Instagram Square Profile Grids Shift to Rectangles

Instagram's profile grids are set to transition from squares to rectangles, a change officially rolling out this weekend. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri shared the news via an Instagram Story on Friday, explaining it as part of ongoing platform updates. This change aligns with Instagram's earlier "limited test" announced in August.

"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," Mosseri said. It's a "bummer to overly crop them," he added.

Mosseri recognizes that the change might be a "bit of a pain," but he thinks that it's a "transitional" pain. "I think people will, over the long run, be excited that more of their photos and more of their videos are actually visible as intended in the profile as opposed to aggressively cropped," Mosseri said.

Additionally, Instagram has introduced a new feature in the Reels feed, allowing users to view videos their friends have liked, enhancing social engagement.