Facebook Reels-first India Test Begins
Meta has started testing a new Facebook experience in India that opens the app directly into full-screen video. The Facebook Reels-first India test puts Reels front and center for some users, marking one of the company’s biggest bets yet on video as the default way people use the platform.
The change means some users no longer land on the traditional home feed when they open Facebook. Instead, they enter a full-screen, video-forward experience built around short-form content.
What the Reels-First Test Changes
When users included in the test open Facebook, they go straight into a full-screen video experience rather than the familiar scrollable feed.
The classic feed has not disappeared. It remains available as a second tab within the app, so users can still browse posts, updates, and friends’ content whenever they want.
Meta has also confirmed that users in the test can opt out and return to a Feed-first experience. That opt-out option gives people control over how they browse, even as the company experiments with a more immersive format.
The test was first outlined in July by Tom Alison, who heads Facebook. Alison described the change as a way to offer a more immersive, video-forward user experience. He said Meta planned to begin testing it later in the year in “video-heavy countries” outside the U.S., though he did not specify where at the time.
Meta has said it will explore bringing the experience to the U.S. next year. No firm timeline has been announced.
Why India Was Chosen for the Test
India has long served as a testing ground for Meta’s video efforts, particularly its push into short-form video. The country’s combination of massive scale and heavy video consumption makes it a natural fit for experimenting with a Reels-first design.
The new test arrives as video consumption rises across Meta’s apps in India. According to figures the company released in June, at least 97% of users surveyed in Meta-commissioned studies said they watch video on its platforms daily. Among Gen Z respondents, 89% said they use Reels every day.
Meta has described Reels as increasingly becoming India’s “personal and primary screen.” That signals the company sees short-form video as central to how people use its apps in the country.
India is also Facebook’s largest market by users. Meta’s advertising tools indicate an audience of more than 400 million people in the country. That gives the company an enormous base to test new formats against before considering a wider rollout.
A Pattern of Video-First Experiments
This is not Meta’s first attempt at pushing video to the front of the app experience.
In 2020, Instagram began testing a dedicated Reels tab in India, just months after India banned TikTok. That test helped Instagram establish Reels as a core part of its interface in a market where short-form video demand was surging.
More recently, Meta tested a Reels-first experience for some Instagram users in India and South Korea last year. That test similarly sent users directly into a video experience when they opened the app, mirroring the approach now being applied to Facebook.
The company has also made broader structural changes to prioritize video. Last year, Meta said all new videos posted to Facebook would be shared as Reels, regardless of their length or format. It even renamed the app’s Video tab to “Reels,” a clear signal of where the company sees its video strategy heading.
Meta has previously said young adults spend about 60% of their time on Facebook watching videos. That statistic helps explain why the platform keeps pushing video to the forefront of its design.
What the Change Means for Users
For everyday users in India, the test could mean a noticeably different Facebook experience.
Instead of opening the app to see a mix of text posts, photos, and links, some users will land directly in a stream of short-form videos. Those who prefer the traditional feed can switch tabs or opt out of the test entirely.
The opt-out option matters because not everyone wants a video-first experience. Meta has framed the test as an experiment, and the ability to revert to the classic feed keeps the change from being forced on users.
For now, the test remains limited to select users in India. The classic feed stays available for anyone who wants it.
What It Means for Creators
For creators, a Reels-first Facebook could mean more visibility for video content.
If the default experience is video, creators who publish Reels may find their content reaches users more easily than static posts. That aligns with Meta’s broader push to make video the primary format across its apps.
The shift also reflects a broader trend across social platforms, where short-form video has become the dominant format for engagement. By testing a Reels-first design in its largest market, Meta is effectively gauging whether that approach works at scale before considering a wider rollout.
Creators who already focus on short-form video may benefit most if the test expands. Those who rely on text, photos, or links could see their reach shift as video takes priority.
What Happens Next
Meta has not said how long the India test will run or when it might expand. The company has only confirmed that it will explore bringing the experience to the U.S. next year.
For now, the test remains limited to select users in India, with the classic feed still available for those who want it.
If the test proves successful, it could reshape how hundreds of millions of people interact with Facebook in India. It could also set the template for the app’s design in other markets.
For users included in the test, the choice is simple: embrace the video-first experience or opt out and keep the feed they know.
Meta’s move underscores a clear strategic bet. Video, and Reels in particular, is the future of Facebook engagement. India is where that bet is being tested first.
