Instagram today announced IGTV, a separate application meant expressly for consuming video content.
Instagram strongly claims IGTV is different from its existing app.
“First, it’s built for how you actually use your phone, so videos are full screen and vertical. Also, unlike on Instagram, videos aren’t limited to one minute. Instead, each video can be up to an hour long,” explained the company in a blog post.
Videos from favored accounts will start to play as soon as users open the app. In addition to content from followers, IGTV will queue up videos based on users’ interests. Sections such as For You, Following, Popular, and Continue Watching will let people browse and discover content from others. As always, people can like and comment on videos, as well as share them with friends. IGTV will include creator channels where people can upload their own videos.
IGTV will be rolling out globally over the next few weeks on Android and iOS.
