Instagram has announced a major redesign of its user interface, signaling significant changes to its bottom navigation bar. The overhaul focuses on reimagining the user experience, focusing on Reels and DMs.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri recently announced in a Reels video that the platform has surpassed 3 billion monthly active users. He explained the reasoning behind this layout change, saying, "Most of our growth in recent years has come from direct messages, Reels, and recommended content."
Currently, the Instagram bottom menu is organized in the following order: Home, Search, Post, Reels, and Profile. Swiping right takes you to the Inbox, and swiping left takes you to the Story creation screen. However, this layout will change in the future.
The new bottom navigation bar consists of five sections: Home, Reels, Direct Messages, Search, and Profile. The existing Post button has been removed, and the Post function is now accessible via the icon in the top left corner of the app.
Meta stated that this redesign reflects users' actual usage patterns. "Messages are now the most popular way to share photos and videos on Instagram," the company explained. "Across Meta, Reels are reshared more than 4.5 billion times a day."
We're also testing Reels as the app's home screen for some Indian users. This test also introduces a new Following tab with a "Recent" filter, allowing users to return to a chronological feed. A "Friends Feed" is also included, which displays only accounts you and your friends mutually follow.
Instagram is also piloting a feature focused on Reels that allows users to tailor their algorithm to their preferences. In the Settings menu, you can review topics Instagram has identified as relevant to your interests and manually add or remove them to influence the content recommendations in your feed.
In a future update, the Messages button will move to the bottom center, and Reels will become a second tab. The company says the new layout is designed to facilitate a smooth transition between key features.
