Instagram IGTV: What Happened and What to Use Instead

Quick answer: IGTV is gone. Instagram dropped the IGTV brand in October 2021, merged long-form video into a single “Instagram Video” format, and then in July 2022 folded everything into Reels. The standalone IGTV app was shut down. If you came here to set up an IGTV channel, that no longer exists. Here is what happened and where long video lives now.

What’s inside

• What happened to IGTV
• What to use instead
• Embed your Instagram videos on your website

What happened to IGTV {#what-happened}

Instagram launched IGTV in 2018 as a dedicated home for long-form vertical video, complete with its own standalone app, its own channels, and a TV-style icon on profiles. It was Instagram’s answer to YouTube.

Then short-form video took over. As Reels became Instagram’s priority, IGTV stopped making sense as a separate product:

• In October 2021, Instagram retired the IGTV brand and combined long videos and in-feed videos into a single format called Instagram Video.
• In July 2022, Instagram consolidated Instagram Video and Reels into one place. From that point on, video you post is simply a Reel.
• The separate IGTV app was discontinued, and the old IGTV tab disappeared from profiles.

So there is no IGTV channel to create anymore, and no IGTV app to download. Everything is just video on Instagram now, surfaced primarily as Reels.

What to use instead {#what-instead}

• Post video as a Reel. Reels is now the single destination for Instagram video, long or short, and it is where the platform sends the most reach.
• Use your profile grid and Highlights to keep your best videos discoverable, the way the old IGTV tab used to.
• For the bigger picture of where Instagram is investing, see Instagram’s newest features every marketer should know.

Embed your Instagram videos on your website {#embed}

IGTV is a good reminder that Instagram will retire a format whenever priorities shift. The content you embed on your own website does not go anywhere.

With EmbedSocial you can automatically collect your Instagram Reels and display them as a customizable widget on any website. Full walkthrough here: how to embed Instagram Reels on your website.

Here is how to get started:

1. Create an account for EmbedSocial
2. Connect your Instagram account and let it pull in your Reels
3. Pick a widget template and customize the layout
4. Copy the code and paste it anywhere on your website

Start free trial. All features included. Cancel anytime.