Instagram is testing a Reels-first mobile experience in India for a limited group of users. The experiment changes the way the app opens and how people move between Reels, direct messages and content from accounts they follow.

Meta announced the test on September 28, 2025, saying the design was intended to make some of Instagram's most-used experiences easier to reach. The company also said Instagram had reached 3 billion monthly active users at the time of the announcement.

What is changing in Instagram's India test?

The biggest change is simple: selected users may land directly in Reels when they open Instagram. Stories remain available at the top, so the redesign does not remove the familiar Stories experience.

Meta also described a navigation change that puts DMs closer to the center of the app. The company said users in the test can reach conversations with a swipe, while Reels moves into a more prominent position in the navigation.

A new Following area is another important part of the test. Instead of treating all followed content as one stream, Instagram is experimenting with three ways of viewing it:

  • All: recommended posts and Reels from accounts you follow.
  • Friends: posts and Reels from followed accounts that also follow you back.
  • Latest: a chronological view showing the newest posts and Reels from accounts you follow.

Why is Instagram putting Reels first?

Meta says Reels and messaging have become important places for people to connect through creativity. In its announcement, the company said messaging had become the most popular way to share photos and videos on Instagram and that Reels were being reshared more than 4.5 billion times each day across Meta platforms.

Putting Reels first therefore changes the app's starting point from a broad feed experience toward short-form video discovery. For users who primarily open Instagram to watch videos, the new layout could reduce the number of taps needed to reach that content. For users who prefer posts from people they already follow, the new Following views are designed to provide more control over how that content is displayed.

What does the new Following tab actually offer?

The three views are designed for different purposes. All is the broadest option because it can include recommended content from followed accounts. Friends narrows the view to accounts that follow you back. Latest is the most straightforward option for people who want to see newer content first rather than relying on recommendation order.

This distinction matters because recommendation-based feeds and chronological feeds solve different problems. A recommendation feed is designed to surface content Instagram thinks you may want to watch, while a chronological feed is useful when you simply want to catch up on the newest posts from accounts you already chose to follow.

What happens to Stories and DMs?

Stories are not being removed in the test. Meta said Stories remain at the top of the opening experience, keeping the format visible while Reels takes the primary position.

DMs are also becoming more prominent. Meta said the navigation would make direct messages easier to access and that a broader global navigation simplification would put DMs in the center of the navigation bar and Reels in the second tab. The company described this as a way to make swiping between the two areas more seamless.

Is this the new Instagram layout for everyone?

No. The India announcement described the Reels-first experience as a test for a limited group of users. That distinction is important because tests do not automatically become permanent features for every account.

Instagram regularly experiments with navigation, recommendations and creation tools. A test can be expanded, changed or stopped after the company reviews how people use it. Therefore, seeing a different layout on one account does not necessarily mean every Instagram user should expect the same interface immediately.

What it means for creators

For creators, a Reels-first opening experience increases the importance of short-form video as a discovery surface within the app. It does not mean that every post needs to become a Reel, but it does reinforce the role of video in Instagram's product direction.

Creators should continue to focus on clear storytelling, strong openings, readable captions and content that makes sense without requiring the viewer to know the creator already. A Reels-first interface can make discovery easier, but the quality and relevance of the content still determine whether viewers keep watching or move on.

What it means for everyday users

The practical impact depends on how you use Instagram. If Reels are your main reason for opening the app, a Reels-first screen can make the experience more direct. If you mainly use Instagram for friends, the new DMs placement and Friends view may be more relevant. If you prefer to catch up on followed accounts in order, the Latest view gives you a clearer chronological option.

The bigger picture

Instagram's India experiment shows how the platform is increasingly organized around three connected behaviors: watching short-form video, messaging people and discovering content through recommendations. The new navigation brings those behaviors closer together instead of treating them as separate destinations.

For Indian users, the test is particularly notable because Meta said it wanted to try the experience in India because of the scale and cultural diversity of Reels content created there. The company said it would continue testing and learning from the experience rather than presenting the layout as a universal final design.

Bottom line

The Reels-first test is less about removing Instagram's existing features and more about changing the order in which users reach them. Reels gets a more prominent starting position, DMs become easier to reach, Stories remain visible, and the Following area gains separate All, Friends and Latest views.

If the test expands, the main change users will notice is not a new feature but a different priority inside the app's navigation: video discovery and messaging move closer to the center of the Instagram experience.

Source: Meta Newsroom, September 28, 2025. Product availability and interface details can change as Instagram continues testing the experience.