Say goodbye to your perfectly curated square profile grids because Instagram has a major surprise for you—and you may or may not like it.
Over the weekend, Instagram rolled out a fresh update where its profile grids will display content as rectangles, veering away from its classic square grid.
According to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, the decision to shift from square grids to rectangular ones was because most photos and videos that were uploaded in the app “are vertical on their orientation.”
“I know some of you really like your squares. And square photos are sort of the heritage of Instagram. But at this point, most of what’s uploaded, both photos and videos, are vertical in their orientation. It’s a bummer to overly crop them,” Mosseri wrote in an Instagram story.
Here's what Instagram CEO @mosseri said about the recent profile grid update 👀
He defended the change by explaining that most of the content uploaded—both photos and videos—is vertical in orientation. He said it’s a “bummer” to overly crop them. pic.twitter.com/KQrbBd61M3
— ㆅ (@howfxr) January 18, 2025
The chief also acknowledged that everyone might not be thrilled with this revamp, but he’s hopeful that they will accept the new layout in the long run.
“I think people will, over the long run, be excited that more of their photos and more of their videos are actually visible as intended in the profile as opposed to aggressively cropped,” said Mosseri.
And true enough, users are not definitely happy. As soon as the update hit, they quickly went to express their complaints about this makeover, saying that no one asked for it and threatening to leave the platform.
Others, on the other hand, poked fun at how Instagram ruined the profile grid of some users, particularly celebrities and artists, who appeared to meticulously design their feeds for a more aesthetically pleasing look.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/OQgkvY7uEs
— NLNL 🍒👑 (@no_loey_no_life) January 18, 2025
another useless instagram update we didn’t ask for pic.twitter.com/p7kLTAmIiE
— ⭐️ (@hescutelatino) January 17, 2025
. @instagram you have until i count to 10 and when i open my eyes that grid format better be fixed and im not fucking playing with you
— ✮ almondmilkhunni ✮ (@almondmilkhunni) January 17, 2025
whoever made the new instagram update deserves to be fired immediately
— Teddy💛 (@Teddy_20) January 18, 2025
this new Instagram update makes the profile look really ugly.
— Kanika (@DalRotiForLife) January 17, 2025
yeah this new instagram update is insane. pic.twitter.com/ZOYr7ZmJn9
— glenda ౨ৎ (@polkadotrryy) January 18, 2025
The new Instagram update looks like the app has malfunctioned, no one wants this
— christie (@chrismsia) January 17, 2025
This instagram update sucks 😞 pic.twitter.com/kT9jZWDzbE
— Niall Horan Stream Updates (@nhstreamupdates) January 18, 2025
new instagram ui update is horrible who makes these random ass decisions bro like why are we aligning left like that for profiles + the new 3:4 feed aspect ratio as well pic.twitter.com/q9GBwexWIE
— 🌱 (@aplasticplant) January 17, 2025
Oh look! Another Instagram update that no one asked for!
The layout is not square anymore.
Trying SO HARD to be TikTok pic.twitter.com/MJqxce2QrF— Ghida (@ghidaarnaout) January 17, 2025
the new instagram update yall it’s giving pic.twitter.com/NNhKA04iIy
— chloe (@filmskyrie) January 18, 2025
Aside from the new profile grid layout, Instagram also added a new feature in its Reels feed, where users can now see the reels liked by their friends. Instagram also expanded the time duration of Reel videos, allowing users to upload up to a 3-minute video.
View this post on Instagram
So, how do we feel about these new updates? Do you think the revamp was necessary or is it just another aesthetic disaster?
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