Instagram: still terrible, now on iPad

Being of a somewhat prehistoric age, I remember the brief moment in time when the battle of the iPhone photo apps boiled down to Instagram vs Hipstamatic. Back then, it was all about which had the best retro filters. But then Instagram started incorporating social features – and the rest is history.

If anything, it was a warning of things to come. Instagram has become less and less about photos over the years, to the point that it's no longer one of the best social media platforms for creatives, and instead a bonafide brain rotting short-form video machine (with ads).

I stopped using it long ago, but today's news that Instagram has finally launched an iPad app has me feeling unexpectedly wistful about the platform's glory days.

You see, there was a time when I, like so many Instagram users, really wanted them to bring out an iPad app. In the mid-to-late 'teenies' (say, 2015-2018), Instagram was a genuinely fun place to be. Reels weren't jostling for the remaining shreds of our attention, and we mostly used the app for its original purpose: keeping up with friends and relatives (and perhaps, occasionally, the Kardashians).

Back then, if you wanted to use Instagram on a bigger screen, which was a particularly appealing prospect for content creators, you were limited to the web version on desktop. But despite the repeated calls from users, Instagram refused to drop a version for our favourite drawing tablet – until this year (curiously, the same year as that other iPad app hold-out, WhatsApp).

"Today, we’re excited to announce we’re bringing Instagram to iPad," Instagram announced. People have asked for this for a while, and we’ve taken the time to design an experience that optimises your favourite parts of Instagram for a bigger screen."

"When designing Instagram for iPad, we wanted to take advantage of the bigger screen to give people more features with fewer taps, while keeping it simple. We’ve made it easier to catch up on your messages and notifications with layouts that display both tabs. When you watch reels, you can expand the comments while the reel stays at full size, making it easy to catch up on the best reactions without missing a moment. It’s the Instagram you love, now with more space to play."

instagram from r/Instagram/comments/17sgszr/does_everyone_think_instagram_sucks_now

The problem is, it isn't the Instagram I love. It hasn't been for a long time. Ever since the platform made its 'pivot to video', it's become harder and harder to find content from the people you actually follow. The platform is infested with ads, and loud, shouty Reels. And it's clear from talking to creatives about how they feel about social media that it's becoming increasingly difficult for artists to gain any kind of engagement at all.

So, no, I won't be downloading the Instagram iPad. Instead, you can find me on Substack, the only platform that hasn't been enshittified – yet.