What Happened to IGTV on Instagram?

If you haven’t been on the app for a while, you may be wondering, “What happened to IGTV on Instagram?”. Like many other social media apps, Instagram continues to change and improve overtime. And sometimes that means some features get left behind.

IGTV is one of these. Instagram ditched the IGTV tab and revamped its video format in October 2021 in an effort to focus more on video content.

The app combined IGTV and in-feed videos into its Instagram Video feature. Read on to find out more about Instagram’s video format, Instagram Video.

Why Instagram Got Rid of IGTV

Before ditching IGTV, the company announced that it would be making changes to the direction of Instagram as we know it, focusing less on images and more on video content, among other things.

Instagram even went as far as mentioning TikTok and YouTube as its competitors, citing the need to meet the demands of the market—providing entertainment.

But why did Instagram remove IGTV? Quite simply, the long-form video feature just didn’t pan out.

In ditching IGTV, Instagram chose to focus on Instagram Video instead.

IGTV Never Really Took Off

Instagram launched IGTV in 2018 in the hopes that it would become the mobile equivalent of YouTube.

However, the longer format never quite took off, especially with TikTok launching just two months later in the US. TikTok’s short-form video content was more favored by social media users.

Instagram then focused its efforts on competing with TikTok with its short video format feature, Instagram Reels.

How Instagram Video Is Different From IGTV

So what makes Instagram Video different from IGTV?

Instagram Video features include trimming tools, filters, and the ability to tag people and locations. It also allows you to preview videos in your feed for 60 seconds (except for video ads, which preview for 15 seconds).

More Ways to Watch and Explore Video Content

The Video tab houses all video content, except for Reels, helping you find videos from your favorite creators a lot easier.

But it also means you can browse through content from other creators that you may not be following, but that you may enjoy. This will help you find new creators to follow and new content for inspiration.

Your in-feed videos can be as long as 60 minutes, and users don’t have to leave the main app to view them, as was the case with IGTV. Tap anywhere on a video to view it in full-screen mode. Previously, this action muted the audio.

Instagram also makes it easier to track how your overall content is doing by showing you insights for both your posts and videos in one view.

An Adjusted Time Limit for Video Ads

Instagram changed IGTV ads to “In-Stream video ads”, and businesses that want to take advantage of these must ensure that their videos are no longer than 60 seconds. (In case they annoy you, here’s how to reduce targeted ads on social media.)

Where to Find Videos on Your Instagram Profile

Image Credit: Instagram

You will find the Video tab on your Instagram profile, directly under your bio and between the tabs for Reels and Tagged content.

Previously, video content was scattered, meaning that you were able to discover it in different areas like on your feed and on the Explore page. Now you have a dedicated place for video content, which makes it easier for you to create and explore new video content.

Instagram Is Evolving

With the social media market being so competitive, it’s no surprise that Instagram continues to change things up and invest more in features that could encourage more engagement and inspire creators to create more captivating posts.

Previously known as the photo-sharing app, Instagram is focusing less on images and more on videos, changing the app as we know it. With so many key changes in direction, we can’t help but wonder how different Instagram will look in the future.