Instagram arrives on Apple TV with Reels and live shows

Instagram has quietly landed on the living-room box many iPhone owners already have. The official Instagram app is now available on Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos and live shows to the big screen for the first time, MacRumors reports.

When it launched

There was no big announcement. MacRumors says the app appears to have gone live on 23 October: Apple's TV-specific release data dates version 66.0 to that day, while an archived App Store listing from 19 October still showed only iPhone and iPad support. Third-party Instagram viewers have existed on Apple TV for a while, but this is the first app from Instagram itself.

What you can do

According to the app's description, you can:

• watch Reels from creators you follow and discover new ones;
• play longer videos and live shows;
• resume something you started on your phone;
• watch together with friends and family on the TV.

The App Store screenshots show a Reels-first home screen with Stories along the top and a "For you" grid below.

How to get it

The app is free and needs tvOS 26.0 or later. Update the Apple TV under Settings > System > Software Updates, then search for Instagram in the App Store on the box and sign in.

Part of a wider TV push

Apple TV is late to the party. Meta began testing Instagram for TV on Amazon Fire TV in the US in December 2025, then expanded to Google TV in February 2026 and Samsung smart TVs in June. On Fire TV, Meta said the app supports up to five accounts per TV and that Reels there broadly follow its 13+ content standards, since TVs are shared screens. In June, Meta also said it would add longer creator content, episodic series and live broadcasts, which now shows up in the Apple TV listing.

If you're thinking of upgrading the screen for this kind of viewing, our TV buying guide covers panel types and sizes. Streaming boxes also depend on a solid connection, so if video buffers in the living room, see our mesh Wi-Fi buying guide.