Tech Desk 
Oct 02, 2025
Instagram is testing a huge redesign that could reshape how users open the app, transforming Reels into the home tab.
The updated home screen combines familiar and new elements, as stories still appear in a horizontal row at the top.
Upon scrolling, the interface would change into the current Reels-style feed, where full-screen videos dominate.
“Reels and DMs have been a key driver of growth for Instagram over the past few years, which is why it’s “exploring” the change,” said Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri.
Currently, the company is testing the feature on a small group of people, according to the Instagram head. Photos from followed accounts will remain part of the feed, although the social platform has not officially shown exactly how.
This potential redesign highlights Meta’s strategy of pushing video deeper into Instagram’s identity. Instagram has already been dabbling with this shift with its recently-launched iPad app, which opens into Reels from its home tab.
In a post announcing the app, Meta said that it designed the experience that way “to reflect how people use bigger screens today – for lean back entertainment.”
Earlier this year, Instagram US announced that it would launch a new feature, offering users the ability to download Reels directly on their device, reinforcing the Instagram Reels default view experience.
