Instagram said on Monday that it will no longer support its standalone IGTV app. The parent company of Instagram, Meta, confirmed to TechCrunch that the app will be deleted from app stores in mid-March. The firm detailed the move in a blog post as part of its attempts to make video as easy to discover and produce as possible. Instagram has stated that it will now concentrate on having all video on its main app, and that it would continue to simplify and improve video on the main Instagram app over the next months.

Instagram's standalone IGTV app is being retired
Last October, Instagram dropped the IGTV branding in favour of a new format dubbed simply "Instagram Video," which blended IGTV's long-form video with Instagram feed videos. Instagram has previously stated that the IGTV app would not be discontinued and will instead be renamed.

As it changes its attention to Reels, the firm also announced today that in-stream video commercials, previously known as IGTV ads, will no longer be supported. Creators who actively monetize with in-stream video advertising will get a temporary monthly payout based on previous revenues, according to Instagram. Despite the fact that this appears to be a step back in terms of creator monetization, Instagram has indicated that it is looking into other methods for users to make money. 


Later this year, the firm will begin testing a new Instagram ad experience that would let users to make money from advertising featured on their Reels. The new monetization option will be added to the Reels bonus programme, which allows artists to earn money on a monthly basis.

Instagram restated its commitment on Reels, its short-form video TikTok competitor, as part of today's announcements. The business claims that Reels is still the most important feature for app engagement growth, and that it will continue to invest on the feature.


"We appreciate how our creative community utilises video to express themselves, collaborate with others, and connect with their fans," the firm wrote in a blog post. "We're pleased to spend even more in reels as it continues to be a growing and vital aspect of Instagram."

IGTV's standalone app was already losing ground as a standalone product when the decision to shut it down was made. Due to a lack of interest, Instagram removed the orange IGTV button from its home page in early 2020. According to Sensor Tower analysis, just about 7 million of Instagram's 1 billion-plus users had downloaded the standalone IGTV app at the time of the announcement.