Instagram arrives on Apple TV: Watch Reels on your big screen

Meta-owned Instagram is finally making the leap from your smartphone to your living room. The popular social media platform has officially listed its dedicated app for Apple TV, allowing users to watch Reels, longer creator videos, and live broadcasts on a much bigger screen.For years, Instagram has been a private, touch-driven experience centered around the mobile phone. With this new Apple TV app, Meta wants to turn scrolling into a shared viewing experience that you can enjoy with friends and family using a remote control. The app went live on the Apple TV App Store on October 23, 2026, and is also listed in India.What the Instagram Apple TV app offersWhile Instagram's earlier smart TV tests mostly played short Reels on an endless, automatic loop, the Apple TV version is built for more. The App Store description highlights that users can discover short Reels, but also explicitly mentions support for longer videos and live shows.A major highlight of the new app is cross-device continuity. This means you can start watching a long video on your phone while commuting, pause it, and resume playing it from your Apple TV when you get home. Do you need to buy a new Apple TV?The short answer is no. Apple recently announced the new fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, which is scheduled to go on sale on November 13. However, you do not need to wait for or buy the newest hardware to use Instagram.The Instagram app is free to download and will work on existing Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K models. The only major requirement is software: your device must be running on tvOS 26.0 or a later version. If your current Apple TV supports the App Store and can be updated to tvOS 26, you are good to go.A broader push into smart TVs This is not Instagram’s first attempt at conquering the big screen. The Apple TV launch is actually the latest step in a rollout that began late last year. Instagram first tested a TV service on Amazon Fire TV devices in December 2025. It later expanded to Google TV in February 2026 and Samsung smart TVs in June 2026. This TV expansion also follows the highly anticipated release of a dedicated Instagram app for the iPad in September 2025.How to download Instagram on Apple TVGetting the app is incredibly simple: Turn on your Apple TV and ensure it is updated to tvOS 26 or newer. Open the App Store, and search for "Instagram". Select 'Get' to download the free app. Follow the on-screen instructions to sign in to your account.- Ends