Soon, you can scroll Instagram reels on Google TV devices: What's new

Instagram is expanding its TV app to Google TV devices in the US, allowing users to browse and watch Reels on a bigger screen, similar to YouTube Shorts

Instagram is expanding its TV app to Google TV devices in the US, allowing users to watch and browse Reels on their TV screens. The rollout was confirmed by Instagram head Adam Mosseri in a post on Threads. This comes a few months after the company introduced a similar Instagram TV experience on Amazon Fire TV in December. With this move, Instagram is gradually taking its short-form video content beyond smartphones and bringing it to larger screens for a more shared viewing experience.

Instagram for Google TV: How it works

The Instagram app on Google TV focuses mainly on Reels. Videos are organised into themed channels based on user interests and popular topics such as sports highlights, cooking clips, travel videos, and trending content. Instead of swiping vertically on a phone, users can navigate using a remote control, creating a more relaxed viewing experience.

 

 

Users can also search for creators and explore content categories. The TV app supports full audio and autoplay, similar to the mobile version of Instagram. Beyond simply watching videos, the app allows users to like, comment, and share posts. The interface is designed to feel familiar to regular Instagram users, rather than just being a stretched-out version of the phone app.

 

In his post, Mosseri said the app is expanding to Google TV devices in the US starting now, adding that the company is looking forward to feedback as it continues to improve the experience. 

 

By bringing Reels to TV screens, Instagram is competing more directly with platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, which already offer short-form videos on smart TVs. For now, the feature is limited to the US, and there is no official word on when it might expand to other countries.