More Reels, fewer taps: Instagram rolls out Apple TV app in Malaysia

Instagram on Apple TV lets you watch Reels and live streams, but that’s about it. — SoyaCincau pic

By Alif Azizan

First Published: Monday, 26 Oct 2026 5:06 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — Meta has officially rolled out a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV users in Malaysia and globally. The new application enables you to watch content natively on your television without needing to cast or mirror from a mobile device.

This is Meta’s latest effort to bring its video-first experience to shared household screens.

What you can do with Instagram on Apple TV

Instead of traditional feed browsing, the big-screen app focuses entirely on lean-back video consumption. You can watch short-form Reels, longer creator uploads and live broadcasts on your television sets.

The interface is built around interest channels that auto-play continuous video streams, making it simple to discover new clips or catch up on content from followed accounts.

Playback continuity is also supported, allowing you to resume videos seamlessly between your phone, tablet and Apple TV.

What you can’t do with Instagram on Apple TV

Because the app is tailored purely for viewing video, core social features from the mobile client are absent. You cannot create or publish posts, Reels or Stories directly from your television.

Direct messaging is completely excluded, meaning you cannot read or reply to DMs. Traditional photo feeds, Story interactions like polls and text commenting are also unavailable, avoiding clumsy on-screen keyboard navigation with the Apple TV remote.

System requirements and platform rollout

According to the Apple App Store listing, the dedicated Instagram app for your TV requires tvOS 26.0 or later to run. — SoyaCincau pic

The dedicated Instagram app is available as a free download from the tvOS App Store in Malaysia. According to the listing, the application requires tvOS 26.0 or later to run.

This Apple TV launch follows Meta’s gradual roll out across smart television ecosystems. Instagram initially tested its big-screen interface on Amazon Fire TV in December 2025, before expanding to Google TV in February 2026 and Samsung smart TVs in June 2026.

The Apple TV release expands the platform’s large-screen presence, arriving roughly one year after Instagram debuted its dedicated iPad application in September 2025. — SoyaCincau