Launched in 2018, Instagram’s IGTV service was for all those users who like watching long videos on the platform. However, from a massive userbase of 1 billion-plus people, only around 7 million Instagram users have downloaded the dedicated IGTV app, since its launch in 2019.
Instagram has also integrated the feature in its main app but now, the company is finally removing the IGTV button. According to a report by Tech Crunch, the company has decided to kill the button because very few people were using it.
A spokesperson from Facebook said,
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. Very few are clicking into the IGTV icon in the top right corner of the home screen in the Instagram app.
He further added,
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.
Though the company has killed the IGTV icon from its main app, the feature itself is still alive and isn’t going anywhere as of now. Users can still access the feature by tapping on the IGTV icon on the bottom left corner of a post in their Feeds. It can also be accessed by visiting the creator’s profile.
If you love IGTV, you can still download the dedicated app to watch long-form vertical videos from your favourite creators.