Instagram Grids Changed From Squares to Rectangles—Here’s Why
This is only the first of many updates the app is rolling out.
(SPOT.ph) Last week, Instagram users all over the world woke up to a surprise: our own profiles—and everyone else’s—looked noticeably different. Without heed or warning, everything is suddenly in rectangles.
The new aspect ratio of 4:5 has replaced the familiar 1:1 squares, making photos appear “taller” on the grid, similar to how they’re already displayed in the Reels tab. For feed-conscious folks, this was a problem. A huge one. Just take a look at Niall Horan’s ruined Instagram grid:
Instagram has been quietly testing this feature with select users since August 2024, but the full rollout blindsided most people. Naturally, the immediate question was: why?
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Why is my Instagram feed in rectangles now?
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri took to Threads to explain the changes, starting with a statement of regret: not giving users “enough of a heads up.” He explained that the shift to taller posts was inevitable. After all, vertical content is already seen across the platform—from Stories to Reels—so it was about time posts followed suit.
Mosseri said the ultimate goal is “a simpler, cleaner place that maintains, and even increases, creator control.”
“We started with the tall grid because most photos and videos that are uploaded to Instagram at this point are vertical and rectangles do a better job showing off those photos and videos. That said, I know some of you spend a lot of time tweaking your grids and this blew all of that up, so we’re going to improve the ability to customize those thumbnails to make it easier to get back to a place you're happy with,” Mosseri said.
The good news is that the option to customize which part of the picture will be shown as a thumbnail on your feed is now available to users. Simply click the three dots at the top right of a post, then select “Adjust preview” to reposition the image as desired.
Expect more changes on Instagram soon
More changes are on the horizon. Those little “Highlight” circles below your bio? According to Mosseri, those story collections will now be moved as a tab alongside posts and videos on your profile.
“Highlights are a great way to showcase your favorite stories, but they are visually complicated and push your grid down. In order to maintain creator control we’re building a tool so you can re-order your entire grid and make it whatever you want,” Mosseri said.
Since the hide-like-count feature introduced in 2021 was such a hit, Instagram is rolling out another subtle update for those who prefer to keep things lowkey: the option to post directly to your profile without pushing the content to every one of your followers.
“And as a bonus, we’re adding the ability to post directly to your grid, in case you want to bypass feed entirely. This plan may very well change as we iterate over the next couple months, but I’m hoping sharing our intentions early will help avoid any more harsh surprises,” Mosseri said.
Love it or hate it, the changes are here to stay.
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