Instagram rolls out early access waitlist for refreshed Home and Following feed

Instagram is stirring up excitement with the launch of an early access waitlist for its upcoming refreshed Home and Following feed. If you log in now, you might be greeted with a splashy prompt inviting you to get on the list for a new app experience. This upcoming UI refresh is set to shake up how Reels and followed content mingle on your main timeline.

Unlike previous updates that quietly slid under the radar, this one is being rolled out in a manner that’s drawing plenty of eyeballs. One of our team members spotted the change first-hand, snapping screenshots of the waitlist pop-ups and glimpses of the tweaked interface.

These visuals show Instagram’s new direction — highlighting a Home feed with Reels baked directly in, plus a Following tab that pulls in posts from everyone you follow, favorite friends included, all in neat chronological order.

And it’s not just us seeing this. Scattered reports are turning up elsewhere: one Instagram reel highlights the same waitlist message. Even over on Reddit, posts are beginning to pop up, with one user saying that Meta is starting to make Instagram look a lot more like TikTok.

This refresh isn’t exactly a big surprise. Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s head, recently hinted at these changes, as we highlighted last month. 

If you’re one of those still getting used to the relocated search bar and fresh navigation design, this new waitlist is Instagram’s latest step forward. By opting in early, users can get in line to try what could become the next standard for browsing content on the platform.

For now, those who joined the waitlist will see a badge and a message confirming they’re on deck for early access, while others can expect to see a similar prompt soon.

So, keep an eye out for that prompt and weigh in if you spot changes. Of course, if you’re part of the crowd that doesn’t want the change, you can skip the pop-up and use the current Instagram experience for as long as possible before Instagram forces the refreshed experience on everyone.

To stay updated with the latest news on Instagram, head over to our dedicated section.

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