Over the years, Instagram has maintained its position as one of the most prominent social media platforms in the world. The platform has undergone several changes and has introduced several new features, including one of the more intriguing ones, IGTV. IGTV, Instagram’s standalone video app, was launched in 2018, and its primary purpose was to compete with YouTube.

With IGTV, Instagram users could upload long-form videos of up to an hour in length, something that was impossible to achieve on Instagram. IGTV was separate from the main Instagram app, and users had to download the app independently to access IGTV content.

At first, IGTV seemed like a promising feature, but it never gained as much traction as Instagram had anticipated. One issue that plagued the app was that it wasn’t easy for users to discover new content. Unlike YouTube, where users could easily find new content to watch, IGTV was mostly limited to users sharing their content on their profile, which didn’t offer much room for discovering new content.

To make matters worse, Instagram didn’t include IGTV in the main app. If users wanted to watch IGTV content, they had to exit the Instagram app and download a separate app. This lack of integration with the main app discouraged users from using the feature.

Another problem was that Instagram’s feed had evolved into a space for quick, snackable content that didn’t require much attention span. As such, users weren’t willing to switch to a different app to watch long-form videos, and many content creators didn’t see any advantage in creating content for an audience that was neither motivated nor very active.

Recently, Instagram made the decision to move IGTV content to the main app, creating a separate tab on the app’s homepage to showcase IGTV videos. This move was intended to encourage more users to check out IGTV content and make it easier for creators to share their long-form videos. Instagram has also made changes to its algorithm, making it possible for users to discover IGTV content more easily.

However, despite these changes, IGTV has still failed to make a significant impact. For users, the IGTV tab clutters Instagram with content that they may not be interested in, disrupting the flow of their feed. Similarly, content creators have been slow to embrace IGTV, opting to stick to the main feed where they can reach a wider audience.