Why Meta decided to finally embrace the iPad

Meta has spent 15 years shunning the iPad. Now, it seems they’re finally ready to embrace the tablet lovers. 

WhatsApp users can finally text from the big screen. On Tuesday, Meta announced that the popular messaging app is finally available on iPadOS devices, including expanded features for multitasking. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Meta is finally building Instagram for the iPad as well. 

It’s a curious time to embrace tablets. While still a high-volume sales item, the iPad is losing its popularity. The device has endured a yearslong backslide in growth, comprising only 6.8% of Apple’s revenue in 2024 compared to the boom of more than 15% in the early 2010s. Still, an iPad expansion opens Meta apps up to a broader swath of consumers.

Meta’s iPad expansion

WhatsApp has been mobile-first since its 2009 launch. Meta purchased the app $19 billion in 2014, mostly leaving it alone to rake in revenue from its then 600 million active users. That number now sits closer to 3 billion, a rival to Facebook and beating out Instagram (Meta doesn’t split their revenue reports by app, but experts estimate that WhatsApp now generates nearly $20 billion annually). Recently, though, Meta has been taking a more active role in WhatsApp’s development. They added messaging functions like emoji reactions, built access via Mac and Windows computers, and broke down privacy barriers by tying WhatsApp to other Meta properties.

Though there has been an an iPhone app since 2009, iPad users needed to access WhatsApp via their browser, where users were unable to make calls. Now, Meta has finally launched a standalone iPad app. The app is mostly the same as its iOS alternative, though it integrates common iPad tools like the Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard. Since iPads allow split screens, users can now message and call while scrolling other apps, while mobile users still need to toggle between them. (Meta did not respond to a request for comment.) 

Instagram is Meta’s other major iPad holdout. To access Instagram on a tablet, users must expand the iPhone app, which can reduce image quality. In 2022, Instagram head Adam Mosseri tweeted that that the Instagram for iPad supporters were “still just not a big enough group of people to be a priority,” but that they would “get to it at some point.” Now seems to be the time: According to The Information, Meta is building an iPad version of Instagram to compete with TikTok amid the Chinese app’s regulatory challenges. 

Meta’s device strategy shift is more apparent in their smaller apps. In July 2023, it launched their X competitor, Threads, for mobile only. Two years later, the app still doesn’t have an iPad counterpart. Compare that to the new Meta AI app which launched last month. This app debuted for both iPhone and iPad, a rarity for Meta. 

Why is Meta interested in iPads now? 

When the iPad hit its peak in the mid-2010s, Meta still refused to tailor many of their social apps for the bigger screen. Now, growth is depressed, innovation has slowed, and iPad mania has cooled. Why is Meta now interested in an iPad play after all these years? 

The choice could be reflective of consumer sentiments. As social apps speed towards entertainment platforms (and away from social connectors), many users are looking for bigger screens. YouTube is now more popular on TVs than it is on phones. Meanwhile, the streaming services that are most popular on iPads are fashioning themselves after social apps. This convergence of content could make being on alternate screen sizes more important for the consumer. 

The move towards iPads could also be a legacy play. While tablet popularity is waning among the general population, it remains dominant among young children. The Generation Alpha sub-demographic of ages 7-9 are affectionately titled “iPad kids,” with almost 80% raised with easy access to an iPad. This young demographic is also already on social media, and even on the smaller platforms. Feeding their apps to “iPad kids” could ensure longevity, or help Meta reach an underserved consumer base. Meta apps are significantly less popular among Generation Alpha, after all, with the young users opting for YouTube, TikTok, and even Snapchat.

Or, Meta could just be embracing a bigger group of consumers. Tablet lovers have waited 15 years, after all. Meta is finally embracing them.

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