Archive · 29 Oct 2025
Meta Tests Reels-First Interface on Instagram in India, South Korea
Imagine Instagram used to be like a photo album where you'd carefully pick your best pictures.
Now, it's trying to be more like a TV channel showing lots of short, fun videos, kind of like TikTok.
Meta, the company that owns Instagram, is testing this new look in countries like India and South Korea.
They've moved the short videos, called Reels, to a more prominent spot in the app.
This is because people are spending more time watching videos and sharing personal photos less.
Also, brands in India have found creative ways to use these short videos to connect with people.
Meta thinks this change will help Instagram stay popular and make more money, as video ads can be more valuable.
However, some worry this might change the special feeling of sharing personal moments that made Instagram unique.
Instagram is testing a Reels-first interface, prioritizing short-form video content.
The change involves promoting the Reels tab and altering the navigation bar's layout.
This pivot is driven by increased user engagement with Reels and a decline in personal photo sharing.
India is a key testing market due to its large user base and its position as a significant market after TikTok's departure.
The shift aims to boost user attention, watch time, and monetization opportunities for Meta and advertisers.
- Who
- Meta (Instagram's parent company)
- What
- Testing a new Reels-first interface for Instagram
- When
- Recently, with ongoing tests
- Where
- India and South Korea
- Why
- To prioritize short-form video engagement, capitalize on brand interest in Reels, and adapt to evolving user behavior and market trends, particularly in the absence of TikTok.
Embracing Evolution
Risking Identity
Platform Relevance and Engagement
Embracing Evolution
The shift to Reels-first is necessary for survival in an attention economy, meeting consumer demand for video-first discovery and adapting to where user attention is.
Risking Identity
There is a risk of losing the intimate, personal connection and aspirational identity that historically differentiated Instagram from other platforms.
User Sharing Habits
Embracing Evolution
Personal sharing has moved to private spaces like WhatsApp, making Instagram more of a broadcast and entertainment hub, where static posts have lower engagement than Reels.
Risking Identity
A too-abrupt shift may alienate legacy users who value Instagram for its curated photo feed and personal connections, potentially causing them to disengage.
Content Strategy
Embracing Evolution
This is an evolution, not a rejection, embracing both static photos and dynamic video to allow for more authentic sharing and leveraging video's richer visual medium and higher engagement hooks for monetization.
Risking Identity
While Reels can be monetized effectively, the focus on short-form video might overshadow the platform's roots in high-quality photography and curated visual storytelling.
- Parent Company
- Meta
- Platform Being Tested
- Key Change
- Reels tab promoted to second position, DM button moved to center
- Rationale
- Increase user attention and watch time, leverage brand adoption of Reels
- Testing Markets
- India and South Korea
- User Behavior Shift Noted
- Decline in personal photo sharing, shift to closed platforms like WhatsApp