Instagram Shifts Focus to Video to Compete With TikTok

Core Insights - Instagram has reached 3 billion monthly users, solidifying its role as a significant revenue driver for parent company Meta [1][5] - The platform is shifting its focus from traditional photo feeds to short-form video and private messaging in response to user behavior changes [2][3] User Behavior Changes - Users are increasingly engaging with private messaging and Stories, spending half their time on the app watching videos, primarily recommended content rather than from followed accounts [3] - Instagram plans to emphasize private messaging and Reels on its home screen navigation bar [3] Strategic Changes and Testing - In India and South Korea, Instagram will test opening the app directly into Reels instead of the traditional photo feed [4] - The platform will also introduce features allowing users to hide or select topics to influence the content they see, utilizing artificial intelligence for content identification and labeling [4] Competitive Landscape - The changes are partly driven by competition with TikTok, which is a significant concern for Instagram [5] - Instagram's user base has grown from 2 billion in October 2022 to 3 billion, indicating strong growth and user engagement [5][6]