Instagram Redesign Tests, Reels Could Be The First To Appear

Instagram makes a trial of changes to the display (photo: dock. between)

Jakarta Instagram is testing a massive redesign that can change the way billions of people interact with the app. In a recent trial that has been running for some users in India, the Instagram app immediately opens to Reels, no longer to the photo feed as usual.

For many users, this change reminds you of the experience when you first try TikTok, where once the app opens, the video is automatically played. Instagram seems to want to provide a similar experience.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri explained that the company is testing a new option where the app opens directly to Reels. That way, users will be greeted with video content first, not photos. However, the Stories line is still displayed horizontally at the top, while posts that appear below are directly Reel. Once the user starts scrolling down, the automatic display turns into a full Reels feed.

"Reels and DM have been pushing for almost all of our growth on Instagram over the past few years, so we're exploring exploring making it the first two tabs," Mosseri said in a post. This is only an option available for a small fraction of users in India from today. Photos of accounts you follow remain on the Home tab. If you choose to try, you can also go straight out if you feel unsuitable.

Mosseri also admits that this change has the potential to lead to pros and cons. "The quickest way to get a lot of criticism is to redesign the app used by several billion people, so I don't take this idea lightly," he said.

This is not the first time Instagram has taken this step. The version of the Instagram app for the iPad actually opened the Home tab directly to Reels. So, for iPad users, this change is not too surprising. However, for the majority of mobile phone users, this is certainly a big shift in how to use the app.

Until now, it is too early to assess whether this change will be liked or rejected. Instagram itself has not confirmed whether this trial will be extended to other countries outside India. The decision will most likely be determined based on the response and input from early users.