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Hey, have you checked your Instagram profile network lately?
If so, you may have noticed a change in format, with the thumbnail images for your posts moving to a more vertical presentation, as opposed to the usual square image display.
That style of presentation, like Instagram was experimenting for monthsit’s more aligned with Reels, and by the way, TikTok, which Instagram is trying to do set up as a substitute for.
It’s also, according to Instagram boss Adam Mosseri, better suited to the way most people use the app now.
According to Mossers:
“We started with a tall grid because most of the photos and videos uploaded to Instagram at the moment are vertical, and rectangles display those photos and videos better. However, I know some of you spend a lot of time tweaking your grids and this has messed everything up, so we’re going to improve the ability to customize those thumbnails to make it easier to get back to where you’re happy with.“
Yes, for all those people who have set up complex grid screens that create a larger image when viewed on profile, Instagram is working on solutions, albeit makeshift, that are still in line with the new update.
Instagram also wants to move your Highlights into the grid, adding them as a separate tab.
According to Mosseri:
“Featured Stories are a great way to showcase your favorite stories, but they’re visually complicated and drag your network down. To keep creator control, we’re building a tool so you can reorder your entire grid and make it however you want.“
This is a long-requested feature of IG, which allows users to reformat the profile grid as they see fit. This comes as Instagram also wants to add the ability to post directly to your network, in case you want to bypass the feed entirely.
So you’ll have more ways to customize your profile view within this new format, although variations of the new view will remain and you’ll need to realign your presentation around these taller images.
And while many users are not happy with this update, it is again worth noting that Instagram has flagged this update in August last year.
So it’s been coming for a while, it’s not some new change out of nowhere that no one knew about. But it was introduced suddenly for many users, as part of IG’s wider push to position itself as the best alternative to TikTok.
But either way, it’s here now, and it looks like it’s here to stay. The details may change, but with more content now being loaded into the app in a vertical format, it’s time to realign your approach to this new profile UI.
It’s time to refresh your IG profile for the new era.