Facebook tests full-screen video feed to rival TikTok

Facebook is preparing its boldest attempt yet to keep users from drifting to TikTok by making itself look a lot more like TikTok. Tom Alison, head of the Facebook app at Meta, confirmed the company will begin testing a "reimagined experience" that opens directly into full-screen video, replacing the traditional feed users see when they launch the app.

Reportedly, this feature could represent a step away from the scrolling feeds consisting of friends and pages that have been an integral part of Facebook since it launched.

In contrast, users in the test group will see a video stream in vertical format powered by an algorithm as soon as they launch the app. This portrays a similar resemblance to TikTok’s “For You” feed.

Although there are no designs of the interface shared by Meta, the description indicates almost the same format of TikTok.

However, Meta will test its new feature in selected international markets before rolling it out in the United States, provided the results in the earlier markets meet expectations at all.

This is similar to how Meta has worked in the past since, in 2016, it cloned Snapchat's stories to create Instagram Stories and subsequently created Reels to compete against TikTok. However, the change in the Facebook home feed is more substantial than the previous two changes.

The company’s decision could be based on the fact that the current user base on Facebook is ageing, whereas TikTok is now capturing the attention of younger users who are spending more than an hour daily on the application.

Nevertheless, such a strategy involves a lot of risk since a large part of the remaining Facebook users are still coming to the website to catch up with their friends and families rather than watch endless recommendations of videos, and a complete turn will drive away this user base and will not make those users come back.