There isn’t an Instagram app for the Apple Watch anymore. This would come into effect once users upgrade to Instagram version 39 on iOS. The said update was released on April 2, 2018.
The above development, however, isn’t entirely unexpected. Rather, the death of the Instagram app can be linked to Apple’s ditching of the watchOS 1 SDK that served as the basis of the app. That watchOS SDK has ceased to exist post-April 1. Hence, all app that were built using the old platform are needed to be rebuilt using the watchOS 2 SDK or later.
Apple had also informed developers of the move back in June 2016 itself, stating they needed to come up with native apps for the Apple Watch. That should have allowed developers enough time to rebuild a new app that complied with the new regulations. However for reasons not explicitly stated, Instagram chose not to do so, opting instead to end support for the already existing app. In fact, all new apps for the Apple Watch are now required to be built using the watchOS 4 SDK.
Instagram meanwhile isn’t the only big-name company to end ties with the Apple Watch. Others that have already done the same include the likes of Amazon, eBay, Google Maps, Slack and Twitter and so on. Amongst these, Instagram had been among the first to have an app for the Apple Watch. It allowed users to view images or ‘like’ the same right on the wrist itself.
The Facebook-owned social media company has however assured all its users there won’t be a drastic change in the way they interacted with the site from the smartwatch. That would, of course, be achieved ‘through various rich and varied notifications’, the company stated.
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Various companies that have opted to do away with a dedicated app for the Apple smartwatch have also said they can achieve better results via notification support. In fact, some even claimed the smartwatch showed better results and performed better without the apps.
