Instagram is finally bringing Reels to the living room.
Meta has started testing a dedicated Instagram TV app that lets users watch Reels on a big screen, marking the platform’s first serious step into TV-based short-form video.
The new app is launching as a pilot on Amazon Fire TV devices in the US, starting this week. While Instagram has yet to confirm wider availability, Meta says it plans to expand to more devices and countries once it learns from early testing.
Rather than simply mirroring the mobile experience, the TV app is designed specifically for larger screens. The home screen shows horizontal rows of personalised video collections, making it easier to browse before diving into a clip.
Once selected, videos play in their original portrait format, flanked by captions on one side and engagement stats like likes and shares on the other. Just like on your phone, the next Reel slides up automatically.
Instagram says users will see Reels from accounts they already follow, alongside popular and recommended content. These are organised into “Channels”, which group videos by topic, trend, or theme from sports and cooking to music and seasonal events, offering a more relaxed way to explore content without searching for individual creators.
Search is also built into the TV app, allowing users to look up creators, browse Reel-focused profiles, and explore specific interests. There’s support for up to five logged-in accounts, meaning everyone in the household can keep their recommendations separate.
More features may be on the way, too. Instagram says it’s considering additions like using your phone as a remote control and introducing a more intuitive way to “channel surf” through Reels, a nod to traditional TV viewing habits.
For now, the app supports most Fire TV Stick devices, along with Fire TV Series 2 and Omni TVs. Instagram hasn’t shared a timeline for other platforms, but expansion appears to be part of the plan.
While Instagram is a few years behind YouTube in bringing vertical video to TV, the timing makes sense. TikTok is reportedly working on its own TV app, Netflix is leaning further into creator-led content, and YouTube continues to overhaul its TV experience. With Reels now heading to the sofa, the fight for your biggest screen is clearly heating up.
