching something on Netflix and decide that you can’t maintain your attention span for that movie or episode, so you decide to watch Reels instead.
IG for TV is personalized for each user, showing Reels based on the content and creators they enjoy on the Instagram app. Reels are organized into channels and categories based on topics such as comedy, music, and lifestyle, making it easy to explore different types of videos.
The reels also play automatically, so you don’t have to keep scrolling to see what’s next. You still have the option to skip to the next reel. You can like, comment, and reshare Reels.
Users have the option to pair IG for TV with the Instagram app and add up to five accounts in one home. Or you can create a new account just for watching TV.
Be careful not to confuse IG for TV with IGTV. IGTV was Instagram’s app for watching long-form content until it was shut down in 2022.
The launch of the TV app comes as no surprise, as Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in October that the company was planning a dedicated TV app.
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“We’re studying television,” Mosseri said at Bloomberg’s Screen Time event. “TV is becoming more and more important, and it’s also very important for YouTube.” […] That was very important for TikTok. Therefore, we want to find a way to ensure that it displays in an attractive way on all relevant devices. ”
Mosseri went on to say that the company made a mistake in not considering a TV app sooner, and that it should have done so years ago.
