Get ready for a TikTok-inspired gaming experience!
Since TikTok made its mark on the social media landscape, a slew of platforms have been dubbed “TikTok clones,” including YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, Snapchat Spotlight, and even Netflix Clips, alongside lesser-known names like Triller and Zynn.
For some time now, Facebook and Instagram have been flooding users’ feeds with video content as Meta tries to capture TikTok’s explosive popularity. Recent tests in select regions suggest that the trend of transforming social media into video-centric experiences is reaching a new level.
Reports indicate that users in India are experiencing a Facebook test that launches them straight into a full-screen video feed upon opening the app. Meta has hinted that this immersive experience will roll out first in “video-heavy countries,” with a potential expansion to the US by 2027. Meanwhile, an app researcher discovered that Instagram is testing a feature that prioritizes Reels as the first thing users see when they open the app. While Instagram Stories will still appear at the top, swiping will reveal the traditional feed of posts from followed accounts, and Reels will play with sound enabled by default.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed that the Instagram test is currently live in several countries, though specific locations weren’t disclosed. Users can revert to the original layout, and Reels will be unmuted when they swipe or click into a video.
While it’s possible that Instagram and Facebook won’t fully mimic TikTok, the shift toward video content has been evident for a while, despite some user pushback. Meta is clearly prioritizing quick-consumption video content. Even Threads, Meta’s text-based platform with a massive user base, received little attention in the company’s latest earnings call. Instead, the focus was on the increase in time users spend watching videos on Facebook, improvements to Reels’ ranking system, and new models designed to identify high-quality Reels at creation.
The emphasis on video by TikTok and its imitators has transformed various industries reliant on these platforms for distribution. Podcasts have evolved into videos, which are then sliced into clips. TV shows have morphed into “microdramas,” and films are often divided into bite-sized segments. Political messaging has also adapted to resemble “user-generated content.” It remains uncertain whether users genuinely prefer video over text or images, or if they engage with video simply because it’s what’s presented to them—engagement is engagement, after all.
Interestingly, as social media shifts to a video-centric model, users report a decrease in their own posting activity. Polling data reveals that while a significant majority of US respondents watch Instagram Reels, only a fraction actively post them. This raises questions about the implications of a landscape where video consumption is prevalent, yet few users feel inclined to create content. This trend may partly explain the rise of AI-generated content, as platforms seem to prioritize engagement over the quality of user-generated material.
If Instagram and Facebook transition to default video feeds, it would represent a monumental change in their purpose. It would also blur the line between social connection and content consumption. Creatives like writers and photographers have already been pushed to produce video content to stay relevant, and it would be a tall order to expect casual users, like family and friends, to adapt similarly. The future will reveal whether Meta will proceed with these tests in the US and beyond, but the signs of change are unmistakable.
