Instagram for TV lets you watch Reels on your TV using Amazon Fire TV devices in the U.S. Learn how to set it up, how channels work, and why this matters for creators who want to turn big-screen views into followers, DMs, and sales.
TL;DR
TL;DR: What is Instagram for TV?
If you’re skimming, here are the key points and keywords you probably care about:
Instagram just took a very literal step into the living room.
On December 16, 2025, Meta announced Instagram for TV, a new TV app that lets people watch Instagram Reels on their television for the first time, starting with Amazon Fire TV devices in the U.S.
Instead of casting from your phone, you can now:
For U.S. creators, especially, this is a big deal. Instagram is explicitly testing a “Reels on TV” experience right as connected TV (CTV) viewing and ad budgets are exploding.
Let’s walk through what Instagram for TV is, how to get it on your Fire TV, and how you as a creator can actually use this to grow — not just give people a new way to doomscroll.
On a compatible Fire TV device in the U.S.:
Alternatively, you can start from your phone:
Once the app is installed:
You can even create a dedicated “Instagram for TV” account that isn’t linked to your main profile if you want a separate, lean-back viewing identity.
When you’re logged in, you’ll see Reels grouped into channels, such as:
Select a channel → choose a Reel → then sit back. Once a Reel starts, Instagram for TV auto-plays more Reels with full sound, so you get a YouTube- or TikTok-like lean-back experience instead of constant swiping.
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Instagram for TV is explicitly designed for shared viewing, think families, roommates, friends in the same room. So Meta is applying stricter content rules than on some mobile surfaces:
For creators, the practical takeaway is:
If you’re monetizing heavily via edgy humor or borderline content, those Reels may be less likely to surface on TV, where Instagram wants to keep things broadly safe and brand-friendly.
This is not just “cool, my Reels are bigger now.” It fits into a bigger shift:
Here’s what that means for you:
Instead of 1 person scrolling solo, imagine:
Your content is suddenly part of shared conversations, not just private scrolling. That:
On TV, everything is viewed from a few meters away. So:
If you want to perform well on Instagram Reels on TV:
On mobile Reels, people can tap links, buttons, or immediately open your profile. On TV, they can’t.
So your calls to action should target what people do next on their phone:
Viewers might:
That’s exactly where Inrō plugs in: capturing those comments and DMs automatically and turning them into structured lead flows.
A few practical moves for US creators who want to ride this update:
Start with content that is:
Those Reels are your best candidates to be surfaced on TV channels like sports, comedy, travel, lifestyle.
When you film new Reels, add big-screen-aware details:
For example:
“If you’re watching this on your TV, grab your phone and DM me ‘TVSTART’.”
TVSTART in DMsSOURCE:INSTAGRAM-FOR-TV or INTEREST:WORKOUTSThis is how you turn “cool, I’m on TV” into measurable growth.
Attract more leads, target them with DM campaigns, and automate your interactions on Instagram!
Instagram for TV is a new TV app that lets you watch Instagram Reels on your TV, starting with Amazon Fire TV devices in the U.S. It organizes Reels into interest-based channels and auto-plays them with full sound for lean-back viewing.
On a compatible Fire TV device:
You can also start setup from the Settings & activity section of the Instagram mobile app.
Not yet. For now, Instagram for TV is only available in the U.S. on supported Amazon Fire TV devices. Meta says it plans to expand to more countries and devices over time, based on test results.
No. Instagram for TV is currently view-only: you watch and browse Reels, switch channels, search creators, like and interact — but you still create and publish Reels from your phone, as usual
No. IGTV (Instagram’s long-form vertical video app) was discontinued in 2022 as Meta shifted focus to Reels.
Instagram for TV is a new Reels-focused TV experience, not a resurrection of the old IGTV app.
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Attract more leads, target them with DM marketing, and automate your interactions on Instagram!
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