Instagram on Monday announced that it is officially discontinuing its mobile app dedicated to the IGTV video platform – which was rebranded to Instagram Video last year. As a result of the shutdown, the IGTV app will soon be removed from the App Store and Google Play.
The announcement was made on the Instagram Blog for Creators (via TechCrunch). According to the company, the decision comes as Instagram moves to simplify the video experience for its users and push short videos known as Reels.
IGTV was announced in 2018 as a mobile video-focused platform that only let users share vertical videos. In an attempt to compete with YouTube and other platforms, IGTV got its own app separate from Instagram, but it never became very popular despite Instagram’s efforts.
The Meta-owned company then introduced new ways to share videos directly on Instagram, which include Reels (to compete directly with TikTok) and support for long-form vertical or horizontal videos. The IGTV brand has been replaced by Instagram Video, which combines Reels and Feed Videos in a new tab within the main Instagram app.
According to Instagram, the IGTV app will be completely shut down and removed from the app stores in mid-March. The social network also notes that in-stream video ads will also no longer be supported, so creators who want to monetize their content will have to explore the Reels platform.
Instagram says it will continue to improve the social network for video creators, and it emphasizes the company now pays users to create and post original Reels.
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