Instagram finally released a dedicated application for tablet users last fall. It arrived more than fifteen years after the original Apple tablet hit the market. However, the first design focused heavily on full-screen video content rather than normal picture feeds. Many people did not enjoy this layout.
Now, the company has completely changed the app to mirror the classic mobile phone layout that most people already know and expect.
The new design moves videos to a second dedicated tab
When the app first launched on the iPad, it greeted users with an endless stream of short videos called Reels. The goal was to provide a relaxed viewing experience for bigger screens. Users could also see stories at the top of the screen and access their messages with a single tap.
This original setup treated normal picture posts as an afterthought. It forced users to navigate to a strange tab labeled as follows just to see regular posts from their friends. People found this confusing. Because of this negative feedback, the platform decided to change direction completely.
The iPad app now perfectly copies the iPhone app layout
The latest update brings three major changes to fix the confusing design. The home tab now works exactly like it does on a regular phone. When you open the app, you see a familiar feed of posts from people you follow mixed with suggested content.
The short video clips are no longer the very first thing you see. They are now tucked away into a separate tab at the bottom of the screen. The old following tab is also gone because the main home tab now serves that exact purpose.
The platform finally offers the basic layout that users wanted from the very beginning. It simply takes the standard phone app and stretches it out to fit a bigger screen. This straightforward approach gives tablet users a much better way to scroll through their social feeds without feeling lost or forced to watch videos.
I updated the app on my iPad but I see no difference, I’m still bombed with a bunch of reels and people I don’t follow.