Finally, Instagram is dropping that IGTV button
In a minor, albeit welcome change, Instagram is dropping the annoying IGTV button from its Android and iOS apps. The decision, first reported by TechCrunch, is being taken as part of an effort to build a cleaner app interface for users, and not as an initial step to ditch IGTV entirely. Here's all you need to know about it.
Dedicated option to access IGTV videos from people, pages followed
Ever since IGTV debuted as Instagram's way of hosting long-form videos, the photo-sharing service has been offering a dedicated shortcut button on the upper right corner of its home page to access the service. The icon allowed users to open IGTV and access all the videos that have been shared by the people, pages, and channels they have followed.
But, Instagram says people are not tapping it
Instagram took the decision to remove the IGTV button as not enough people have been tapping on it. "Most people are finding IGTV content through previews in Feed, the IGTV channel in Explore, creators' profiles and the standalone app," a company spokesperson said, adding that "very few are clicking into the IGTV icon in the top right corner of the home screen."
Only the button is going away, not IGTV
Having said that, it is imperative to note that the Facebook-owned photo-sharing service is only removing the IGTV button - the service still remains. You would find IGTV videos on Instagram through the common access gateways mentioned earlier, which essentially means you'd have to dig a bit more to get a taste of IGTV videos. Alternatively, you can also download the dedicated IGTV app.
IGTV hasn't been a success story for Instagram
Instagram had debuted IGTV as a competitor for YouTube and TikTok, but the service hasn't really done that well in the last year and a half of its existence. Only 7 million of its 1 billion-plus users (which is just 1%) have downloaded the standalone IGTV, per TechCrunch. Plus, creators have argued that the service doesn't offer effective monetization opportunities like YouTube.
