The Instagram team is known for being a bit late to the party when it comes to adopting new iOS features. And while there are a number of users incessantly asking for an iPad app, Instagram has decided to give its iOS users something else: an App Clip.
Instagram for iOS will soon have an App Clip
Version 319.0.2 of the Instagram app available to beta testers via TestFlight introduces an App Clip. For those unfamiliar, Apple describes an App Clip as a “small part of an app that lets you do a task quickly, like rent a bike, pay for parking, or order food.” In other words, it’s like a mini app that you can try out without having to download the full app.
When it comes to the Instagram App Clip, it lets users experience the Reels short video platform that’s built into the main Instagram app. Similar to TikTok’s App Clip, the Instagram version will let users watch a Reel in the app’s native interface even when they don’t have Instagram installed.
For example, if someone sends you an iMessage with a link to an Instagram Reel, it will open in the App Clip instead of your default web browser. Users can keep scrolling to watch some other popular Reels and even tap to share a specific Reel with others. After watching around six Reels, the App Clip prompts the user to download Instagram to continue watching Reels.
The feature is certainly a nice addition to the iOS Instagram app. Last year, Instagram implemented support for Live Activities, so that users can see the upload progress of a new post or story when they switch to another app. However, it’s sad to see that developing an iPad app isn’t a priority for the Instagram team (and this applies to Threads too).
There’s no word on when the update with the App Clip will be released to the public. You can download Instagram for free on the App Store.
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