Instagram’s Roadmap for Profile Updates: Tall Grid, Dedicated Highlights Tab, Re-ordering of posts & ‘Post Directly to grid’
Instagram profiles are getting updated. Instagram head Adam Mosseri has announced several updates for Instagram profiles, some of which are already available.
Here’s a rundown of the changes:
Tall Grid: Photos and videos on the profile grid are transitioning to a vertical format, a change that was spotted months ago. Users will also gain the ability to customize thumbnails.
Highlights Tab on the Grid: Highlights will now be integrated into the grid as a dedicated tab, as announced previously.
Re-Edit Grid: Instagram is introducing a tool that allows creators to reorder their entire grid.
Post Directly to the Grid: Creators will soon have the option to bypass the feed and post directly to their profile with a new ‘Post Directly to Grid’ option, which appears to be an iteration of the previously released ‘Post Quietly to Profile’ option.
Why It Matters: These updates aim to streamline the profile experience, making it cleaner and simpler. However, not all creators are thrilled, particularly with the shift to vertical photos and videos on the grid. For creators who carefully design their feeds to achieve a specific aesthetic, this change may be frustrating. The new grid editing tool, however, should help creators maintain their desired look and feel.
Given that most of the content uploaded to Instagram, such as Reels and Stories, is in a vertical format, the move makes sense. The same is true for integrating Highlights into the grid. This is receiving mixed reactions but provides a more centralized location for all of a user’s content.
Other updates, like the ability to reorder the grid and post directly to the profile, give creators more control over their feeds, allowing them to prioritize specific content or share posts designed to live permanently on their profile.
There might be strong reactions from creators at the moment, but over time, they will likely get used to these changes.
