Instagram Is Coming to a Big Screen Near You: Your Samsung TV

Your Samsung TV just became a bigger billboard for Instagram. The Meta-owned platform is now rolling out its app to Samsung smart TVs, letting viewers scroll through Reels and Stories on a screen that dwarfs their phone.

Instagram on Samsung TV arrives as the latest expansion of the social network's presence on larger screens. The feature was already available on Amazon Fire TV and Google TV, but adding Samsung—one of the world's largest TV manufacturers—signals Meta's ambition to make Instagram a living-room staple. Users can access it via the Samsung Smart Hub or through voice search, then log in to their existing accounts.

The app is designed for passive consumption rather than creation. You can watch Reels and Stories in a landscape-oriented feed, but posting, commenting, or direct messaging are not yet supported. The interface mirrors the mobile app's vertical scrolling, adapted for a TV remote, with a simple up-and-down navigation. Early adopters report a smooth experience on 2023 and 2024 Samsung TV models running Tizen OS.

Meta has been testing bigger-screen Instagram for years. In 2020, it launched a tablet-friendly layout, and in 2022 it began rolling out a dedicated TV app for Fire TV and Google TV. The Samsung release closes a major gap, since Samsung accounts for roughly 20% of global smart TV shipments. The move comes as TikTok rapidly gains ground on TVs with its own app, which has already seen strong engagement from users watching long-form content on the couch.

Industry watchers see this as a strategic play for ad revenue and user time. Instagram Reels now generate more than 30% of time spent on the platform, and placing those short videos on the big screen could increase session length and open new inventory for TV-sized video ads. Analysts at Insider Intelligence note that connected TV advertising is growing at 20% annually, making it a natural battleground for Meta.

What's next? Expect Instagram on Samsung TV to gain features over time, possibly including live shopping integration or collaborative viewing modes. For now, the simplest way to try it is to say "Instagram" into your Samsung remote. The app is free and available in most regions where Samsung smart TVs are sold. If the rollout proves successful, Meta may extend compatibility to TCL, Sony, and other TV brands running Android TV or Roku. The big screen revolution for social media is still in its early innings.