Instagram finally gets better for browsers, making an iPad version pointless

Finally taking advantage of your big desktop displays

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Alongside now being able to scheduleInstagramposts for up to 90 days, the web version of the app has seen a redesign, with a goal of working better on bigger displays.

Previously, a menu would be found at the top of yourweb browser, but it would usually be in the way of the content you were looking at, and everything was in a boxed space. Now, every option is found on a sidebar to the left of the screen, and when you select a post it gets enlarged, showcasing itself on your display.

These improvements are slowly rolling out to everyone, and after itsdowntime earlier this yearwhere a bug was restricting accounts, this is another good start in providing its users with what they actually want, rather thanNFT collectibles.

The updated browser version will likely be a boon for desktop social media users. If you’re looking for anew monitorforBlack Friday 2022- and you usually have Twitter, Instagram, or evenMastodonopen on your PC - there’s never been a better time to snap one up, now that Instagram looks much better in a browser than it has before.

Analysis - Instagram on the web and not the iPad, is a good move

🎉 New Features 🎉Some “finally features” that I think you’re going to be excited about… - Schedule Posts (coming soon)- IG Web Updates pic.twitter.com/5tyMxWh1n8November 8, 2022

Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way - there’s still no word of a dedicated iPad version of Instagram from CEO Adam Mosseri. However, I agree with this approach.

I’ve said before howa reboot of the iPad line, both in its hardware and software, is sorely needed, and you can already access Instagram with theiPhone version. It’s not optimized for the tablet, but it works. However, the updated web version alleviates this further.

With the new update to the browser version of the app, scrolling through Instagram and creating posts on myM1 iPad Pro (2021)inSafariis now as intuitive as using it on my iPhone.

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There used to be a time when you would see an iPhone app first, followed by an iPad app with ‘HD’ tacked on to the end of the name. Twelve years on since the debut of the iPad, and the constant request from some has been Instagram on iPad - it’s time to let those cries rest.

Web browsers have reached a point of flexibility and power where you can now create content with ease - not just consume content as you used to in the late-90s with forums andMSN Messengerchats for example.

Instagram works great on other devices where it’s reachable through a bookmark, and on my iPad andMacBook Pro 14-inch (2021), that’s good enough for most users, including me.

Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he’s written a book, ‘The Making of Tomb Raider’. His second book, ‘50 Years of Boss Fights’, came out in 2024, with a third book coming in 2025. He also has a newsletter called ‘Springboard’. He’s usually found playing games old and new on his Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that’s about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.

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