Do you know how the first thing you see when you log into TikTok (apart from an ad) is a full-screen, vertical video? Instagram is exploring functionality that would provide a comparable, instantaneously immersive experience, with the goal of “bringing video more front and centre,” according to the company. It appears to be a frequent subject at Meta!

The implication here is, of course, that Instagram is still trying to steal our focus away from TikTok. Reels, Instagram’s TikTok clone, now accounts for more than 20% of the time consumers spend on the platform, according to Meta’s earnings call last week. On Facebook, individuals spend 50% of their time watching videos of various types.

The full-screen home feed

You may still utilise the bottom navigation bar to access the discovery tab, Reels, purchasing, and your own page while testing the full-screen home feed. Switching accounts, creating a post, checking alerts, and browsing your messages are all still available from the top bar. Though the test image we received doesn’t illustrate where Stories appear, an Instagram representative stated that they retain at the top of your feed — they just aren’t visible in this prototype because the screenshot was captured after scrolling past the top.

Because there is more framework in hand to sell ads on Stories, it is presently a greater moneymaker for Instagram than Reels. The company intends to expand Reels’ monetization opportunities, but stated in its earnings call that this effort will take several years.

Google, like Meta, competes with TikTok with its YouTube Shorts. Google announced last week during its results call that it has begun testing adverts in YouTube Shorts. YouTube Shorts now receives 30 billion views every day, four times as many as last year. Although Meta could not provide particular audience figures for Reels, the prevalence of video across Meta properties is growing.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *