Facebook will test a TikTok-style default video feed this fall, starting in select countries. The move reflects a broader shift toward algorithmic video recommendations across Meta's platforms.
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Facebook will test a version of its app that defaults to a full-screen video feed, mimicking TikTok's core experience, the company said Friday. Tom Alison, the Meta executive who runs Facebook, announced the test in a blog post.
The test, set to begin this fall in "video-heavy countries," will show users a TikTok-like stream of clips the moment they open the app. Alison said participants can opt out of the video-first setting and return to the classic Facebook feed. Those who stay can toggle between the two views. A US rollout could come in 2027, Alison wrote, though the company did not provide more specific timing.
The move is the latest step in a years-long shift across social media away from friends' posts and toward algorithmic recommendations. Platforms from Instagram to X have already adopted video-first feeds as a secondary mode. Facebook's test would make it the default for some users.
"We show recommendations because you might follow 200 accounts, and one in 10 of them posted. So we've got 20 things to show you," Instagram boss Adam Mosseri told a reporter last year. "Whereas if we look at the billion things posted in a given day, and we find something you're interested in, there's more upside."
The logic applies to Facebook as well. Most users consume content passively rather than posting actively. A feed limited to friends' updates offers fewer opportunities for engagement than an algorithmically selected stream of videos from strangers.
The test also reflects advertising incentives. Video ads command higher rates than static image ads, and a TikTok-style feed allows Meta to insert more of them. The company has been pushing Reels, its short-video product, for years. The default setting would force a more dramatic consumption pattern.
Alison framed the test as a response to user demand for more video. "We think there's a subset of people who want more video on Facebook," he wrote. The company will monitor how those users behave and whether they switch back to the traditional feed.
The announcement comes as TikTok faces an uncertain regulatory future in the US, where a potential ban or forced sale remains possible. Meta's test could position Facebook as a substitute if TikTok's availability shrinks. The test also risks alienating users who prefer the social feed for news, family updates, and text-based content.
Facebook has made similar changes before. In 2022, it shifted the News Feed to emphasize "discovery" content from unconnected accounts. That change drew criticism from users who felt the platform had abandoned its original purpose. The video-first default would go further.
Alison said the company will roll out the test slowly and gather data before deciding on a broader launch. A Meta representative declined to provide additional details.
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