Instagram Reels, the short-form video feed and main TikTok competitor, is one of the most popular parts of Instagram. But as with TikTok, you're mostly limited to using it on your phone. That's now changing,

After YouTube, TikTok and other short-form video specialists have drawn viewers in the living room, Instagram is launching an app on Amazon Fire TV.

According to AFTVNews, Amazon is now actively blocking apps that enable piracy on its Fire TV streaming devices. If an app is blocked, users will see a notification when trying to launch it, stating that the app has been "disabled" because it was "identified as using or providing access to unlicensed content."

"Video is a particular bright spot, with video time spent on Instagram up more than 30% since last year," Zuckerberg said on Meta's Q3 earnings call. "And as video continues to grow across our apps, Reels now has an annual run rate of over $50 billion."

Earlier this year, a report revealed that Amazon was planning a crackdown for piracy apps on Fire TV, blocking even sideloaded apps. The crackdown has now begun, as AFTVNews spotted that Fire TV now entirely blocks select apps from being opened.

Amazon is clamping down on illegal pirating and streaming using their Fire TV Sticks, and users are starting to see warnings already. Many people have been using 'jailbroken' Fire Sticks in order to access premium content such as the latest movies, boxsets and sporting events without paying the fee.

There are plenty of streaming devices to choose from -- Roku, Apple TV, Google TV, and more -- but my favorite is the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. I have it connected to my LG C5, and it has made streaming on my TV much better, especially since I find LG's webOS home screen a bit of a mess.

Streaming apps are quietly leaving older hardware behind, and some Amazon Fire TV Sticks are already feeling the impact. The most visible example was Netflix cutting off support for certain devices in 2024,