Instagram tests Reels as default main feed

Instagram is testing a redesigned interface that would place greater emphasis on Reels and introduce more customisable viewing options for short-form video content, according to a post on X by app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, who uses the handle @howfxr.

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺'𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 🚨👀

The platform is continuing last year's Reels-first interface tests, now with a major new feature called “Your Feed.”

(via @ParthChandel50) pic.twitter.com/zgSDnQ8GqM

— ㆅ (@howfxr) February 19, 2026

Screenshots shared by the researcher suggest that the app could open directly to the main Reels feed. A new ‘Your Feeds’ hub would appear through an icon positioned in the centre of the bottom navigation bar.

From that hub, users would be able to select and swipe between different Reels streams, including Following, Friends, Latest and Saved. Additional options, such as Favorites and Suggested, would also be available, giving users more ways to filter and control the short-video content they see.

The potential update reflects the platform’s increasing focus on short-form video. Reels has become a central part of user activity on the app, and it has previously tested opening the app to the Reels feed for users who spend most of their time watching such content, as per a media report. However, it has not yet made Reels the default main feed for all users.

The platform has not publicly announced or confirmed when or whether the design changes will be rolled out more broadly.