Grid Happens: Everything You Need to Know About Instagram’s New Layout
Instagram Just Changed the Grid — Here's What That Means for Your Feed, Your Brand and Your Sanity
In 2025, Instagram made a subtle but significant change that’s left creators, brands and social media managers squinting at their profiles in confusion: the classic square post is no longer the default. That’s right — the Instagram grid has had a makeover, and posts are now displaying with a taller aspect ratio. So, if your feed suddenly looks stretched, squished or just off, you're not going crazy.
This article covers what changed, why it may have happened, how to adapt your content strategy, and how to make the most of this shift before your competitors do.
A Quick Trip Down Grid Memory Lane
Instagram launched in 2010 with a simple concept: sharing square photos in a grid. For more than a decade, the 1:1 ratio (aka a perfect square) defined how your content appeared in the grid. While you could upload vertical or horizontal content in your feed, the profile grid view always cropped everything back to a neat square.
That grid — three posts per row, all square-cropped — became sacred ground for creatives and brands. Some used it for symmetry. Some told visual stories across rows. And others built entire visual identities around square crops, spacing, and colour flow.
Until now.
The new Instagram grid still has three posts across, but the tiles themselves are taller. Instead of automatically cropping to a square, posts are now shown in their original aspect ratio (usually 4:5) within the grid view. This means portrait content is finally living its best life — and your old feed aesthetic might not.
Why Did Instagram Change the Grid?
Instagram hasn’t made a big song and dance about this one (shocker), but here are a few educated guesses as to why they’ve made the switch:
1. Reels and Vertical Video Reign Supreme
The whole platform is shifting towards video-first content — especially vertical video. Letting portrait posts (like Reels covers and Story-style graphics) shine in the grid helps keep things consistent.
2. Mobile-First Logic
The vast majority of Instagram users browse on mobile. Taller posts take up more space, which means you’re more likely to stop scrolling and engage. This update could be designed to keep people on profiles longer.
3. Boosting Content Visibility
By allowing posts to take up more vertical real estate in the grid, Instagram could be nudging users to repurpose more content (like Stories or Reels) into posts. More content, more eyeballs, more interaction — and, you guessed it, more ad dollars.
Whether it’s a creative play, a UX decision, or a business move (most likely all three), the new grid is here. So let’s talk about what it actually means for your profile.
Pros and Cons of the New Instagram Grid
Let’s break down what’s working — and what’s not — with the taller tile update.
Pros:
Your portrait posts pop: No more awkward cropping of full-body shots, text graphics, or vertical photos. They now display in all their vertical glory.
Reels covers look better: Those thumbnails you’ve been designing in 4:5 no longer get chopped off in the grid. Consistency for the win.
More space to tell your story: Whether it’s a quote graphic, product image or infographic, taller tiles give you more room to play with text and design.
Makes your feed feel modern: The taller layout brings the grid into line with current design trends — it looks cleaner, more dynamic, and less rigid.
Cons:
Old content might look broken: If you built your grid layout on squares — mosaics, rows, matching corners — the new tall thumbnails might throw everything off.
It’s harder to plan the aesthetic: With varying post heights, balancing your feed visually becomes trickier. The days of perfect 3x3 layouts are numbered.
Text placement is now riskier: If your past graphics were designed to be cropped square in the grid, you might now have text floating awkwardly or getting cut off.
Not everyone has it (yet): Some users still see square thumbnails. Which makes content planning harder if your audience isn’t seeing what you see.
How to Make the New Grid Work for You
So your feed looks different — now what? This is your chance to rethink your approach and get ahead of brands still stuck in square-land.
1. Design with 4:5 in Mind
That’s the magic ratio now. Use 1080x1350px as your go-to post size. It looks beautiful in-feed, performs well on mobile, and now looks just as good in your profile grid.
2. Rethink Your Visual Strategy
Perfect rows, mosaics and tiled colour themes might not hit the same way anymore. Time to get comfy with more fluid layouts and dynamic visuals that stand on their own.
3. Pin with Purpose
Pinned posts are more important than ever. Use this real estate for your highest-impact content — and make sure it looks strong in the new tall layout.
4. Use the Vertical Real Estate
Taller posts = more opportunity. Use that space to showcase full products, step-by-step visuals, storytelling text, or striking photography that wouldn’t have fit in a square.
5. Stop Cropping for the Grid
You don’t need to design posts with square crops in mind anymore. Let your visuals breathe. No more sacrificing composition just to fit the format.
How to Stand Out From the Competition
The grid change is throwing people off — which is exactly why it’s your time to shine. While others scramble to fix their feeds, you can look sharp, strategic, and totally on top of it.
1. Be First to the New Look
Adapt your aesthetic quickly. If your feed is already styled to the new format, you’ll look ahead of the game (and honestly, more professional).
2. Let the Grid Tell a Story
You’ve got taller tiles now — use them to create visual flow from one post to the next. Even without mosaics, you can build a vibe through colour, composition, and sequencing.
3. Dial Up the Branding
Taller images mean more space for branded elements — subtle logos, colour bars, taglines. Just keep it light — we’re going for ‘polished’, not ‘infomercial’.
4. Make Reels Covers Grid-Friendly
No more mismatched thumbnails. Design your Reels covers specifically for the new aspect ratio, so they look flawless in the grid. It adds instant polish.
5. Educate Your Audience
Use this as an opportunity to create content about the change. "Why does my feed look different?" posts get engagement and position you as a savvy source of social media know-how.
What About Your Old Grid?
Deep breath. You’re not alone if your once-stunning feed now looks a little… tragic. The new format makes some old posts appear cut off or oddly spaced. But there are ways to fix it (or at least minimise the chaos).
1. Don’t Panic-Archive
Some old posts may look weird, but don’t start nuking your feed unless it’s really off-brand. Most people don’t scroll back that far anyway.
2. Re-edit and Repost
If a key post now looks messy in the grid, rework the design in 4:5 and repost it. Call it a throwback, a refresh, or an update — whatever fits your tone.
3. Update Your Pinned Posts
If your pinned tiles aren’t fitting the new look, swap them out for tall-format designs that draw the eye and reflect your current style.
4. Embrace the Visual Shift
Think of it like a style evolution. You’re not “losing” your old feed aesthetic — you’re growing into a better one. No one else expects perfection, especially now.
5. Create a "New Grid, Who Dis?" Moment
Announce the change with a clever carousel or Reel, showing your "before vs after" and how you’re adapting. It’s relatable content, and it sets a pro tone.
Final Thoughts: The Grid is Still 3x3 — But It’s a Whole New Game
Instagram’s update to the grid thumbnail size might seem like a small tweak, but it has a big impact. Those taller post previews are shifting how we plan, design and engage with content. And let’s be honest — the square had a good run. But it’s time to think vertical, post smarter and flex those content strategy muscles.
If your grid looks weird right now, you’re not alone. But rather than fight it, embrace it. This change gives you more room to stand out, more space to tell stories, and a fresh chance to evolve your visual identity.
And if nothing else, it’s a good reminder: in the world of social media, the only constant is change.
TL;DR (for the scrollers):
Instagram still shows three posts across — but posts are now taller in the profile grid
The old square crop is gone; 4:5 is the new norm
Reels, portraits, and vertical content look way better now
Your old feed might look a bit busted — don’t panic
Embrace the update with fresh visuals, smart strategy, and less perfectionism
Because the grid may have changed — but your creativity? That’s still squarely in your control.