Instagram backtracks on its controversial iPad app design
Image credits: 9to5Mac
Instagram is rolling back its Reels-first iPad experience just months after launch, bringing the app much closer to the familiar iPhone layout.
After 15 years of waiting, Instagram finally launched a native iPad app late last year. For plenty of creators and users, it felt long overdue. It offered a refreshed Instagram experience designed for the bigger iPad screen, with the most noticeable change dividing opinion.
Instead of mirroring the experience users already knew from iPhone, Instagram pushed a Reels-first layout on iPad. Open the app, and you’ll see Reels on the usual Home feed.
Now, it appears that Instagram is quietly backtracking on the iPad’s Reels-first experience according to 9to5Mac.
Instagram is moving away from its Reels-first iPad design
When the iPad app originally launched, Instagram explained that the app was partly redesigned “to reflect how people use bigger screens today – for lean back entertainment.” Not to mention, it was also partly because Reels are now the main way people discover and share content on Instagram, so it made sense to become the focus of the iPad experience too.
The problem? A lot of users simply wanted Instagram on iPad to feel… like Instagram. Take a look at Reddit and you’ll see just how many people are happy with the change.
A much more familiar experience Instagram experience for iPad
With the latest update, Instagram is bringing the iPad app much closer to the traditional mobile layout. So, what’s changing?
Instead of launching directly into Reels, users will now open into the standard Home feed of posts from accounts they follow alongside suggested posts. Reels are moving back into their own dedicated tab, just like on iPhone.
Instagram is also removing the confusing ‘Following’ tab which essentially already exists in the original layout anyway.
The app will still take advantage of the larger display, letting users scroll comments while watching Reels, and view their DM inbox alongside an open chat. So while the interface is becoming familiar, the experience is still designed around the bigger screen.
Wrapping up
Just a few months after finally launching a dedicated iPad app, Instagram is already rethinking its biggest design choices.
The updated layout is now rolling out globally. So, if you’re still seeing the older Reels-first experience, you may need to manually update Instagram through the App Store.