Instagram’s IGTV App Just Got a Massive Upgrade
When Instagram reached its 1 billion user milestone, the company launched a new original video platform: IGTV. The app focused heavily on vertical videos when it first launched, and Instagram kept pushing it to its main app users for months. Eventually, IGTV gave up on vertical videos, but Instagram continued to push the platform through the main Instagram app.
Despite having more than a billion users using Instagram, the company simply couldn’t get the same amount of attention for IGTV. This week, the company is releasing a major update to the IGTV app to hopefully be able to bring in more users.
The new update introduces a new Discover tab, just like the regular Instagram app. The Verge reports that IGTV will now include a Discover tab where users can find new and relevant content throughout the platform. Previously, the app was only limited to Popular videos and videos from creators you follow, making it harder to expand your network.
The update also highlights a creator at the top of the app based on the content you like.
And to keep pushing IGTV through the Instagram app, Instagram is making a change to how IGTV content appear on Stories. Previously, Instagram Stories would simply show a freeze-frame preview from IGTV videos when shared on Stories. But that’s changing now, with Instagram showing a 15-second preview right on Stories, so users may be more likely to tap into the preview to see more.
Instagram had big plans with IGTV, but with platforms like TikTok taking over, it’s unlikely IGTV will get anywhere, anytime soon. Still, Instagram commitment to the app shows the company wants to succeed, but it’s going to be a really hard task to pull off–even if Instagram has had massive success with things like Instagram Stories.