Your favourite Reels are coming to your TV: Instagram tests big-screen viewing

Instagram is expanding its short-form video experience beyond phones and tablets with the launch of Instagram for TV, a new app that lets users watch Reels on television screens for the first time. The feature is rolling out in the United States on Amazon Fire TV devices as a pilot designed to adapt Instagram content for living-room viewing and shared experiences.

The TV app organizes Reels into personalized channels based on users’ interests — such as music, comedy, sports and travel — and displays them on a horizontal carousel that plays videos one after another, creating a lean-back viewing experience similar to traditional TV. Accounts can be linked to the same device, allowing up to five users in a household to switch between personalised feeds.

The rollout marks Instagram’s first dedicated television product and comes amid a broader industry trend of social platforms moving into the connected TV (CTV) space. Instagram’s move places it in direct competition with established big-screen video services like YouTube, which has long dominated smart TV viewing, and aligns with efforts by platforms — including TikTok — to bring short video content into living rooms.

Instagram for TV is currently available on select Fire TV devices, including Fire TV Stick HD, Fire TV Stick 4K models, Fire TV 2-Series and various Omni QLED sets, with plans to expand to additional devices and regions based on feedback gathered during this initial testing phase.

The new TV experience ties into Instagram’s wider video strategy. The platform has been intensifying its focus on video over recent years, notably pivoting toward short-form Reels as a core engagement driver and testing features that give users more control over Reels recommendations through tools like “Your Algorithm.”

By bringing Reels to the television screen, Instagram aims to transform how video content is consumed in the home, making it easier for friends and family to watch together without relying on phone casting or mobile screens. The pilot will help Meta learn which features and design elements resonate best with viewers, including potential future capabilities such as using a phone as a remote control.