Remember when you first used TikTok and you opened the app and videos immediately started playing? This is a very different experience compared to other social media platforms in the past, such as Instagram. However, Instagram wants to change that. According to Instagram head Adam Mosseri, the company is testing the app opening into Reels .
Instagram tests opening into Reels
What does this mean? Basically, instead of Instagram opening into your feed where you might see photos, it is testing opening directly into Reels. This means you’ll be greeted with videos first, not photos. Now, we know that sometimes in your feed, you might see users post a video.
However, the main difference here is that in this UI, you still get the horizontal lineup of Stories at the top, but you’ll see a Reel playing in the post below it. Then, when you start to scroll downwards, the app’s UI transforms automatically into Reels.
According to Mosseri’s post, “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.”
Mosseri also acknowledges that this change could be controversial. “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.”
We’ve seen this before
If you’re wondering why this looks familiar, it is because Instagram has been trying something similar with its iPad app. The Instagram app for iPad actually opens into Reels from the home tab. If you’ve used the iPad version before, then this change shouldn’t be too shocking or surprising. But if you haven’t, then this could be quite a huge change in the way you use the app.
It’s too early to tell if this is a good or bad thing or if people will hate it. After all, we like what we’re familiar and comfortable with. We’re not sure if Instagram plans to expand its testing beyond India, but presumably this will be based on the feedback it gets. But what do you think? Is opening into Reels something you’re looking forward to?
