Meta is starting to test a new Instagram app for TVs that lets you watch Reels on a big screen. The app will be available first as a pilot for Amazon Fire TV devices in the US starting Tuesday.
The homescreen of the Reels-focused app will show personalized, horizontal collections of videos to browse through. Click into a thumbnail and you’ll see the full portrait video, a caption on one side, and stats such as likes and shares on the other. Like with Reels on your phone, the next video swipes up from the bottom of the screen.
“You can watch Reels from the accounts you follow as well as popular and recommended content tailored to your interests,” Instagram spokesperson Christine Pai tells The Verge. “When you log in, you’ll see rows of Channels, which are Reels grouped by topic, theme, and/or trends. Channels make it easy to explore specific interests like sports, cooking, music, or seasonal events, without searching for individual creators. Some Channels highlight trending content across Instagram, while others are personalized based on your activity.”
From the TV app, you can also use search to “find your favorite creators, browse profiles centered on Reels, and explore anything you are interested in,” Instagram says in a blog post. In the TV app, you can log in to up to five accounts “so everyone in your home can enjoy a personalized way to watch Reels.” Down the line, Instagram may add features to the app like using a phone as a remote and “a more intuitive way to channel surf.”
The app is launching first in the US, and it will support “most Fire TV Stick devices and Fire TV Series 2 and Omni TVs,” according to Pai. As Instagram learns from the test, “we will expand to more devices and countries,” per the blog post.
