IGTV, short for ''Instagram TV'', was a standalone video application by

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

for Android and iOS

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whi ...

s. It allowed for longer videos compared to Instagram feeds. IGTV was available as a stand-alone app, though basic functionality was also available within the Instagram app and website. The service was launched and introduced by former Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom in a live event in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

on June 20, 2018, featuring creators such as Lele Pons. On 1 March 2022 Instagram's parent company,

Meta Meta (from the Greek μετά, '' meta'', meaning "after" or "beyond") is a prefix meaning "more comprehensive" or "transcending". In modern nomenclature, ''meta''- can also serve as a prefix meaning self-referential, as a field of study or end ...

, announced the shutdown of IGTV, due to their focus on Instagram Reels. The app was removed from app stores in mid-March, and all IGTV videos were then merged into the Instagram app.

Service

IGTV required users to login with an Instagram account.

Mobile device A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physica ...

s allowed uploads of up to 15 minutes in length with a file size of up to 650 MB, while desktop web browsers allowed uploads of up to 60 minutes in length with a file size of up to 3.6 GB. The app auto-played videos as soon as it was launched, which Kevin Systrom contrasted to video hosts where one must first locate a video. Instagram accounts with an IGTV channel received an IGTV tab on their profile page. Additionally, uploads on IGTV could be mirrored to a linked

Facebook page Facebook is a social-network service website launched on February 4, 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg. The following is a list of software and technology features that can be found on the Facebook website and mobile app and are available to users of t ...

. In May 2019, IGTV gained the ability to upload landscape videos.

References

2018 software 2018 introductions 2018 establishments in California IOS software Mobile software Proprietary cross-platform software Social software Video software Instagram Vertical video {{Mobile-software-stub