Instagram is experimenting with a significant redesign of its mobile app in India: opening directly into Reels. As part of an opt-in test, the home tab shifts to prioritize short-form video, placing Reels and direct messages as the first two tabs users see when launching the app.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, explained that Reels and DMs have been the platform’s biggest growth drivers in recent years, which is why the team is “exploring” this change. In his demo, the top of the new home tab still includes the familiar horizontal row of Stories, but scrolling down takes users into a Reels-style feed where short videos dominate the screen. Photos from followed accounts will still appear, though it’s unclear how prominently they will be displayed.
This move builds on Instagram’s earlier experiment with its iPad app, which already opens into Reels by default. Meta said that design choice reflected how people engage with content on larger screens, emphasizing entertainment-first consumption. The India test suggests the company is considering extending that philosophy to its core mobile experience.
If widely rolled out, this shift would make Reels even more central to Instagram’s identity, bringing it closer to TikTok’s model where vertical video defines the feed. The change could attract users who primarily use Instagram for video entertainment, but it also risks frustrating those who still prefer the app’s original photo-first focus.
The test is opt-in for now, and feedback will likely determine whether the redesign expands beyond India. But the direction is clear: short-form video continues to push its way to the center of Instagram, reshaping how the app wants users to spend their time.
