Instagram’s iPad application has finally become as expected

Instagram has made a significant interface change in its iPad application. The application, which came to iPad after a long wait last year, offered a different experience centered on Reels in its first version. With the new update, this structure has changed and Instagram on iPad has become much closer to the iPhone version in terms of basic usage logic. Instagram iPad application moved away from Reels-oriented design.

Instagram’s native application for iPad was published in September 2025. This release was seen as a long-awaited step as it came more than 15 years after the launch of the iPad. However, the initial design of the application did not replicate the classic Instagram experience on iPhone. Instagram used the iPad’s large screen for more of a “lay back and watch” experience, directing users directly to the Reels feed when the app was opened.

In this first version, Stories were located at the top, messages could be accessed with a single touch, and a multi-column structure suitable for the iPad screen was used. Sections such as notifications and messages had a layout that took advantage of the larger screen. Additionally, with the Following tab, users could access content from the accounts they follow with different filters. In this section, there were All, Friends and Latest options.

All featured recommended posts and Reels content from followed accounts, Friends featured content from mutually followed people, and Latest highlighted the newest posts and Reels content. With the new update, Instagram withdrew this Reels-centered approach in the iPad application. The home tab on the iPad now works the same as on the iPhone. When users open the application, they encounter the classic main flow, which includes posts and recommended content from the accounts they follow.

Thus, the iPad application offers a structure closer to the basic usage habits of Instagram on the phone. There is also an important change on the reels side. The short video stream is no longer the first screen that opens in the center of the app. Reels have been moved to a separate navigation tab like in the iPhone version. This shows that the Reels priority usage that Instagram highlighted in its first design on iPad has been replaced by a more familiar main flow layout.

Another change was the removal of the Following tab specific to iPad. In the initial design, this tab was positioned as a separate section from the main flow on the iPhone. In the new layout, this separate tab is no longer included in the application, as the home page shows content and recommendations from already followed accounts.