Just like turning on cable TV, the IGTV app starts playing as soon as you open it, meaning there’s no need to perform a search or other on-boarding tasks. If you wish, a quick swipe up reveals options for discovering new videos.
Also like TV, IGTV has channels – creators are the channels. When you follow a creator on Instagram, their IGTV channel will show up in your feed. Anyone can be a creator by uploading their own videos in the app or on the web.
Instagram says that the new app will be rolling out over the next few weeks on Android and iOS. You’ll also be able to watch IGTV content within the main Instagram app, which the company says now has over 1 billion monthly active users.
You can access IGTV in two ways. There’s a button in the top right part of the Instagram app, next to the DM, or you can download the app separately. Once you’re viewing it (in either form) you’ll be able to watch videos that are up to an hour. You can upload your own videos there, too. There are four different categories for the videos: For You, Following, Popular, and Continue Watching.
Youtube now has a rival