Instagram’s New Look: Reels Up, Photo Posts Down

News Desk 

San Francisco: Instagram is testing a major redesign of its app interface that gives Reels and Direct Messages (DMs) more prominent placement, reflecting Meta’s growing focus on short-form video and private messaging.

According to Instagram head Adam Mosseri, the new layout — currently available to a limited group of users — rearranges the app’s main navigation bar, featuring dedicated tabs for Reels and DMs.

The search and Reels tabs have swapped positions, while the new post creation button has been replaced with a DM shortcut.

What’s Changing

In this experimental layout, users can swipe between tabs, enabling smoother and faster navigation. Mosseri said the change aims to make the app more intuitive but acknowledged that it “can take time to get used to.” He added that the redesign will remain optional during the testing phase.

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The update aligns with Meta’s broader strategy to emphasize messaging and video content, in line with shifting user behavior across its platforms.

Meta’s Strategic Focus

Meta has been steadily moving toward a video-first, messaging-centric approach. Earlier this month, the company rolled out an iPad version of Instagram where Reels serves as the default tab — underscoring its emphasis on video engagement.

In India, Instagram previously tested a similar layout featuring Reels as the default tab and DMs as the second tab, mirroring the app’s most frequently used features in one of its largest markets.

Reels and DMs Driving Growth

“Reels and DMs have driven most all our growth at Instagram over the last few years,” Mosseri said, explaining the reasoning behind the redesign.

Industry analysts view the move as part of Instagram’s ongoing shift away from traditional photo-sharing toward a platform centered on video consumption and private communication.

As social media becomes increasingly creator-driven and personalized, Instagram’s redesign seeks to position the app as both a content discovery hub and a conversation platform, capturing the evolving ways users interact online.