"The new rectangle grid is bad," one Instagram user complained on Reddit, with many others agreeing. Instagram's latest update, which replaced the classic square grid with a 4:3 rectangular layout, has left many users frustrated. They feel the change has ruined the aesthetic of IG feeds and stripped Instagram of its uniqueness. Some have even compared it to TikTok, saying the update makes the platform feel less distinct. Many are now calling for the return of the square grid that made Instagram stand out.
But whether you agree or not, the big question is: why the change? Instagram started testing this new layout in August 2024, yet despite how much users loved the square grid—especially those who care about how their feed looks—the update still pushed through. So why fix something that wasn't broken?
Instagram CEO Addresses Vertical Grid Change
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri recently broke his silence on the platform's latest update, addressing user concerns via Threads. He referred to the update as part of a "Profile Roadmap" and acknowledged the strong reactions it elicited. "We launched a new tall grid on the Instagram profile this week, and I got a lot of feedback, both positive and quite negative," Mosseri admitted.
He also recognized a key mistake in the rollout: "One of the mistakes I made was not giving people enough of a heads-up, so here are some details about how we plan to evolve the profile over the next few months." According to Mosseri, the goal of the changes is to make the platform "simpler, cleaner, and maintain or increase creator control."
He explained that the shift to a taller grid was driven by user behaviour: "We started with the tall grid because most photos and videos that are uploaded to Instagram at this point are vertical, and rectangles do a better job showing off those photos and videos."
In response to concerns about how the grid impacts feed aesthetics, Mosseri announced plans to enhance customization. "We're going to improve the ability to customize those thumbnails to make it easier to get back to a place you're happy with," he said.
"We're looking to move highlights into the grid and add them as a tab. Highlights are a great way to showcase your favourite stories, but they are visually complicated and push your grid down. In order to maintain creator control, we're building a tool so you can re-order your entire grid and make it whatever you want," Adam emphasized, adding that users will soon have the option to post directly to their grid, bypassing the feed entirely.
How about you, what do you think of this change?
