Instagram is now testing a new design that gives even more prominence to Reels. In addition, this short-form video feature now offers customizable feed options. Notably, app researcher @howfxr highlighted this change in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Takeaways 🚀
✅Instagram prioritizes Reels in design.
✅Customizable feed options for Reels.
✅New “Your Feeds” center introduced.
✅Reels dominate user engagement time.
✅Short-form video drives platform strategy.
What’s Changing on Instagram?
With this update, you gain even more control over your app experience. Furthermore, it closely aligns with Instagram’s growing focus on short-form video content.
Now, the new design introduces a center called “Your Feeds.” You can access it through a new icon placed at the center of the bottom control bar. Once inside, you will be able to explore several different feed options for Reels.
New Ways to View Reels
This center allows you to organize your Reels content in several ways. For example, the new categories include:
- Following: Videos from the accounts you follow.
- Friends: Content from your close friends.
- Latest: The newest Reels.
- Saved: Videos you have saved to watch later.
Additionally, you will have access to “Favorites” and “Suggested” feeds. As a result, these options provide you with even more ways to discover and interact with Reels content.
Why Is Instagram Focusing on Reels?
This change clearly reflects the enormous popularity of Reels. By the end of 2024, for instance, users were already sharing 3.5 billion Reels every day across Facebook and Instagram. In fact, Reels accounted for half of all the time that users spent on Instagram.
These figures clearly show why the platform prioritizes short-form video. Consequently, it has become a central part of the user experience.
The Future of Photos and Videos
Meanwhile, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has assured users that photos remain an important part of the platform. Nevertheless, as user habits evolve, the changing design continues to adapt to the growing dominance of video content.
Previously, Instagram had already experimented with opening the app directly to the Reels feed for certain users. However, although this is not yet the default setting, the new design appears to be a logical next step. In addition, it aligns seamlessly with current user preferences and interaction patterns. Ultimately, this update could further solidify short-form video as the cornerstone of Instagram’s content strategy.
