Social Rocket
Facebook is testing a version of the app in India that opens selected users directly with full-screen video or Reels. The classic feed does not disappear. It moves back one level as its own tab.
At first glance, the test looks like another move towards TikTok. In fact, it is part of a larger Facebook overhaul that Meta had already announced in July. For publishers, creators and businesses, the key question is therefore less about the individual homepage and more about which content Facebook will treat as the primary entry point in future.
The video-first overhaul was announced
In July, Meta said it would align Facebook more strongly with immersive, visual and video-oriented use. For some users, the app was to open directly in a full-screen video view later in the year. At the same time, Meta promised an opt-out option and said the classic feed would remain just one tap away.
The current test in India puts this roadmap into practice. According to Social Media Today, some users see Reels first when they open the app, while the previous feed is reachable as a second tab. Meta had announced in the summer that such trials would initially run in markets with particularly intensive video use, with the US to be examined later.
This step therefore differs from a simple design experiment. Facebook is changing the hierarchy of its most important surfaces.
Why India is an obvious test market for Meta
Meta itself describes India as a particularly video-oriented market. A study by Ipsos commissioned by Meta and published in June, with more than 4.000 respondents in 23 cities and regions, arrives at 97 percent daily video use on Meta platforms in the group surveyed. Among Gen Z, the study reports 89 percent daily Reels use.
These figures come from company-commissioned research and should not be confused with independent market shares. They do, however, explain why Meta can test a start screen that prioritises video more strongly precisely there.
The overhaul also fits with Instagram. Meta has for some time been experimenting with new Reels formats and stronger algorithmic discovery there. We provide an overview of current changes in Instagram 2026: Instants, Reels series and more algorithm control.
The follower feed becomes less central for Pages
For businesses, the most interesting consequence is not whether a Reels tab sits on the left or right. What matters is that Facebook treats the algorithmically recommended video stream as a possible main entry point.
This could move distribution further away from the classic model, in which a Page publishes and its followers see the post in their feed. Videos would then compete more strongly for recommendation signals beyond the page's own followers. For page operators, entry points, watch time, replays, shares and reactions to the video will matter more than the raw size of the existing fanbase.
This shift is happening in parallel with other changes. Facebook is testing limits on link posts for some Pages, for example. Our article on the Facebook link limit and Meta One shows how strongly Meta is currently reworking the role of classic feed formats.
Paid distribution is also becoming more automated. In our overview of Meta Ads 2026, we explained how AI creatives and new attribution logic are changing the advertising side at the same time.
What German social teams can take from this
For Germany, no Reels-first home screen has been announced. The India test is therefore no reason to overhaul existing content plans overnight.
What does make sense, however, is no longer treating Facebook video as a mere add-on format. Teams can already test which vertical videos work without a long introduction, whether subtitles and text overlays improve viewing without sound, and which content actually gets shared. At the same time, the classic feed should not be abandoned as long as Meta itself has not confirmed a broader rollout.
Measurement matters too. A Reels-first interface can shift reach, but it says nothing yet about business impact. Alongside views, you should therefore look at completion rate, shares, profile or page visits and downstream conversions.
The current test mainly shows where Facebook as a product wants to go: video should no longer just be one format in the feed, but can itself become the feed. Whether Meta will roll this model out beyond India remains open.