Instagram is bidding goodbye to its dedicated IGTV app, which was launched back in 2018. The app will fully shut down in mid-March, meaning it won’t be available for users to download via the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
RIP, Instagram’s IGTV App!
Instagram, via a recent blog post for creators, revealed that the decision has been taken to make the creation and consumption of video content easier than ever. Its aim is to make all video content accessible to users via the main Instagram app.
The blog post read, “We believe this makes it easier for people to have all these features and abilities in the main app, and are excited to continue to simplify and improve video in the main Instagram app over the coming months.“
This move comes after Instagram recently decided to focus on the video part for a simpler experience by merging the Feed Video and IGTV into one broad format called Instagram Video. This section lies within the main Instagram app for users to access Reels and IGTV videos from one place.
For those who don’t remember, the IGTV app was launched nearly four years ago as an attempt to compete with YouTube and more such video platforms. It provided a way for people to view vertical short-form videos but failed to garner much attention and userbase. Hence, the decision to discontinue its IGTV app makes sense, considering it’s now easier to access all the video content from within the Instagram app.
With a focus on Instagram creators, the platform has also announced that it will find more ways for them to get monetized on the platform. These ways will be in addition to its recent subscription service for creators to earn money. It is also revealed that Instagram will no longer support In-Stream video ads (previously known as IGTV ads).
