What you need to know
- Instagram has launched a dedicated app for Google TV, bringing Reels and photos to the living room screen.
- The app organizes Reels into themed interest-based channels that users can navigate using the TV remote.
- Viewers can interact with content from their couches by liking, commenting, and sharing directly through the TV.
- The service is currently limited to the U.S. for now.
Instagram might already be wasting enough of your time on your phone, but now it wants to move to your living room. The company has officially brought its app to Google TV devices.
Instagram first tested the app on Fire TV devices in the U.S., but it is now expanding availability to Google TV, as highlighted by Instagram head Adam Mosseri in a Threads post. Meta has largely focused on smartphones and smaller-screen devices so far, so this marks the company’s first real move into large-screen devices.
Just like on your smartphone, you’ll be able to scroll through and watch Reels on your TV. You can like, comment, and share posts as well. The app curates your feed based on your interests, including sports, cooking, travel, and comedy.
You can navigate using your smart TV remote, including the directional buttons, and features like auto-play are supported. You can also search for your favorite creators directly on your smart TV, while Instagram says it’ll soon add support for using your smartphone as a remote for the Google TV app as well.
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For now, you can download the app from the Google Play Store if you are in the U.S. The rollout appears limited to the U.S market, but it is likely that Instagram will expand to other regions soon.
Once installed, you can sign in using your smartphone, and the app supports up to five accounts on one Google TV device. This means multiple household members can access their profiles and watch their own feeds. Instagram even says you can create a separate account specifically for TV viewing if you want.
Android Central’s Take
I’m not entirely sure who asked for this, but you can now watch Instagram Reels on your Smart TV. Sure, it is convenient if you want to show something to family or friends on a bigger screen instead of passing your phone around.
But it also makes me wonder how far Instagram plans to push this. I don’t want Reels everywhere.
