A Design Revolution is Coming to Instagram!

Instagram's Design Revolution is Coming: DMs Move to the Bottom, Reels Move to the Front

The Instagram design, long established in the social media world, may soon see significant changes. Instagram has begun testing its new user interface layout in markets like India and South Korea.

Key Elements of the New Instagram Design Layout

* Most notably: The DM (inbox/messages) icon is now positioned at the bottom center, rather than in the top right.

* The Reels tab is being moved to a more prominent location in the submenu, right next to the homepage tab.

* The Explore tab has been moved closer to the profile tab.

* Stories are still at the top of the screen—no major changes are visible in this section.

Why Are Instagram Making These Changes?

Instagram executives state that users' content consumption habits on the platform have significantly evolved. Reels videos and DM interaction now play much more central roles in the app's user experience.

Reels, with its short video format, attracts more user attention and generates higher engagement in terms of sharing. Therefore, Instagram wants to prioritize Reels and shift the user experience towards videos.

Moving DMs to the bottom menu also aims to simplify messaging. Users will be able to navigate from content to messages more intuitively.

Testing Phases and Scope

Instagram is currently testing this new layout for specific user groups, not all users. This new interface is being tested, particularly in markets like India and South Korea.

This new interface has also previously appeared on the iPad app; the iPad version's direct Reels as the home screen reflects the platform's long-term strategy.

There is no global rollout yet; it's a test version at this stage, and the exact date it will be available to all users hasn't been confirmed.