How to watch Instagram Live on PC, Mac or TV
How to watch Instagram Live on PC, Mac or TV
Something that quickly became apparent when social distancing measures came in is that celebrities have a lot of time on their hands right now. Many of them have been trying to engage with their fans by going Live on Instagram.
Instagram Live videos are DIY live streams you can watch on Instagram. If you’re unfamiliar with Instagram Live, annoyed by it, or feel like you keep missing your favourite star’s videos, read on for some basics, including how to watch Instagram Live on your PC, Mac or TV.
How to turn notifications for Instagram Live on or off
By default, the Instagram app will sometimes send you notifications when a person you follow starts an Instagram Live, but you can tweak your settings by visiting the person’s profile, tapping the menu button and selecting ‘Manage Notifications’.
There’s an entire section dedicated to Instagram Live notifications here, and you can select between ‘Receive all notifications’, ‘Receive some notifications’, and ‘Turn off notifications’.
Additionally, you can turn off all Instagram Live notifications, regardless of who posts it. This can be done by opening Instagram’s general Settings menu, and tapping ‘Notifications’, followed by ‘Live and IGTV’, and selecting either On or Off in the ‘Live Videos’ section.
How to watch Instagram Live on PC or Mac
Tuning into an Instagram Live on your phone is easy enough. All you need to do is tap the push notification you receive or, failing that, the prompt that appears at the top of your main Instagram feed.
You can also watch Instagram Live videos on your PC or Mac, but this requires Google Chrome and a workaround in the form of a free Chrome extension created not by Instagram, but by a third party.
This is because the Instagram website doesn’t officially support Instagram Live yet.
Instead, you can tune in to Instagram Live on desktop with the help of IG Stories for Instagram, a Chrome extension created by a developer called pookroovis. The extension also lets you download Instagram Live videos and Instagram Stories, though this feature is currently limited to Windows users.
We wouldn’t recommend installing any old third-party created Chrome extension. Still, it’s reassuring to see that IG Stories for Instagram currently has more than 700,000 users and a rating of four stars out of five, which means it’s both popular and pretty highly regarded.
If you want to use it, simply follow this link and hit the ‘Add to Chrome’ button. When you go back to the Instagram website on your Mac or PC, you’ll be able to view Instagram Live videos.
How to watch Instagram Live on TV
Some Instagram Live videos, such as workouts or concerts, work best on a bigger screen, and the best way to watch Instagram Live on TV is to either Chromecast or AirPlay it from the Google Chrome browser on your computer.
As explained in the section above, you’ll first need to install the free IG Stories for Instagram Chrome extension.
Related: How to delete your Instagram account
