News

Instagram Tests Vertical Profile Grids Instead Of Squares

A company spokesperson says the “limited test” is happening because the “vast majority” of Instagram uploads are vertically-oriented content.

Published

5 months ago

August 19, 2024

Nour Nasir

Instagram is testing a potentially major change to profile pages: making the squares in your profile grid vertical rectangles. Some users recently spotted the test, and there have been indications from at least 2022 that the company has toyed with a rectangular grid.

“The vast majority of what is uploaded to Instagram today is vertical,” Instagram chief Adam Mosseri explained in a Story on Friday, August 16, discussing the test. “It’s either 4 by 3 in a photo or 9 by 16 in a video, and cropping it down to square is pretty brutal”.

Mosseri revealed that “squares are from way back in the day when you could only upload square photos to Instagram,” a limitation the platform removed nearly a decade ago. Mosseri told users that the company knows that the changes may be annoying for those who have spent a great deal of effort and time “curating and making sure everything lines up” but says, “I would really like to do better by the content today”.

“We’re testing a vertical profile grid with a small number of people,” Instagram spokesperson Christine Pai said in a recent statement to journalists. “This is a limited test, and we’ll be listening to feedback from the community before rolling anything out further”.

So it looks as though perfectionists who have planned out their profile grids around squares might be a little annoyed when the entire site moves over to vertical rectangle content.

Also Read: How To Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account

Here’s the full transcript of Mosseri’s explanation:

“We’re actually testing a vertical grid, for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, for your profile, instead of squares. Now, squares are from way back in the day when you can only upload square photos to Instagram. I know this can be annoying for some of you who really spent a lot of time curating and making sure everything lines up, but I would really like to do better by the content today. The vast majority of what is uploaded to Instagram today is vertical. It’s either 4 by 3 in a photo or 9 by 16 in a video, and cropping it down to square is pretty brutal. So, I’m hoping we can figure out a way to manage this transition”.

News

Will Upcoming Changes Turn Instagram Into A TikTok Clone?

Updates are rolling out for the grid layout and Reels length, while new editing tools clearly imitate those of the rival Chinese platform.

Published

46 minutes ago

January 24, 2025

Nour Nasir

Instagram

Instagram recently faced backlash for swapping its iconic square grid for rectangles, disrupting the aesthetic of thousands of carefully curated profiles. However, the Meta-owned platform isn’t stopping there, after announcing more incoming TikTok-like changes designed to give users greater control over their profiles.

“We launched a new tall grid on profiles this week and I got a lot of feedback, both positive and quite negative,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri shared in an Instagram caption on Monday. “The goal is a simpler, cleaner place that maintains, and even increases, creator control”.

Here are some of the details about further changes we can expect:

Customizable Grids: Users will soon be able to tweak how their posts appear on the grid, including adjusting image crops and reordering posts entirely.
Direct-To-Grid Posts: A new option will allow users to post directly to their profile grid without automatically adding it to their main feed.
Highlights Relocation: Instagram’s Highlights feature will move from above the grid into a dedicated tab, while also becoming part of the profile grid itself.
Longer Reels: Reels are getting a significant upgrade, with the maximum video length jumping from 90 seconds to 3 minutes.

The updates are part of Instagram’s ongoing effort to compete with TikTok, which narrowly avoided a US ban following a 75-day delay granted by President Donald Trump. With the Chinese video platform’s future remaining uncertain, Instagram seems eager to capture disillusioned users by offering features that feel increasingly similar to those of its rival.

Also Read: How To Find & Cancel Pending Instagram Requests

In fact, Instagram’s recent changes go beyond just the app’s layout: On Sunday, parent company Meta launched the standalone Edits app, a clear imitation of TikTok’s popular video-editing tool, CapCut. Additionally, Meta has been enticing creators with cash bonuses to encourage them to post their videos on Instagram and Facebook.

It’s clear Instagram is shifting its strategy to appeal to the short-form video crowd. Whether these changes will win over users or continue to spark discontent remains to be seen.