So long IGTV, we never knew what to do with you
Instagram introduced a standalone IGTV app four years ago. Leaning into the popularity of vertical video, the Meta-owned company went all in, promoting IGTV aggressively on its main app with previews and user prompts. By 2020, Insta acknowledged that IGTV wasn’t getting a lot of traction. The company tried again the following year by rebranding it Instagram TV. That didn’t work out either, and Instagram announced this week that it won’t keep supporting the app.
Instagram intends to simplify video creation and discovery by putting everything in one place: the main app we all know (and have mixed feelings about). Users will be able to view videos full-screen, and the company is working on new ways to share regular videos and posts made to Reels. To sweeten the pot, creators are getting additional options for ad revenue, with a “new ad experience” rolling out later. Instagram also said that in-stream ads which interrupt videos more than one minute long are on the way out.
The announcement makes it clear that Instagram is laser-focused on Reels and claims the TikTok rival has been great at building user engagement. Additional investing in Reels makes sense, especially as Instagram continues its march toward its apparent goal of becoming a true one-stop social media and entertainment site.
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