Instagram tests – Instagram says its TV app—already on Amazon Fire and Google TVs and now rolling out to Samsung TVs—will test longer-form videos, episodic series, and Live TV-style creator experiences.
The TV screen is starting to feel less like a place for traditional streaming—and more like another extension of Instagram. The social network. which launched its TV app last year. is now testing formats built for living-room viewing: longer-form content. content designed to run across multiple episodes. and Live creator experiences.
Instagram says it’s exploring ways to bring longer-form videos, episodic series, and live creator experiences to its TV app. The push comes right after Meta began testing a new “Series” feature for Reels earlier this month. a tool aimed at making it easier to follow serialized content on Instagram and Facebook.
Instagram’s ambitions are clear: while it has competed for years with TikTok and YouTube, it is now aiming at streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video—capturing attention not just on phones, but on TVs. The company frames the living room as the next battleground.
Along with the format experiments, Instagram says its TV app is being rolled out to Samsung TVs. It’s already available on Amazon Fire and Google TVs, meaning the network is widening the number of set-top options through which people can open it.
Inside the app, Instagram is also adding features meant to make watching feel more like TV and less like browsing. Users will see channels tailored to the creators and topics they care about. with the company saying channels make it easier to find videos people can enjoy together—whether that’s comedy. sports. or specific creators.
The app is also testing a dedicated section for horizontal videos. Instagram says this format is meant to make it easier to watch on television, and to lay groundwork for its living-room viewing ambitions.
On the control side, Instagram is making it simpler to move content from mobile to TV. Users can cast Reels, or content from their Saved tab, directly from their phone to their TV. There’s also support for stories on the TV app: people can now check out other users’ Stories within the TV app. which previously only let users watch Reels natively.
Instagram’s TV experience is filling out in other ways too. The company says the app includes channels, casting from your phone, and support for horizontal videos and stories.
Instagram TV app episodic series longer-form video Live TV Reels Samsung TVs Amazon Fire TV Google TV streaming competition
So basically Instagram is turning into Netflix now… cool I guess.
I don’t even get why my TV needs Instagram. Like just open YouTube? This feels like them copying Netflix but with ads and influencers.
If they’re testing “Live TV-style creator experiences” does that mean they can finally steal cable? Or is it like the same Reels live thing but on a bigger screen. Half the time their stuff won’t load on my Samsung anyway lol.
Man I miss when TVs were just, ya know, normal. Now they’re pushing horizontal videos and “channels” which sounds like a playlist system. Also this “Series” thing on Reels… I thought that was only for Facebook? Meta really just merges everything and hopes we don’t notice.