Culture
Instagram kills off the IGTV homepage button
You probably weren't using it anyway.
The dedicated IGTV button on Instagram's homepage is going away. I doubt you'll miss it. Instagram confirmed today that it is dropping the icon — the small orange and pink TV at the top right corner of your feed — because "very few" users are clicking it.
Did you even realize it was there? — Aside from accidental clicks, Instagram's IGTV button was basically gathering cobwebs next to the direct messaging icon.
There were several (maybe too many) ways to access IGTV anyway; Instagram rolled out a separate IGTV app about a year and a half ago and an IGTV button sits at the top of the Explore feed, plus the now-defunct homepage button. Considering only a fraction of Instagram users have downloaded the app, suggesting pretty weak interest — just 7 million of its billion-plus userbase, according to TechCrunch — that seems like overkill.
IGTV isn't going away, though — The disappearance of the homepage icon doesn't mean you won't be able to access IGTV content anymore. It'll still be available as usual in the other above-mentioned areas. Instagram is just trimming some fat.
“As we’ve continued to work on making it easier for people to create and discover IGTV content, we’ve learned that most people are finding IGTV content through previews in Feed, the IGTV channel in Explore, creators’ profiles, and the standalone app," a Facebook spokesperson told TechCrunch.
"Very few are clicking into the IGTV icon in the top right corner of the home screen in the Instagram app. We always aim to keep Instagram as simple as possible, so we’re removing this icon based on these learnings and feedback from our community."
