In a recent update, Instagram has removed the annoying IGTV button from its app. If you have been using the Instagram app extensively, you would have found that it was available on the upper corner of the app.
IGTV was actually used as an answer to YouTube. It was meant to be the platform for longer-form videos that the app could support. The feature was launched in 2018 and was believed to be a huge advantage. However, once the hoopla behind the launch was over, nothing much happened in this context. In fact, the IGTV can be viewed even without the need for the app. However, the IGTV button on the app was designed to act as a shortcut to browse the content on IGTV.
The reason cited for the removal of the button was that it was not used by many of the users on Instagram. We would indeed appreciate Facebook in admitting that it could not find a feature working. “Most people are finding IGTV content through previews in Feed, the IGTV channel in Explore, creators’ profiles and the standalone app,” said a spokesperson of Instagram.
Only a few of the people were clicking on the IGTV icon. It should be noticed that Instagram is attempting to de-prioritise the IGTV app and is likely to promote it as a standalone app. You can now upload the IGTV feed with the same interface that you ae currently using the main feed.
Instagram has gone through huge issues and failed to attract the video creators and users to its IGTV platform. One of the issues would be that it does not offer any options for ads or revenue share options as seen on YouTube.
One of the issues that could have affected the growth of IGTV can be TikTok. It went popular enough and affected IGTV and its further development.
