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 TV, starting with Amazon Fire TV.
By bringing Reels to TVs, Instagram can better compete with YouTube, which largely dominates the TV space. Instagram likely wants viewers to switch to its TV app while watching content on the couch, similar to flipping through TV channels. For example, you could be watching something on Netflix and decide you don’t have the attention span for a movie or episode and decide to watch Reels instead.
IG for TV is personalized for each user, showing Reels based on the content and creators you enjoy on the Instagram app. The reels will be organized into channels and categories based on topics like comedy, music and lifestyle, making it easy to explore different types of videos.
The reels will also play automatically, so you won’t have to keep scrolling to watch the sequel. You still have the option to go to the next wheel. You can like, view comments and re-share wheels.
Users have the option to pair IG for TV with the Instagram app and add up to five accounts to a home. Or, they can choose to create a new account just for watching TV.
It’s worth noting that IG for TV shouldn’t be confused with IGTV, which was Instagram’s app for watching long-form content before it shut down in 2022.
The launch of the TV app comes as no surprise, as Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said in October that the company was planning a dedicated TV app.
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“We’re exploring television,” Mosseri told the Bloomberg Screentime Event. “TV is an increasingly important surface, it was very important for YouTube […] it was very important for TikTok. So we would like to figure out how to make sure that we appear in a compelling way on all relevant devices.”
Mosseri went on to note that it was a mistake for the company not to have explored a TV app sooner, and that he wishes they had done so a few years ago.
