What you need to know
- Instagram has decided to get rid of the IGTV shortcut button from its app's home screen.
- As per the company, decided to remove the IGTV icon as very few users are actually tapping it.
- Since its launch, only 7 million Instagram users have downloaded the standalone IGTV app.
Instagram will soon be removing the orange IGTV button from its home screen. As reported by TechCrunch, the company found that the icon is only being used by a very small number of Instagram users. Most folks are accessing IGTV content through previews in feed, profiles of creators, or the standalone IGTV app.
In a statement sent to TechCrunch, an Instagram spokesperson said:
As we've continued to work on making it easier for people to create and discover IGTV content, we've learned that most people are finding IGTV content through previews in Feed, the IGTV channel in Explore, creators' profiles and the standalone app. Very few are clicking into the IGTV icon in the top right corner of the home screen in the Instagram app. We always aim to keep Instagram as simple as possible, so we're removing this icon based on these learnings and feedback from our community.
IGTV, which was launched in June 2018, has failed to repeat the success of past Instagram launches such as Stories. The standalone IGTV app has only received 7 million downloads since its launch, while rival TikTok was downloaded by over 80 million users during the same period.
Seeing the lack of enthusiasm regarding the standalone IGTV app among Instagram users, the Facebook-owned company now lets one upload videos to IGTV using the same screen that they use to upload photo and videos to the main feed. Users will be able to choose between short video and long video after they tap on the plus sign on the bottom area of the Instagram app.
