Instagram is a popular video and photo-sharing platform. It has more features than that, like Instagram Live, where you can broadcast or watch podcasts in real-time as part of Instagram Stories. Instagram Live is accessible from a PC or smartphone, and many users are looking for ways to use it on a smart TV. So, how can one watch Instagram Live on a smart TV?
You might have thought you would download the Instagram app on your smart TV to watch Instagram Live. But unfortunately, you can’t download the Instagram app on any smart TV at the moment. The only way to watch Instagram Live on a smart TV is by casting/screen mirroring your device or using the Instagram web page.
Watching someone you follow host an Instagram Live stream on a big screen gives you a much better entertainment experience than on a smartphone or a PC. So, whether you have to screen-mirror or cast to your smart TV, you should be able to watch Instagram Live on it. This article discusses how you can go about it.
How To Stream Instagram Live to Any Smart TV
Watching Instagram Live on a computer is convenient, but watching it on a smart TV is more enjoyable. You even get to see greater details of the stream, giving you the feeling that you are among the creators.
Below are the methods you can use to watch Instagram Live on a smart TV, regardless of brand or model.
Method #1: Using Your Web Browser
One of the easiest ways to get Instagram Live to work on your smart TV is by using the web browser on your smart TV. Most smart TVs come with a web browser that is powerful enough to load Instagram. So, by connecting to the internet, you shouldn’t have any trouble signing into your Instagram account on your smart TV to watch Instagram Live.
Here’s how to watch Instagram Live on smart TV using a web browser.
- Connect your smart TV to a reliable Wi-Fi network and launch its web browser.
- Navigate to the Instagram web page to sign in to your account.
- Enter your email, phone number, username, and password; provide that and tap on the “Log In” button.
- In the “Stories” feed, at the top of the main feed, you would see a “LIVE” label that indicates someone is currently live streaming.
- Tap on the user you want to watch to open the video; the comment section will be on the right.
Method #2: Casting or Screen Mirroring Content
Another way to watch Instagram Live on a smart TV is by casting or mirroring your screen from a device with Instagram to your TV. You can cast content on your smart TV in many ways, mainly if it is an Android Smart TV. You can use any Chromecast-enabled app or even the Chrome browser on the device you want to cast from to your Android TV. And the best part about using this method is that it works on different operating systems such as Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.
Here’s how to watch Instagram Live on smart TV by casting your screen.
- Connect your laptop or smartphone and smart TV to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Launch the Settings app on your smartphone, tap on the cast icon, then connect to your smart TV.
- If you are using a PC, launch Chrome, tap on the cast button, and then connect to your TV.
- Open the Instagram app on your smartphone, or log in to your Instagram account using Chrome on your PC and enjoy live stories on a large screen.
Method #3: Using Cables
Finally, you can watch Instagram Live on a smart TV with visual cables. This method is more suited for PCs, although you can use it on your smartphone with the help of adapters. Depending on your smart TV’s video connectors, you can opt for an HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, or even a DVI cable.
Here’s how to watch Instagram Live on smart TV using an HDMI cable.
- Connect one end of the HMDI cable to your laptop and the other end to your smart TV.
- Power on your smart TV, and change the input source to the video connector port you connected, so your PC is displayed on your smart TV.
- Launch the web browser on your PC and log in to your Instagram account.
- Tap on the Live Story you want to watch and enjoy it on a large screen.
- Note that if you want to make any changes, such as comments, you must do it on your PC, not your TV remote.
Suppose multiple users you follow on Instagram are live streaming simultaneously. In that case, they will appear as a collection at the front of your story feed, so tap on it and select the user you want to turn into their live video.
Conclusion
You can watch Instagram Live videos on your smart TV, regardless of the brand or model. The method you use depends on what you find to be more convenient.
For some people using their smart TV browser is the best method which makes sense as you wouldn’t need any other device. However, if you cannot sign into your Instagram account on your smart TV for one reason or another, you can always cast or mirror your screen from the connected device to your smart TV. Or better still, use an HDMI cable or other video connector, and do not worry about connecting to the same Wi-Fi network.
