# Meta tests video-first opening screens on Facebook and Instagram

_Published Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 4:45 PM EDT · Products · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Phone screen with a glowing red video. — Primary](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/268798_Are_you_ready_for_TikTok_2.0_and_3.0_CVirginia.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C10.732984293194%2C100%2C78.534031413613&w=1200)

Meta is testing opening screens that put video first on Facebook and Instagram, The Verge reports. Some Facebook users in India enter a full-screen video feed when they open the app. An Instagram test lets users choose Reels as the opening view, with Stories above it and the traditional feed accessible by swiping.

Meta spokesperson Devi Narasimhan confirmed the Instagram test is live in a handful of countries and said users can restore the original layout. Reels become unmuted when users swipe or click into a video. Meta has indicated a potential US expansion of the Facebook experience in 2027, but the tests may not become permanent features.

## Sources

- [The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/tech/1006069/instagram-facebook-full-screen-reels-test-tiktok)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/JaWzYeSHuFSZ9ncI3XmDUK
Published: 2026-10-08T20:45:55.424Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-08T16:45:00.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-08T23:18:58.984Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)