Instagram App Clip on its way, but still no iPad app

Apple says an App Clip is a small part of an app that lets you do a task quickly, like rent a bike, pay for parking, or order food

Kate Mills - Feb 18, 2024

Instagram App Clip on its way, but still no iPad app

Meta-owned social media platform Instagram is going to integrate an App Clip to the array of features it offers.

While the social media giant already holds the record of being a latecomer in terms of catching up with the provision of latest social media-centric features, particularly those for iOS, it's offering an App Clip when the audience has been asking for an iPad version of the app.

App Clip for Instagram for iOS

The feature was spotted on the 319.0.2 version of the Instagram app which is exclusively available to beta testers via TestFlight. An App Clip, Apple says, is a “small part of an app that lets you do a task quickly, like rent a bike, pay for parking, or order food.”

To put it simply, App Clip serves as a mini app which users can use without downloading the full app.

What is App Clip on Instagram?

The feature mirrors what TikTok — well known short video platform — offers with its App Clip, allowing users indulge on Reels in the app's native UI even if they don't have the app installed. That is to be made possible with the help of Reels short video platform that’s developed on the back of main Instagram app.

For instance, if someone sends you an iMessage with a link to an Instagram Reel, it will open in the App Clip instead of the default web browser.

Users have the option to continue scrolling to view other popular Reels and can also tap to share a specific Reel with others. Once they have watched approximately six Reels, the App Clip will prompt the user to download Instagram in order to continue watching Reels.

This feature is a valuable addition to the iOS Instagram app. In the previous year, Instagram introduced support for Live Activities, allowing users to monitor the upload progress of a new post or story when they switch to another app. However, it is disappointing to note that creating an iPad app is not a priority for the Instagram team, and this also applies to Threads.