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Open Instagram and a Reel could be the first post you see. The app is testing an optional video-led home screen, according to settings screenshots shared publicly by app researcher Radu Oncescu. Users in the test can return to the usual feed layout if they prefer it.
Source: Instagram test screens shared publicly by Radu Oncescu and reported by Social Media Today; availability is not confirmed for all accounts.
The home screen could start with video
The prompt reads, "Reels to greet you when you open Instagram." Stories stay above the videos, while the regular feed is a swipe away. There's also a notice that sound is on, with the option to adjust that preference in Settings.
Social Media Today reported the test after Oncescu shared the screens. One image shows the settings page; the other shows the invitation to try the new layout. Neither establishes the size of the test. A worldwide release date hasn't been confirmed.
A navigation test, not a creation tool
It helps to separate two things Instagram is working on. First Draft for Reels is about making videos. This test is about opening the app and choosing which feed greets the viewer. The settings prompt doesn't offer new editing or cover-selection tools.
What creators can take from the test
A video-led entrance puts more emphasis on the clip itself. Someone opening the app may not have seen the previous instalment or visited the creator's profile. That is a reason to give a Reel enough context to stand on its own, though it doesn't tell us whether this test will bring anyone more views.
Our report on Instagram overview describes the service's photo and video formats. Both formats still have a place in the tested navigation.
The ability to switch back is an important part of the prompt. Trying Reels first needn't be a permanent decision for participants. We'll need a broader announcement to know whether Instagram will offer the same choice to more accounts.
