Browse Instagram on your iPad with Padgram

I would not advise anybody to browse pixelated images using Instagram magnified on the iPad. Until Instagram releases a version tailored to the iPad, you'll need to turn to a third-party app if you'd like to view larger images of your Instagram feed. Before you get too excited, you should know that Instagram does not let you post photos via a third-party app. There are a handful of Instagram iPad apps, however, that let you browse, like, and comment on photos, along with a variety of fun and useful features such as sharing on other social networks and browsing Instagram via a map view.

Padgram is a free iPad app that lets you browse Instagram feeds in landscape mode. It features a unique subscription feature for tags, but it lacks a way to browse one full-size image after another. Let's have a look.

After launching the app, you are taken to Instagram's feed of popular photos. Tap the button in the upper-left corner to sign into your account. From the pull-down menu, tap My Feed or Login. Sign into your Instagram account and you can then view your feed, photos, and likes.

Padgram's layout features four columns of thumbnail images; below each is author information and how long ago the photo was posted. There is also a heart icon to like a photo. When you tap on a photo, a panel slides out from the right side of the screen with the full-size image and comment area. You can swipe to close the panel, returning to the thumbnail grid. While this functionality is fairly slick, it does not allow you to browse through full-size images, swiping from one to another as you can with other apps such as InstaFlow and Pictacular.

In addition to the standard feeds -- Popular, My Feed, My Likes, My Photos -- there is one labeled Photos on Map. It gives you a map or satellite view with flags of Instagrams snapped in that area. Tap on a flag and then the resulting blue arrow to view a separate page with any photos taken at that spot. Some spots return no results, however, and it would be better if you stayed on the map view and could see thumbnails of the photos there instead of being pushed out to another page.

There is another unique option on the pull-down feeds menu. Labeled Subscribed Tags, it adds tags to the pull-down menu you'd like to follow. Search for a tag in the search box in the upper-right corner and tap the Subscribe button to add it.

From your profile page, you can access lists of your followers and those whom you follow. From each of these lists, you can view profile pictures and easily follow and unfollow people. You can also tap on a username below a photo to see the profile of that person

In addition to its subscribed tags feature, Padgram is notable for its wide array of sharing options. When viewing a full-size image, tap the Share button to share a photo on Facebook, Twitter, Sina Weibo (Chinese Twitter), Pinterest, Tumblr, or Pocket. You can also save a photo to your iPad's Camera Roll, and there is a button to create a postcard via Sincerely.