Facebook tests going Reels-first in India
- ID
- 32271
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 06 Oct 2026, 8:38 PM
- Fetched
- 06 Oct 2026, 9:34 PM
- Provider
- TechCrunch
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/06/facebook-tests-going-reels-first-in-india/
- Source URL
- https://techcrunch.com/feed/
Summary
- Score
- 4.0
- Created
- 06 Oct 2026, 9:35 PM
- Tags
- Audience
- saas_foundersdevelopers
What happened
Meta has begun testing a Facebook experience in India that drops some users straight into a full-screen, Reels-first video view on app open, with the classic feed demoted to a second tab; test users can opt out and return to Feed-first. Facebook head Tom Alison first outlined the test in July, saying Meta would trial it in 'video-heavy countries' outside the U.S. before exploring a U.S. rollout next year. Meta cites internal figures that young adults spend about 60% of their Facebook time on video, that 97% of surveyed users watch video on its platforms daily, and that 89% of Gen Z respondents use Reels daily; India is Facebook's largest market by users.
Why it matters
If you use Facebook feed posts or links to drive installs, signups, or content distribution to Indian or Southeast Asian users, the default surface for a slice of those users is now full-screen video, not the feed — so feed-link campaigns may see weaker default placement for opted-in users, and vertical video becomes the primary impression format. Nothing here changes APIs, ad products, or monetization rules, so there is no engineering work to do today; the decision is whether to shift creative and posting format toward short vertical video for regional reach. The test is India-only for now, with a U.S. attempt targeted for next year, so a similar change reaching Malaysian users is a possibility, not a stated plan.
Discussion angle
Meta keeps using India as the video-format testbed (the 2020 Instagram Reels tab test came right after India banned TikTok) — so if Reels-first eventually reaches Malaysia, what would that do to feed-based distribution for small local apps, and is it worth changing your content format now or waiting for evidence from the India test?