Instagram has confirmed that it’s testing a brand new strategy to its UI, with customers in India now in a position to open the app direct to the Reels feed, versus the normal feed submit show.
As you may see on this instance, the up to date UI seems to be acquainted, however will give attention to Reels particularly. Tapping on that first submit will develop the Reels view to the full-screen, scrollable Reels show.
Final week, Bloomberg reported that IG was testing this up to date variation in some markets, with a view to put extra emphasis on Reels engagement.
And now, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has shared some extra perception into the experiment:
“Reels and DMs have pushed most all our development at Instagram over the previous few years, so we’re exploring making them the primary two tabs. That is simply an choice obtainable to a small group of individuals in India beginning in the present day. Images from accounts you comply with are nonetheless within the dwelling tab.”
So it’s not a full-on reformation of the app right into a TikTok clone. However it’s form of shut.
Which is smart. As Mosseri notes, Reels are the place IG customers are actually spending their time, with Meta not too long ago reporting that general video watch time on IG is up 20% year-over-year. Meta has additionally reported that Reels now make up 50% of all time spent within the app.
Folks simply aren’t posting to the primary feed like they used to, whereas Reels drives extra consideration, and extra engagement. And as such, primarily based on the information alone, it is smart for Instagram to place extra emphasis on this factor, and current Reels entrance and heart to assist drive curiosity.
Instagram’s not too long ago launched iPad app additionally opens to Reels direct, and it appears inevitable that, at some stage, Instagram will a minimum of let extra customers decide into seeing Reels up entrance, as a substitute of static picture updates.
Which is a serious shift away from IG’s roots, and that’s undoubtedly going to harass some customers. However once more, the information exhibits that that is possible the easiest way to go, primarily based on engagement traits, and driving retention and curiosity.
After all, customers would additionally desire much less algorithmic intervention, and a purely chronological feed. Or a minimum of they are saying they might, although on that entrance, the information exhibits that engagement rises when algorithms are utilized to focus on probably the most related content material to every consumer.
So, principally, Instagram is following the information, and can proceed to take action in its improvement choices.
Which possible means you’re by no means getting your chronological feed again, however Reels are set to get extra focus.
Mosseri additionally notes that the feed experiment in India is decide in, and uers can revert again to the unique expertise each time they select.
