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Instagram has now gone past 3 bi?llion users each month, making it one of the biggest apps for shoppers ever made. This mark makes Meta focus on the features that keep folks most interested: private chats and short videos. For Instagram makers wanting to be in style — and looking for fresh ways to gain or get Insta views — these changes show just where the app’s energy is heading.

As per Bloomberg, Instagram is changing its main screen navigation bar to show Reels and direct messages more clearly. This shift shows real user actions: less photo posts, more video watching, and more private sharing. With Instagram’s creator environment getting tougher each year, knowing how these shifts affect discovery will be key for long-term growth.

New Experiments and Interface Tests Worldwide

To speed up video-first habits, Instagram is doing many global trials. In India, for instance, the a?pp now opens right into Reels instead of the old feed — a change that looks like TikTok’s layout and focuses on quick video use. The same look shows up in the new Instagram app for iPad which hints at a bigger shift that might soon spread all over the world.

Instagram is trying out a way for users to have more say over their suggestion system. Users will be able to block or show topics that change what shows up in their feed. The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, said this test wants to create a feed that users feel “actively linked to,” instead of just being led by the algorithm.

To illustrate the direction of these changes, here is a quick list of what Instagram is currently prioritizing:

• Reels as the default viewing surface in some regions;
• Messaging tools as the central sharing method;
• User-controlled topic filtering for personalized recommendations;
• Cross-device expansion, including a redesigned iPad experience.

These updates underline Instagram’s move away from its origins as a photo-sharing app and toward a video-centric communication hub.

Why Messaging and Video Now Dominate Instagram

Mosseri points out that private messages is now the most liked way folks share stuff on the site, then comes Stories that vanish. At the same time, over half of total time on Instagram is spent watching videos — and many of those videos come from accounts users don’t follow. This shows that Instagram has turned into a big discovering tool, not just a social place.

Meta bought Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and more than ten years later, it is still the company’s best money maker. While Facebook passed 3 billion users, it has a hard time keeping younger people interested. Instagram, on the other hand, stays important by changing fast and strong.

Challenges Ahead and What Creators Should Watch

Even with its rise, Instagram has legal doubts. The U.S. The Federal Trade Commission says Meta is an unlawful social media giant and a decision in late 2025 or early 2026 might — in a worst-case situation — make the company separate from Instagram. Still, experts think regular use on the app won’t be stopped.

For makers, a lesson is clear: Instagram is changing fast. Reels, private messages and custom tips now push engagement, finding stuff and algorithm growth. Those who change first will get the most good things.

With? 3 billion users and a strong focus on video first experiences, Instagram’s power keeps growing; creators should get ready for an even quicker speed of change.