Meta is trialing a new Reels-first layout for Facebook in India, placing short-form video at the very forefront of the application’s home screen. Through this pilot program, a select group of users open the app directly to a full-screen Reels feed rather than the standard News Feed.
This trial represents a major change for Facebook, which traditionally starts users on a diverse feed containing links, photos, text posts, groups, and videos. With this test, Meta wants to see if an interface driven primarily by video will prompt users to dedicate more time to content consumption.
Traditional Feed Remains Available
This modification does not eliminate Facebook’s conventional Feed. Meta states that participants in the test can navigate to the standard feed via a separate tab and can choose to disable the Reels-first interface entirely.
Meta initially detailed its intentions for this trial back in July. Tom Alison, head of Facebook, indicated that the company planned to run the test in regions with exceptionally high video consumption. Furthermore, Meta is weighing the possibility of launching this experience in the United States next year.
India Emerges as Key Video Market
Meta shared that, according to a June survey, a minimum of 97% of Indian respondents watch video daily across its apps. Furthermore, 89% of Gen Z participants reported using Reels on a daily basis. Meta characterized Reels as rapidly turning into India’s primary and personal screen.
Data gathered by the company additionally revealed that high daily video engagement extends beyond metropolitan centers. Meta documented daily engagement rates of 98% in urban regions and 94% in rural parts of India, underscoring widespread video consumption throughout the nation.
This current test supports Meta’s wider strategy to position video at the core of Facebook. The company previously revealed in 2025 that any newly uploaded videos on Facebook would automatically be published as Reels, regardless of their original format or duration. Additionally, Meta changed the name of the Facebook Video tab to the Reels tab.
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