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TikTok: 530 million buses, despite European data centres
by Florian Bodoky
Instagram has finally made it to the iPad
4/9/2025
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Michelle Brändle
After years of requests, Instagram is now finally available as its own app for the iPad. The new app has been specially optimised for the larger display of the Apple tablet.
The fact that there was no official Instagram app on the iPad became a running joke. It was the same with Whatsapp and the calculator. Now the trio is complete: Instagram for the Apple tablet is finally here.
When you open the app, you are thrown straight into the world of reels. The short video format, inspired by TikTok, takes centre stage here. This emphasises Instagram's continued focus on video content.
In contrast to the iPhone version, the iPad app makes full use of the larger screen. This means that in direct messages (DMs), for example, you can see the inbox and an open chat at the same time. The same applies to comments on reels, which are now displayed directly next to the videos.
Meta has also added a completely new tab. At «Follow» you have various options for displaying your Instagram content
- All: a mixture of recommended articles and reels
- Friends: shows content from accounts that also follow you
- Latest: shows articles in chronological order so you see the most recent content first
Not everything is displayed correctly yet. For example, not all pages of the app are available in dark mode.
Availability: Why only now?
The app is now available worldwide and free of charge in the App Store for all iPads that support iPadOS 15.1 or later. Instagram has been around for 15 years, the iPad a few months longer. So why is the customised app only available now?
For years, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri hesitated to develop an iPad app because the demand was not considered high enough. Now he presents the big news on his platform himself. One reason for the change in his opinion could be the increase in usage. The number of tablet users is growing steadily, especially among children. Demand has also increased as a result.
Another reason could be competitor TikTok. TikTok itself is increasingly falling into disrepute and making headlines.
With the introduction of the iPad app and the clear focus on reels, Instagram is strengthening its position in the short video market and thus creating a good alternative for TikTok users.
Header image: Apple
In my world, Super Mario chases Stormtroopers with a unicorn and Harley Quinn mixes cocktails for Eddie and Peter at the beach bar. Wherever I can live out my creativity, my fingers tingle. Or maybe it's because nothing flows through my veins but chocolate, glitter and coffee.