Instagram is rolling out vertical profile grids to its users, removing the square layout everyone is used to. The company began testing a rectangular grid format in August, with company head Adam Mosseri admitting the square grid is “pretty brutal” since uploads on the platform are now vertical.
“I know some of you really like your squares. 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,” Mosseri said in an Instagram Story on Friday via (The Verge). It’s a “bummer to overly crop them,” he added.
The change to a rectangular grid will be very concerning for photographers who have taken the time to tailor their content to a square grid over the years. Mosseri says he understands the concern but believes it will only be a “transitional pain”, and people will get used to the new rectangular grid eventually. “I think people will, over the long run, be excited that more of their photos and videos are visible as intended in the profile as opposed to aggressively cropped,” Mosseri explained.”
In August, Instagram announced that it was testing rectangular grids among “a small number of people” and promised to collect feedback before eventually rolling them out. In 2015, the platform removed the square post limitation and opened full-size landscape uploads.
In another update, Instagram has added a new Reels feed that will show videos liked by your friends.




