Meta Tests Video-First Feeds on Facebook and Instagram Abroad

TechCrunch reported that some users in India who open the Facebook app are dropped immediately into an immersive, full-screen video feed. Meta has indicated that the experience will reach "video-heavy countries" first, with a possible expansion to the United States in 2027.

Separately, Romania-based app researcher Radu Oncescu noticed an option on Instagram that makes Reels the first thing a user sees when the app opens. Screenshots he posted show Instagram Stories remaining at the top of the feed, while swiping the screen pulls up the traditional feed of posts from accounts a user follows. Sound is on for Reels by default.

Meta spokesperson Devi Narasimhan told The Verge that the Instagram test is live in a handful of countries but did not specify which ones. Users can switch back to the original layout, Narasimhan said, and Reels will be unmuted once a user swipes or clicks into a video.

Not every test becomes a permanent feature, and Meta has not confirmed a US rollout for either experiment. Video nonetheless remains the company's stated priority. On its most recent earnings call, Meta pointed to a 9 percent global increase in time spent watching videos on Facebook and a 10 percent increase in the United States and Canada, along with improvements to the ranking system used for Reels and ranking models the company says can "identify high-quality new Reels at creation." Threads, Meta's text-based platform that reaches half a billion people each month, was barely mentioned.

The shift toward video has reshaped the industries that depend on social platforms for distribution. Podcasts have become videos, and videos have become clips. Television shows have been recast as "microdramas," and films have been chopped into dozens of parts. Political astroturfing has taken the form of "user-generated content."

It is not clear whether users actually prefer video to text or images, or whether they engage with it because platforms place it directly in front of them. Morning Consult polling cited by The Verge found that 81 percent of US respondents reported watching an Instagram Reel, while only 39 percent said they had posted one. Users have also reported posting less as social media has turned video-focused, a gap that may help explain why platforms tolerate or even recommend AI-generated slop content.

If the tests expand, the change would be structural rather than cosmetic. Creators and organizations that want to remain visible would have to keep producing video, while accounts that post mainly text or still images could be pushed onto a secondary page. The Verge notes that writers, photographers, nonprofits and podcasters have already had to build video operations to avoid being rendered invisible by ranking algorithms. Meta has not said when it will decide whether to bring the tests to the United States and other regions.