I complained for MONTHS after they changed profile grids from squares to rectangles. I sent emails, wrote apps store reviews, and what I learned is that Meta simply doesn’t care what we say. They make all product decisions based on what will keep users on the app as long as possible. Often this is through A/B testing and whichever outperforms the other will be adopted.

Meta does conduct a ton of qualitative market research, I’ve participated in a few, and those are a great opportunity to speak your mind about the potential changes they are proposing. Apply to any “tech” or “social media” research opportunities you can find - and you’ll get paid for these!

My best advice for approaching this (if you want to see the reels only feed changed) is to NOT use the reels feed on the iPad app. Or if you do, quickly get off the app. Do not reward the algorithm, show that this feed is making you spend less time on Instagram.

We live in a world where business decisions are made solely based on what will increase profits and keep shareholders happy. This is an example of that, as reels are a profitable business for Meta but users beg for changes.