After nearly 15 years, Instagram might finally launch an iPad app

Ever since its launch in 2010, a lot has happened with the social media platform Instagram. It was acquired by Facebook in 2012 and has since gained a ton of features like Reels, Stories, the Explore page, and more. However, there’s still one major thing missing from Instagram—a dedicated app for the iPad.

But after nearly 15 years, it looks like we might finally be getting an official Instagram app for iPad. An Instagram employee told The Information that the company is working on developing an iPad app. The news has taken everyone by surprise, especially since Instagram head Adam Mosseri has said multiple times that they have no plans to build an iPad app.

In 2020, Mosseri said he’d like to launch an iPad app but couldn’t do so due to a lack of staff. In 2022, responding to a tweet from Marques Brownlee asking why there still wasn’t a proper Instagram app for the iPad, Mosseri explained that there isn’t a large enough user base demanding it, so their focus remained elsewhere. Then, in 2023, while answering a question during one of his weekly AMA's, Mosseri once again cited a lack of staff as the reason why they’re not building an iPad app.

The reason why Mosseri might have gained the interest in developing an iPad app may be tied to the uncertain future of TikTok in the U.S. If TikTok ends up being banned in the country, Meta would likely want to promote one of its alternatives, Instagram, on as many devices as possible, including the iPad.

If you currently download the Instagram app from the App Store on your iPad, you'll get the same version that's available for the iPhone with big black borders surrounding the main Instagram screen.

Instagram isn’t the only social media platform working on an official iPad app. Recently, Snapchat finally released its iPad app after being available on iPhone for nearly 13 years.