Three years after Instagram’s head Adam Mosseri said the company has no plans for an iPad app, a recent buzz suggests one might finally be in the works. But before you get too excited, there’s still a lot going on behind the scenes. Instagram has taken 15 years even to consider the iPad, but even now, there’s a chance it might not actually happen.
Instagram Considers iPad App Amid TikTok Trouble
According to a report by The Information, Instagram is finally working on a native iPad app. An Instagram employee familiar with the matter shared some tidbits about the company’s plans.
This move comes as a part of its larger efforts to capitalize on the looming TikTok trouble. Instagram has been promoting itself as a good TikTok alternative for creators and influencers. In February 2025, Instagram rolled out a major update that revised the app and made interface tweaks to closely resemble it. Also, Instagram now lets you create reels of up to 3 minutes (previously limited to 90 seconds) to match TikTok’s video upload length.
During a meeting with creators on April 7, 2025, Meta showed off its new video app called Edits, specially designed for users who make short-form videos on mobile devices. This is a replacement of the ByteDance-owned CapCut video which was removed from App Stores in January.
TikTok is currently fighting for its survival in the United States, and Instagram might be preparing to seize the opportunity. With TikTok’s uncertain legal future, Instagram introduced some new features to fill in the void it could leave behind. Therefore, it might also expand on its list of compatible devices.
Instagram Supports Android Tablets, but not iPads
Back in 2023, Instagram rolled out a UI for tablets and other bigger displays. However, it has always been exclusive to Android devices. It’s surprising to know that Instagram has already developed an Android tablet version when Android is comparatively difficult to design because of the scores of screen sizes and resolutions available. Also, iPads are more popular than all Android tablets combined.
In 2022, Meta chief Adam Mosseri said the iPad market isn’t big enough for a native app. If the iPad market is too small, the Android tablet market is even smaller. So how does it make sense to develop an app for that platform? Well, there might be some data suggesting fewer iPad owners use Instagram compared to Android tablet users. Whatever the reason, Instagram should have focused on serving the larger market first, which is undoubtedly the iPad.
Currently, you can only use the Instagram iPhone app on your iPad, which looks terrible on a 13-inch iPad Pro. It’s barely manageable on the smaller 7.9-inch iPad Mini. After all, it’s a scaled-up version, and not truly optimized to take advantage of the extra space real estate on the larger iPad display.
It’s extremely disappointing that one of the biggest social media apps has no native support for iPads—especially when it already works on foldables.
iPad App May Take a While… or Never Happen
We don’t know when the iPad app might arrive. Instagram didn’t make any official statement or comment on this leak.
Even if the company plans to release Instagram for iPad, a proper version may still take some time. WhatsApp for iPad, for instance, has been in the works for a couple of years now. The company has rolled out several builds, and a stable version still seems a long way off.
Considering the current situation, it is still possible that we won’t get the iPad app at all. So, it is best not to set your hopes high.