Instagram and TikTok’s apps might look even more similar before long. Instagram just announced a test rolling out to “a small group of people“ that makes Reels the default tab view when you launch the app. Here are the details, and why this test could be rolled out widely before long.
Reels being tested as Instagram app’s first tab with some users
Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s head, announced a new app test via Threads:
A great way to get a lot of heat is to redesign an app used by a few billion people, so I don’t take this idea lightly. Reels and DMs have driven most all our growth at Instagram over the last few years, so we are exploring making them the first two tabs. This is just an *option* available to a small group of people in India starting today. Photos from accounts you follow are still in the home tab. If you do opt-in, you can opt right out if you’re not into it. We’ll see if anyone is into it…
Currently the Reels tab is the fourth option inside Instagram’s app. Making it the very first tab means when you open Instagram, you’ll jump straight into Reels—bypassing the traditional Home view.
Mosseri’s post makes very clear that this is a limited test. However, several signs indicate it could be rolled out to all users in the not too distant future.
First, Mosseri highlights a compelling reason to make the change: “Reels and DMs have driven most all our growth at Instagram over the last few years.”
It’s understandable that Instagram’s team might interpret that growth as a sign that users now value Reels more than the Home tab.
Also, Instagram is competing with an extremely popular app—TikTok—that offers exactly the kind of new design being considered. TikTok’s default view is very similar to Instagram’s Reels tab, and clearly it’s proven a hit with users.
Finally, despite this current test being very limited for now, Instagram has already rolled out a Reels-first design to all users via its new iPad app.
The iPad version of Instagram puts Reels front and center. This was already a strong hint that a similar change could be planned for the iPhone app.
How would you feel if Instagram’s new default view was Reels? Let us know in the comments.
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