Instagram Is Ditching The Square Grid — And Some Users Are Not Happy

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The app is rolling out a major change that swaps its signature square grid for a new rectangular layout — much to the frustration of some users who've spent years curating perfectly aligned profiles.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri confirmed the shift in an Instagram post, acknowledging that while square posts are part of the platform’s legacy, vertical content now dominates.

"We launched a new tall grid on profile this week and I got a lot of feedback, both positive and quite negative. 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 of months. The goal is a simpler, cleaner place that maintains, and even increases, creator control," he said.

He revealed that Instagram will soon relocate highlights to the grid and allow users to post directly to the grid. However, this is still a work in progress and the plan may evolve in the coming weeks.

And the transition hasn't been smooth.

Carefully crafted aesthetic grids now appear misaligned, with images no longer lining up the way they once did.

Some artists and creators who relied on the grid for storytelling or branding have seen their profiles turn into an unintentional collage of mismatched visuals.

Curiously, the visuals aren't affected when viewed on laptops and desktops. 

For many, the square grid was more than just a layout — it was part of what made Instagram, well, Instagram.

For now, users will have to adjust. But given the backlash, don't be surprised if Instagram finds itself tweaking things again soon.