Instagram launches Apple TV app with Reels and live shows
Instagram is now available on Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos and live shows to televisions running tvOS 26.0 or later.
Instagram has launched on Apple TV, giving viewers a dedicated way to watch Reels, longer videos and live shows on televisions running tvOS 26.0 or later. The app is listed on Apple's tvOS App Store and is published by Instagram, Inc.13
The Apple TV release expands Instagram's existing television push beyond phones and tablets. The app description says viewers can watch creators on a larger screen, discover short Reels or longer shows, watch with friends and family, and continue across screens where they left off.13
According to the App Store listing, Instagram for Apple TV is a free download with in-app purchases and a 13+ age rating. It requires tvOS 26.0 or later, so older Apple TV software will not meet the stated compatibility requirement.3
What the TV app does
Instagram's television experience is built around viewing rather than the full creation workflow associated with the mobile app. The listing highlights Reels, longer videos, live shows and cross-device continuity. Meta has also described TV features such as interest-based channels, casting Reels from a phone, Stories on the big screen and experiments with horizontal video.23
MacRumors reports that the Apple TV version appeared around 23 October, with Apple's release metadata identifying version 66.0 on that date. The app follows Instagram's earlier expansion to Amazon Fire TV, Google TV and Samsung smart TVs, where Meta has been developing a more social living-room viewing experience.12
The move gives Instagram another route into the same space occupied by dedicated streaming and social-video apps. It also makes the service more dependent on the television interface: browsing, picking up a video and watching live content now need to work comfortably from a remote rather than a touchscreen.12
Our opinion
The important part of this launch is not simply that Reels can appear on another screen. Apple TV makes Instagram's TV strategy more visible as a distinct viewing product, with longer videos and live shows sitting beside short-form clips. That is a meaningful shift in emphasis, even if the underlying catalogue remains the same creator-led service.
Compatibility is the immediate limitation. Anyone checking for the app should confirm that their Apple TV is running tvOS 26.0 or later, while viewers elsewhere should not assume that the Apple TV release changes availability on other television platforms.13