'Instagram TV' debuts on Amazon
by Chris Benson · UPIDec. 16 (UPI) -- Meta-owned Instagram will now let users view Reels on larger screens, the media giant announced Tuesday.
Meta will test an Instagram TV app on Amazon Fire TV in the United States in aiming to expand the platform beyond phones and compete with rivals like TikTok and YouTube.
Instagram's TV application will highlight short, creator-made reels users can watch, share and discover through algorithmic recommendations.
Instagram's vice president of product, Tessa Lyons, told CNBC Meta plans to bring its new TV app to more devicesm but was focused on perfecting the user experience before growing its TV ad business.
Its online users will be able to link up to five personal Instagram accounts to one shared TV account, which will follow broad content standards to avoid showing teens Reels about drugs, alcohol or other age-inappropriate content.
"We think we probably have a lot more work to do to really make sure that we're bringing people the content they love on mobile in a way that really makes sense for them and feels designed for TV," Lyons said, adding that's where "we're going to be focused in 2026, as well as bringing it to more people and more devices, and, down the line, we'll certainly think more about monetization."
Users will have the ability to browse Reels organized into channels by interests such as sports, music, travel and other genres.
On Tuesday, Amazon said that Fire TV users now may watch Instagram Reels directly on their TVs to replace the need to crowd around a small phone.
"The Instagram team has built an awesome experience, and we're excited to be the first place to offer it. We can't wait to see what customers think," Aidan Marcuss, Amazon's vice president of Fire TV, said in a statement.