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Instagram CEO: Stand-alone app for iPad not coming soon

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Instagram doesn’t have enough people on its team to develop a stand-alone Apple iPad app, according to the CEO, but that may have to change in the near future if large-screen mobile devices like the Samsung Galaxy Fold become more commonplace. Instagram’s CEO Adam Mosseri is quoted as saying that although it would like to make an iPad app, “we only have so many people and lots to do.”

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He added that an iPad app, “hasn’t bubbled up as the next best thing to do yet,” and while Instagram is arguably best-suited to smartphones, the team may have to free up some development time to make the app suitable for larger screens quite soon. Anyone who has used the Instagram app on the Samsung Galaxy Fold will know it’s not the best experience, and as foldable smartphones become more popular, Instagram will have to adapt its app for them.

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Mosseri’s words, which came during a weekend event and were reported by the Verge, suggest it does not place much importance on the iPad, despite the tablet’s popularity and ability as a media machine. Instagram isn’t only for browsing casually either, as many creators leverage Instagram for work, and a native app would likely streamline publishing efforts for many, given the iPad’s talents for photo and video editing on the move. Beyond that, Instagram shopping, where products can be purchased directly through the app itself, is another feature that seems to fit in well with general tablet use.

The Apple iPad celebrated its 10th anniversary recently and seeing as Instagram hasn’t felt the need to create an app for it during that time, one is unlikely to suddenly jump to the top of the list now. However, adapting the app for use on other, non-standard mobile devices is soon going to become a necessity.

The Galaxy Fold may not be a mainstream phone just yet, but foldable smartphones are expected to become considerably more popular over the coming year. Browsing the app at the moment isn’t ideal on the Fold, with many photos not fitting properly on the screen, and the interface appearing messy and substandard. Surprising, given that Instagram’s overworked staff has already teamed up with Samsung to integrate a special Insta-ready camera mode into Samsung’s own camera app.

Instagram has more than a billion monthly active users, and reportedly earned parent company Facebook $20 billion in advertising revenue during 2019. Based on Mosseri’s words, it does not sound like any of this will be channeled into an iPad app.

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Andy Boxall
Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
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