Meta finally released a native WhatsApp app for iPad last week, following years of user requests. Now, the company appears to be going “full steam ahead” with an Instagram app for Apple’s tablet.
The app may launch as early as this year, with internal testing already underway.
Instagram experience on iPad could soon get better
WhatsApp is among the world’s most popular messaging apps. Yet, Meta never launched a dedicated iPad app despite hinting at it for years. In 2022, WhatsApp’s chief, Will Cathcart, even said he “would love” to launch a dedicated iPad app. It took the company only three years after that to launch a native app for Apple’s tablet.
Now, Meta has set its sights on bringing Instagram to the iPad. Right now, you can either access Instagram through Safari or use the iPhone app in a blown-up mode. Both provide a sub-par experience that’s nowhere near what a dedicated app can provide.
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, in the latest Power On newsletter edition, says Meta employees are now actively testing Instagram for iPad, and “that development work is full steam ahead.” Gurman expects the app to launch later this year unless Meta hits a major roadblock.
Reports of Meta working on a native iPad Instagram app first emerged in April this year. The change in Meta’s stance comes just three years after Instagram head Adam Mosseri said there’s “not a big enough group of people” to launch a dedicated app for the service.
Will Threads also get a dedicated iPad app?
Once the Instagram app for the iPad arrives, Threads may remain the only major Meta service without a dedicated iPad app. However, it does not have the same active user base as WhatsApp or Instagram, for which Meta would dedicate resources to launch a native app for Apple’s tablet.
Rajesh has been closely following and writing about the latest happenings in the world of mobile for nearly a decade now. While he prefers Android, he does not deny the superiority of Apple’s products and ecosystem.
