Instagram wants to take over your TV, one streaming device at a time

If you thought your TV was just for watching Home Alone or Die Hard on repeat for the next couple of weeks, you thought wrong. You can now also watch Instagram Reels on your big screen – as long as you live in the US and have a Fire TV device.

Instagram owner Meta has announced that it has started testing Instagram for TV after hearing from its community “that watching Reels together is more fun”.

The test is designed for Instagram to learn which features work best on TV compared to mobile, and it’s said that it will expand to more devices and countries as it learns what works.

How does Instagram for TV work and where can I use it?

For now, those in the US that have an Amazon Fire TV device will be able to download the Instagram app and sign into their account. The service has said that you'll also be able to open the app from the Settings bookmark in the mobile app, and should be able to add up to five accounts to your TV.

It’s also possible to create a separate account just for Instagram on TV, although if you use your own account, you will get a personalised experience when watching Reels on your TV.

Reels will be grouped into channels that match your interests, from new music to sports highlights and travel gems. If one catches your eye, it will play automatically with full sound.

There is also a search bar at the top the will allow you to hunt down your favourite creators or profiles that place a focus on Reels. Instagram has said more features will come in time as the test progresses, including the potential to use your phone as a remote.

For now though, the social media platform has said it is applying "content standards suitable for a broad audience", given that Instagram for TV is built for shared viewing.

"In this test, Reels generally follow the PG-13 rating system we recently introduced on mobile. These guidelines shape what may appear on TV.

"For teens, Instagram for TV is intended to reflect the same general safeguards available on the Instagram mobile app," it explained.

In addition, any time spent on Instagram for TV by a teen will contribute to their overall usage limits. They might also receive the reminders about reaching those limits as they do on mobile.