The Information (paywalled) is reporting that after years of excuses, Meta is finally working on an Instagram app for iPad. I usually don’t write about rumors, but The Information has a pretty good track record, so I’m inclined to believe the report is accurate. My enthusiasm is somewhat tempered because “working on” could mean a lot of things and doesn’t indicate if and/or when the app might be released.

What’s Been Stopping You, Instagram?

Calling an iPad version of Instagram “overdue” is something of an understatement. There’s been a pretty vocal demand for a proper iPad app for almost as long as the iPad has existed. In response, we’ve gotten excuse after excuse after excuse.

I imagine the point of an iPad version is less about uploading content, and more about consuming it. Especially with the app’s continued focus on Reels and other video content. I do hope that Meta will allow users to take pictures and video with their iPad cameras, if they so choose, because we all agree there’s nothing wrong with actually using the cameras on your iPad, right?

If this iPad version does come to pass, it won’t be Instagram’s first tablet app. Believe it or not, Instagram has had a Windows tablet version since 2016. And with the rise of foldables on Android, the company has also optimized its Android app for devices like the Galaxy Z Fold and Pixel Tablet since 2023.

Why Now?

The reason (apparently) cited in the article is that Meta wants to take advantage of the chaos around whether or not TikTok will be banned in the States. TikTok has been one of the few major social media apps to have a passable iPad version (it’s better than nothing). I just find it hard to believe any appreciable number of users have actually using TikTok on their tablets. At this point, I feel like we’ve been conditioned not to use social media apps on iPad, because the experience has been so terrible. Using iPhone apps is slightly better than nothing, but the experience is either poor with standard multitasking, or buggy in Stage Manager.

That being said, there’s one reason I can think of to justify Meta actually investing in an Instagram iPad app.

Foldables.

All signs are pointing to Apple releasing its first foldable iPhone in 2026, and I’m betting the Instagram team wants to be ready. The fact that this version will be somewhat optimized for iPad is more or less a happy coincidence. Who knows… Meta might even allow this optimized app to grace the Mac as well. Vision Pro seems much less likely as the Quest version of Instagram is treated as something of a selling point.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of Meta’s motivations, I still welcome a native Instagram interface on iPad. If Meta wanted to, they could get this out pretty quickly, since the work is more or less building a new UI for its existing iOS app codebase. They aren’t starting from scratch.

Hopefully, when they’re done with Instagram, Meta can look into either giving us a native Threads client for iPad or improving the web app (push notifications, please!).

Link: The Information (paywalled) via Macrumors