Popular photo and video-sharing app Instagram has dropped the IGTV button. According to the Facebook-owned app, the decision to remove the button was taken after a few people were reported using it. The button featured in the top right corner of the app’s home screen. The company said out of the one billion users, nearly seven million people downloaded the IGTV standalone app. The company said the latest decision is aimed at making the app easier for people to create and discover IGTV content. It added that most people are finding IGTV content through previews in Feed and a few are clicking the icon.
Instagram said the latest decision is a part of its ongoing strategy to keep the app as simple as possible. It added the icon was removed after feedback from users and the community. IGTV is a standalone video application by Instagram for both iOS and Android smartphones. Facebook launched it in June 2018 in order to lure video makers away from YouTube. It allows users to watch long-form and vertical videos. The feature was integrated in the main app using a TV icon. But less than a year later Instagram has removed the button from the home screen. The company has reportedly struggled to attract users to IGTV ever since it was launched. Also, it doesn’t offer revenue opportunities to the company.
The company said that even though the button has been removed, the IGTV feature will be available for users. This means users can still continue watching long-form vertical videos in the app. Users now need to tap the IGTV tab inside Instagram Explore. Apart from the main application, users can also download the standalone app to enjoy long-form vertical videos. On Instagram, short videos that are less than 60 seconds can be uploaded to feed and long videos can be earmarked for IGTV. Instagram was launched exclusively on iOS in October 2010. Its Android version was released in 2012.
