Important points
- Meta is testing an Instagram TV app for Amazon Fire TV devices in the US, which will allow users to watch Reels short-form videos on a larger screen.
- The app will initially focus on providing a high-quality viewing experience and short-form vertical videos, with the potential to expand to more devices and eventually monetize.
Meta is launching its Instagram for TV app on Amazon Fire TV devices in the US, marking the platform’s push to bring Reels to living room screens.
The app will focus on short, vertical videos of less than three minutes, featuring channels hand-picked by algorithms based on interests such as music, sports, and travel.
Tessa Lyons, Instagram’s vice president of product, said the company plans to support more devices in the future, but for now, it’s prioritizing user experience over monetization. Despite being displayed on a TV, the reels remain vertical and are not reformatted for widescreen displays.
The move marks Meta’s latest attempt to challenge TikTok and YouTube as a video platform that goes beyond smartphones. Unlike IGTV, which supported long-form content until it shut down in 2022, the new app sticks to the short-form format Reels.
Users can link up to five Instagram accounts per TV profile, and Meta applies extensive content standards to filter out sensitive content for teen viewers.
