Instagram drops Apple Watch support
In its latest update for iOS, version 39.0, Instagram removed Apple Watch support. The move comes as many other companies, including Twitter, Google Maps, Amazon and eBay, have removed Watch support after apple rendered the Watch OS SDK 1 obsolete in an attempt to encourage developers to create native apps, that will supposedly work better on the Watch.
Previously, the Watch version of Instagram allowed users to view photos, track likes and comments and respond with emojis. The largest disadvantage was the size of the images on the small screen that in its largest version was no more than 42mm. Instagram, an app solely based on sharing images and videos, works better on smartphones, which is a large part of the reason the Watch version of the app was discontinued.
It might seem that with such decrease in app support for the Apple Watch, the platform is losing ground. But the truth is some apps are just not made for small screens like the smartwatches. Smartwatches are designed for simpler tasks such as reviewing notifications, fitness tracking, news, weather and checking the time.
But there has been rumors that the next version of the Apple Watch will have a larger screen that is more suitable for tasks like checking Instagram. Whether Instagram plans to remake its smartwatch app for the new generation of Apple Watch remains to be seen.
