Are you ready for you ready for everything to look like TikTok?

Instagram and Facebook feeds may soon default to full-screen vertical video, making it harder to see posts from friends and family.

Meta is testing immersive, full-screen video feeds that automatically launch upon opening Facebook and Instagram, mimicking TikTok's core user experience. In India, some Facebook users are encountering an app that defaults to a vertical video feed, with Meta indicating this approach will be rolled out to "video-heavy countries" before a potential US expansion in 2027. Separately, Instagram is testing an option for Reels to be the primary content displayed upon app launch, with sound enabled by default. While users can revert to previous layouts, these tests signal a significant push by Meta to prioritize short-form video content across its platforms. The company's recent earnings calls highlighted increased user engagement with videos on Facebook and ongoing improvements to Reels ranking algorithms, underscoring video as a strategic imperative.

This intensifying TikTok-ification of Meta's platforms signifies a strategic pivot towards maximizing user attention through immersive, short-form video, potentially at the expense of traditional social connections. The company's focus on video engagement metrics, even on its text-focused Threads platform, suggests that user-generated content creation is becoming secondary to passive video consumption for platform growth. This trend could further entrench passive consumption habits, making users more like voyeurs of content rather than active participants in their social networks.

The potential shift impacts creators and casual users alike, as the pressure to produce video content to maintain visibility intensifies. If these tests become permanent, the fundamental purpose of platforms like Facebook and Instagram could evolve from connecting with people to becoming conduits for algorithmically driven video streams. This could alienate users who value authentic social interactions over algorithmic entertainment, potentially leading to decreased posting frequency and a further fragmentation of online communities.