Here is another Instagram Reels update 2025!
Instagram is testing a new layout for the Home page in India that prioritizes short-form Reels content. Now, selected users will see Reels at the top of the Instagram Home page, right beneath Stories, instead of the usual feed from the people you follow.
The DMs button has also been moved to the bottom in order to facilitate the navigation experience.
The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, says, “this test highlights the platform’s most engaging features, with Reels and DMs driving significant growth.”
The purpose is to see how users respond to the new layout, which could influence the global updates in the future.
Before moving forward, have a look at what’s Instagram algorithm update.
Key Updates of Instagram’s New Home Tab:
Reels First
Now, Instagram shows Reels before Posts on the Home Tab in India.
New Navigation
The DM icon is moved to the bottom for quick access for users.
Growth Focus
Reels and DMs will drive a higher engagement rate.
AI Safety
AI tools will detect and protect teenage users’ accounts.
Test Launch
Currently live for selected users in India.
Short-Form Video Content: The Trend You Can’t Ignore
Attention is the new currency online in 2025. And short-form videos are the only thing that can earn it for you. No doubt, Short-form video has become the most engaging content format across social media platforms.
TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels have completely changed the way users consume content nowadays. Short videos are not just watched but shared, saved and remembered as well.
If you are a content creator, brand, or marketer, it is not just a passing trend but your new strategy to focus on Instagram short-form video content.
That is why many of growing businesses have set them apart from those forgotten ones by the ability to consistently create short, shareable, and story-driven video content in their short-form video marketing.
If your content strategy does not include short-form video, then you are missing where the audience actually lives.
And Instagram clearly knows it. This new Reels-first Home tab test is proof that the platform is doubling down on the dominance of short-form video.
It is not just following the trend; it is building around it.
Key benefits of short form content include:
- Higher level of engagement as compared to traditional posts.
- Boost the audience’s reach across demographics and platforms.
- Strengthens storytelling by delivering impactful moments in seconds.
- Increased the chances for virality due to immediate attention capture.
- Enhances brand recall through bite-sized, easily digestible messaging.
- Encourages faster content consumption and repeat viewership.
Implications of Instagram’s Home Tab Test for Creators and Brands
If this test is widely implemented, there are several possible effects of the Reels-first home tab, such as:
- Increased visibility: Short-form video creators are likely to get more impressions and engagement on their short video Reels.
- Strategic Content Shift: Brands may need to prefer the creation of Reels over regular posts.
- User Behavior Insight: Instagram will collect data on how users engage with Reels-first layouts in order to influence the content algorithm.
This Instagram reel’s first home page test is reflecting its broader strategy of highlighting high-engagement, bite-sized content to retain user attention.
The trial also supports the larger platform efforts, such as enhancing content discovery, personalization and protecting teen users with AI support.
The way that Instagram is experimenting with short-form prioritizing shows how important reels have become for increasing engagement, retention, and growth.
How Longshort Clip (LSC) Helps Creators to Increase Engagement
For creators and marketers who are creating and posting consistent, high-quality short-form videos can be challenging. Longshort Clip simplifies the short-form video content creation process by:
Turning long videos into shorts.
- Automatically detecting high-engagement moments in long-form videos
- Adding AI-powered captions and SEO keywords
- Optimizing video clips for multiple platforms and vertical formats
- Scheduling posts to maintain consistent audience engagement.
By using LSC, content creators can create viral-ready content quickly, assuring that they capitalize on Instagram’s growing focus on Reels.
Strategic Takeaways for Content Creators
Instagram’s Home tab experiment sends a clear message: short-form video is the future of social media engagement. Early adoption of tools like Longshort Clip can help the creators to:
- Stay ahead of algorithm changes.
- Maintain consistent posting and engagement.
- Transform long-form content into shareable, high-performing clips.
Final Word
With this new update of Instagram, the Reels-first Home tab test is a strong signal that short-form video is now the core of its content strategy.
If Reels and DMs truly drive growth, then content creators who tap into that will definitely win.
And with Longshort Clip, easily turn your long-form videos into viral-ready clips within minutes. No manual editing, no guesswork—just results.
It is the right time to take action. The algorithm won’t wait.
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