Instagram Brings Reels and Live Video to Apple TV

Instagram has expanded onto Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos and live shows to one of the biggest screens in the home. The new television version appeared in Apple’s App Store with compatibility for Apple TV, extending Instagram’s push beyond phones and tablets.

The app is free and built around watching rather than posting. Its official listing says viewers can follow creators, discover short Reels, move into longer videos and shows, and resume viewing across devices. Instagram also presents the experience as something people can watch together, a notable shift for a service long designed around individual scrolling.

Instagram continues its move into the living room

The Apple TV release follows earlier versions for Amazon Fire TV, Google TV and Samsung smart televisions. The Verge reported that Apple TV compatibility was added on October 23 after archived listings had shown only iPhone and iPad support days earlier. MacRumors identified the television release as version 66.0 and said it requires tvOS 26.0 or later.

The product remains centered on Instagram’s existing video ecosystem, but the larger screen changes how that library can be used. Reels can run as quick entertainment, while live broadcasts and longer creator videos can compete more directly with traditional streaming apps. Cross-device playback also lowers the barrier between discovering a clip on a phone and continuing it on a television.

A bigger bet on creator-led television

Instagram began testing a television experience in late 2025 and has steadily added platforms and formats. The move comes as social networks invest in episodic creator programming and other video designed to hold attention beyond a brief vertical clip. On Apple TV, that strategy gains access to viewers already accustomed to choosing entertainment through a dedicated home-screen app.

The rollout does not turn Instagram into a conventional streaming service overnight. Its advantage is the network people already follow and the recommendation system that shapes their feeds. By carrying both onto television, Instagram is testing whether familiar creators and personalized discovery can translate from private, handheld viewing into a shared living-room habit.