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ZDNET Highlights
- Instagram has a new app that lets you watch Reels on your TV.
- The app is launching on Fire TV devices first.
- Support for other devices will come over time.
Instagram has a new app that lets you watch Reels on your TV. Your favorite short-form videos are coming to the big screen. Well, at least the biggest screen in your house.
Amazon announced Starting today, users can watch Reels on Fire TV devices with a dedicated app. This is the first time that Instagram content has been designed for television.
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Like the mobile app, the TV app turns Reels into personalized channels based on your interests, like music, sports, travel, and trending moments. You can search for content or scroll through a stream, and while scrolling you can see comments and reactions on the screen and even reshare Reels.
how to get started
Amazon notes that the app supports up to five accounts, so everyone in the household can sign in and enjoy their own personalized experience. You can also create a new account just for your TV if you want the complete family experience.
Get started by downloading instagram for tv app From Amazon Appstore. If the name sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because Instagram had an unrelated “IGTV” app for viewing long-form content that debuted in 2018 and shut down in 2021.
It’s understandable why Meta has its eyes on your TV. Currently, YouTube dominates the short-form video market on TV with Shorts, but TikTok also has a presence.
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Speaking to CNBC, Tessa Lyons, vice president of Instagram product, said the company is working on “a great experience” before moving to other devices, adding that “we really have a lot more work to do to make sure we’re bringing people the content they love on mobile in a way that really makes sense to them and feels designed for TV.”
For now, Amazon says, Instagram for TVs is available on the Fire TV Stick HD, Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (1st and 2nd generation), Fire TV 2-Series, Fire TV 4-Series, and Fire TV Omni QLED series. Instagram will eventually expand the app to other devices.
