Ever wanted to watch your Instagram Reels on the big screen? That’s now becoming a reality. Meta announced on Wednesday that it’s bringing Instagram’s popular short-form video feed to TVs, starting with Amazon Fire TV.
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For years, Instagram Reels were confined to mobile devices, but that’s changing with the launch of a dedicated app for smart TVs. This marks the first time Instagram content is tailored for the big screen, expanding its reach beyond smartphones to your living room.
The Instagram TV application for Fire TV replicates the mobile interface, showing portrait Reels with black bars on the sides of the screen. Users can browse through content sorted into channels based on interests like music, sports, travel, and popular topics. The application allows users to sign in to search for creators, browse profiles, like Reels, read comments, and leave reactions.
Meta’s move to bring Instagram Reels to the big screen may be in response to the growing dominance of YouTube. While Reels was originally designed for smartphones, YouTube has surged in popularity, not just for long-form content, but also with its Shorts feature, competing directly with TikTok.
YouTube is now the most-watched streaming service on US TVs, surpassing traditional cable and even outpacing Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video in TV viewership. This shift highlights the growing influence of online content on traditional television. Since 2022, YouTube has also offered Shorts on TV, cementing its presence in living rooms.
Currently, Instagram Reels on TV is available only in the U.S. and exclusively on Amazon Fire TV devices. U.S. users can download the Instagram for TV app from the Amazon Appstore, but it's only compatible with select Fire TV models:
Fire TV Stick HD
Fire TV Stick 4K Plus
Fire TV Stick 4K Max (1st & 2nd Gen)
Fire TV 2-Series, 4-Series, and Omni QLED Series
As for India, there's no official launch date yet, but given the country’s massive Instagram user base and Amazon’s push to popularize Fire TV sticks, it's likely Instagram will expand the app to other devices and markets soon.