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Instagram has confirmed an experiment that could significantly change users’ profile pages.
The Meta-owned app is changing the profile grid layout from squares to vertical rectangles in a test instigated by the most common form of uploads to the platform.
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri posted a story to the app on Friday, highlighting the vertical dominance of posts, mostly “4 by 3 in a photo or 9 by 16 in a video, and cropping it down to square is pretty brutal.”
The square profile appearance dates back several years when it was only possible to upload square photos to Instagram, but the evolution of the app and social media has come a long way since then.
Mosseri did acknowledge the change could be a frustration to users who have carefully curated their profile content to fit the layout fully, but added “I would really like to do better by the content today.”
Instagram to Consider Community Reaction
It will be impossible to please everyone, but the new layout could bring some advantages if it is introduced permanently.
Users would be able to showcase their content on the app in its original form, whether it is a striking vertical image or a reel. This would remove the need to crop for the existing layout, which can result in reduced quality and impact. Mobile content is increasingly vertical across several apps, so the trend gravitates toward that.
Instagram told The Verge the experiment is firmly in the testing phase, but it seems logical that the company will move with its vast user base’s changing needs and actions. It will also carefully monitor the reaction to the app’s significant change, especially those who have built up their profile over the years in line with the square layout.
