Instagram is experimenting with a redesigned profile layout that significantly alters its appearance. Instead of the traditional square grid format for displaying photos, some users are now seeing their posts arranged in vertical rectangles. While this change might not matter to everyone, it could disrupt the aesthetic for users who have carefully curated their profiles around the square grid format.
In a statement to The Verge, Instagram spokesperson Christine Pai confirmed that the vertical profile grid is being tested with a limited group of users. She also mentioned that the platform will consider user feedback before implementing any widespread changes.
Instagram New Features: Reason Behind This Change
Instagram head, Adam Mosseri, while discussing this change said, “vast majority of what is uploaded to Instagram today is vertical”. He added that since most pictures and videos posted on the platform is either 4 by 3 in a photo or 9 by 16 in a video, cropping them down to square is pretty "brutal."
He then continued to saym, “squares are from way back in the day when you can only upload square photos to Instagram.” Instagram discontinued this back in 2015. Mosseri said that the change might be disliked by users who ensured that the content on their profile page was lined up in the square format aesthetically.
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The new vertical profile grid layout could be advantageous for users who typically record their content in a vertical format, as it allows them to share posts or reels without needing to crop them.
Last week, Instagram was also seen testing a feature similar to Snapchat’s Snap Map, which would let users keep their friends updated on their location.