As Meta experiments with a new option that would enable Instagram users to set the Reels feed as their default home experience, it’s also trying out the same idea in Facebook, which could be an even bigger departure from that app’s traditional experience.
As reported by TechCrunch, some Facebook users in India are now seeing a new UX that opens directly to the Reels feed, instead of the traditional News Feed display.
As shown in this example screen, posted by user Nirav Shah on X, some users in India are being shown a new pop-up that informs them that “Reels are now front and center” when they open the Facebook app.
Users are then sent directly to their recommended Reels feed, with the traditional News Feed experience available in a new tab.
Meta announced that it was planning to test a Reels-first experience for Facebook back in July, as part of a broader overview of changes coming to the app. In that announcement, the company said it was looking to bring this Reels-first experience to U.S. users next year.
Some users in India have had access to this experience for several months, but now, Meta appears to be expanding the trial, as it looks to see whether it can generate more engagement from a focused video display.
Which, despite being a significant change for the app, does make sense.
Meta has previously reported that 60% of all time spent on both Facebook and Instagram is now driven by video engagement, while more than 3.5 billion Reels are shared across the two platforms every day.
At those levels, it makes sense for Meta to make video a bigger focus, and opening directly to Reels could help to boost its engagement and retention figures.
