Instagram May Ditch Square Profile Grid for Vertical Layout
Instagram, the popular social media platform, might be changing the way users showcase their profiles. In a recent story post, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, revealed that the company is testing a vertical profile grid, abandoning the traditional square layout.
This change has been long anticipated, with reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi sharing screenshots in November 2022 that showed the aspect ratio of the profile grid might shift. While the idea may seem unsettling, the screenshots Paluzzi shared don’t look as bad as feared.
Mosseri explained the rationale behind the change, stating that the majority of content uploaded to Instagram is vertical, with 4:3 photos and 9:16 videos being the norm. Cropping these vertical formats into square shapes can be “pretty brutal.”
Instagram is currently testing the vertical grid with a small group of users and plans to gather feedback from the community before making it a permanent change. This change aligns with the company’s focus on vertical content, particularly Reels, which are always vertical.
The shift might be a challenge for creators and users who have carefully curated their Instagram grids, but it could also provide a fresh opportunity for artistic expression. As the company rolls out this new feature, it remains to be seen how users will adapt to the new visual landscape.