- Instagram is replacing the traditional square grid with a rectangular style on profile pages.
- The change helps showcase vertical content, such as videos and photos, which have become common.
- Rectangular grids will be rolled out for everyone over this weekend with no option to go back.
Over the years, Instagram has gone through several changes. However, one thing that has remained constant is its square grid on the profiles page. But even that seems to be getting stretched out as the Meta-owned company is getting rectangular-style grids in the profile page, which will begin rolling out for everyone starting this weekend.
If you are running the latest app version and go to your profile page, you will notice this change. The once perfectly square tiles have now been replaced with lengthier rectangles. Instagram head Adam Mosseri talked about this change in his story, which he shared on Friday.
He said, “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,” adding that it is a “bummer to overly crop” your photos to fit into the square grid.
While what he mentioned is true, vertical photography, and videos have become common ground on the platform. So to highlight such content, it is best to have a rectangular grid. However, many users were upset with the change. Especially those who’ve spent hours designing their profile grid, calling out the platform over on X.
Ugh, Instagram's about to mess with our perfectly curated grids.Rectangles are gonna totally wreck years of aesthetic planning. Who asked for this? Creators are gonna lose their minds trying to rebuild their visual storytelling.
— SciGod (@SciGodX) January 17, 2025
Why did instagram have to change from squares to rectangles and ruin the most perfect layout 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/4AgRBORcQB— Erika⁷ (@erikaborahae) January 18, 2025
My Instagram profile just randomly updated itself and now my photos are in a rectangular layout rather than a square grid. Looks pretty awful IMO👎🏻@Instagram please give us the option to choose which layout we want? The app is just getting worse & worse.— Tearoma (@Louise_Ralph) January 17, 2025
Instagram Rectangular Grid: Necessity or Opportunity?
Now even though I agree with the points that Mosseri brought up in his statement, it isn’t easy to shake off the feeling that this change could be a result of the TikTok ban and the company trying to make itself a cozy space for all the refugees.
Instagram hasn’t shied away from copying features from other popular social media services before like Stories from Snapchat, and Reels itself are taken from TikTok.
So it is quite likely that this change is perpetuated by TikTok’s departure from the U.S. But I wish that Instagram offered some leeway for its creators to decide whether they want a rectangular or square grid. That would make both ends happy. But what are your thoughts on the matter? Do you like the new layout or prefer the old one? Let us know in the comments below.
