While Mark Zuckerberg has just shown off a full edge-to-edge feed on his Stories, Instagram has already been testing a semi-“full-screen” view for its main feed since May. Zuckerberg shared that the new design will soon be put to the test by select members of the community.

The Meta CEO shared: “We want to make it easier to discover content and connect with friends. Photos are still an important part of Instagram, and we’re working on ways to improve the way they show up in a full-screen Feed too. Some people will start seeing this test soon. Excited to hear your feedback!”

👀https://t.co/PE3oNberp4 pic.twitter.com/z6LWdMpcAE

— Instagram (@instagram) June 16, 2022

These changes are part of a broader initiative that relies more heavily on AI-driven recommendations while also looking strikingly similar to TikTok’s interface. This new design of the edge-to-edge full-screen definitely prioritizes video content while keeping tabs at the bottom and the features of adding posts, activity, and messaging icons to the top. The navigation bar, description, and Instagram logo are overlaid on the content.

The update is a reflection of TikTok’s continuing effect on the market, which has altered how practically every platform views growth. This is due to the app’s sustained popularity influencing user habits on a much larger scale.

A unique aspect of this new visual approach and strategy is that it would hide the Stories bar. However, in the long run, it is likely that Stories will be integrated into this new presentation structure, along with a frame count bar at the bottom of the screen to entice users to swipe across for more.

Some new reports have indicated that Facebook is also trying to get in on the short-form video trend, as the popularity of this type of content has shortened attention spans and changed the way users interact with all social media platforms.

We know that Meta recently announced a revamp and that the target audience is shifting towards younger users who seem to be more receptive to video content. This is why Instagram is focusing on Reels in an attempt to compete with its rivals Snapchat and TikTok.

This doesn’t really come as a surprise as Instagram chief Adam Mosseri hinted in December that the app will be exploring and focusing more on video content: “We’re going to double-down on our focus on video and consolidate all of our video formats around Reels.”

All of this makes sense given Instagram’s full visual rebrand.

Photo via Instagram