Instagram Grid Update 2025: What It Means for Social Media Managers and Content Creators

Social media’s never been a set-it-and-forget-it game, but Instagram’s latest grid update for 2025 takes that to a whole new level. The platform has shifted from its iconic 1:1 square grid to a new 4:5 aspect ratio for post previews.

If you’re curating your Instagram feed or using scheduling tools, you might find this update quite important.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to understanding the new grid and mastering its features.

What’s the Big Deal With the New Grid Format?

Source: Freepik

For years, Instagram’s profile grid has revolved around square posts. Many brands rely on their visual strategies on this 1:1 aspect ratio.

But this 2025, Instagram recently rolled out a 4:5 aspect ratio for grid previews. Taller images will no longer be cropped into squares on profile pages. This change is in line with the vertical-first trend seen in Reels, Stories, and feed posts.

Here are the new dimensions:

Single image and carousel posts

• Feed size: 1080 x 1350 px (4:5)

• Grid preview: 1080 x 1350 px (4:5)

Reels

• Feed size: 1080 x 1920 px (9:16)

• Grid preview: 1080 x 1440 px (3:4)

As this update is rolling out gradually, some users may still see the classic square grid. For optimal visibility in your followers' feeds, we suggest posting photos in a 4:5 ratio moving forward.

Here’s a visual breakdown of how your posts will look in both your feed and your grid:

How This Impacts Your Existing Posts

What does all this actually mean if you're managing social accounts or creating content? Well, it's going to change your whole approach to planning and designing Instagram posts. If your posts were originally designed for a 1:1 square format, they may now look different. This includes grid-based designs with borders or precise alignment.

Are you using pre-designed templates for your posts? If yes, you'll need to adjust the dimensions to 4:5 to avoid weird cropping issues. But don’t stress—there’s room to adjust and even take advantage of the update.

What Should You Do Next?

The good news? You have control over how your thumbnails look like! Instagram allows users to adjust their post previews by zooming in, cropping, or fitting a picture with black or white borders. If your previous square posts look misaligned, here’s how you can fix them:

1. On the post, tap the three dots (•••).

2. Go to Edit > Adjust Preview.

3. Move the picture around so it fits better in the grid.

4. Save changes to update the thumbnail.

The new 4:5 grid style is easy to get used to. For smooth adjustments, follow these simple strategies to work around this update:

• Experiment with taller visuals – Play around with composition and use the additional space to make engaging posts.

• Keep key elements centered – Since some users still see a square grid, keep the important text and logos within the 1080 x 1080 px center area. This ensures that everything stays readable no matter how it's displayed.

• Monitor scheduling tool updates – Social media scheduling tools like Loopify will follow suit and update their grid preview and post-scheduling features. Make sure to keep an eye on these updates soon.

• Try A/B testing strategies – With the grid now displaying posts in a taller format, experiment with different post styles and framing. You can run A/B tests to see which one performs best with Instagram’s new layout.

Final Thoughts

Instagram's 2025 grid update might feel like they're throwing you a curveball. But in reality, it’s just the next step toward making social media more visually immersive. The new format maximizes screen space, making images and videos more immersive.

On the bright side, it opens up so many possibilities for creating more impactful content that really takes advantage of that new aspect ratio.

What do you think about all this? Are you excited about the grid update, or are you dreading it? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!