What to know
- Meta has released an Instagram app for Amazon Fire TVs.
- The app is currently available only in the U.S. and is focused on short-form video content.
- Supported devices include Amazon's Fire TV Stick HD, 4K Plus and 4K Max (1st and 2nd gen.), Fire RV 2-and-4 series, and the Omni QLED Series.
- The Instagram app for Fire TV supports up to five different accounts, and age-related restrictions still apply.
Users in the U.S. with a Fire TV can now watch Instagram reels through an exclusive Fire TV-app. The newly launched Instagram app for Fire TV by Meta will feature only 'short-form video content', indicating that only Reels will be supported at the start.
If you have Fire TV, you can either link your existing Instagram account or have a separate account for the TV app. "You can add up to five accounts, so everyone in your home can enjoy a personalized way to watch Reels," the company said in the release blog.
If you're logging into a teen account, the same restrictions apply as on the Instagram app and time spent on it will count towards your overall usage limits, including the reminders.
Similar to the app, reels will play automatically on your TV and 'swipe' to the next once one ends.
The supported devices include Amazon's Fire TV Stick HD, 4K Plus and 4K Max (1st and 2nd gen.), as well as Fire RV 2-and-4 series, and the Omni QLED Series.
Reels on the Instagram app are grouped into different channels, such as "new music, sports highlights, hidden travel gems, trending moments, and more."
Since the Instagram app for TV is still being tested, the video formats could change, and more content options could be supported in the future in other countries as well.
With TikTok having released its Fire TV app in 2020, Instagram is clearly behind the curve. But the app's popularity, especially the reels content, could make it a quick hit for TV-viewing audiences as well.
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