Instagram is changing! The layout is being revamped to be more like TikTok, causing influencers to potentially rearrange their content.

Internet celebrities and influencers will need to pay attention to angles when taking photos and videos in the future. Instagram is testing a new layout, preparing to change the existing 1:1 square image ratio to a vertical portrait 4 X 3 or 9 X 16 ratio. TikTok's short videos and Youtube Shorts are both in vertical format, and as users are gradually getting used to shooting with their phones vertically, Instagram is preparing to update to enhance user experience. Some IG users have already discovered the new layout and started uploading vertical photos.

Currently, IG's default layout forces users to format their uploaded photos into a 1:1 square. In response to IG's square format, most photo editing software like Meitu, Canva, or Adobe Photoshop apply filters and templates for squares. IG's update requires these apps to adjust their size formats to match IG's new layout.

The Evolution of IG: From Hipster App to Meta Acquisition

Kevin Systrom founded the photo-sharing app Burdn APP in 2010, inspired by his love for Bourbon whiskey. Meta Facebook acquired Burbn in 2012 and rebranded it as Instagram, a combination of "instant" and "telegram." The IG mobile icon was originally a vintage Polaroid camera, based on the founder's idea. In 2016, the design was compressed into a minimalist icon, which caused discontent among many hipsters at that time. The early popular photography style on IG was nostalgic, with creators often being hipsters who deliberately added vintage filters to make photos look aged.

In order to fit the 1:1 ratio of the iPhone 4 screen, photos uploaded to IG were also in a 1:1 ratio, a format that has been maintained to this day. The use of hashtags (#) was also an invention by Instagram to tag and categorize photos.

Before the rise of short video platforms like TikTok, Instagram introduced the IGTV feature in 2018 for creators to upload longer videos. At that time, its main competitor was YouTube, but the IGTV feature has now been discontinued and replaced by Reels.

Controversies and Lawsuits of IG

TikTok later surpassed Instagram in popularity among American teenagers due to its user-friendly interface and short videos. However, TikTok faced criticism from the U.S. government over privacy and national security concerns, as well as potential negative impacts on the mental health of teenagers.

Nevertheless, Instagram also faced numerous controversies similar to TikTok. Instagram has been involved in many lawsuits regarding exploitation and harm to minors, with accusations mainly focused on the addictive nature of IG algorithms, causing emotional anxiety, and leading minors to feel insecure about their bodies.

Redesign Rumors Cause Frustration for Creators and Editors

Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, confirmed the testing of a new layout. Upon hearing this news, designers and creators felt frustrated as the layout changes meant that their carefully curated images and layouts would need to be reshoot and edited. For fashion models and influencers, reshooting and redesigning photos would require changing the UI/UX, rendering their previous efforts futile.

Instagram and Reels clearly imitate TikTok. For creators and users accustomed to seeing square posts, will the visual experience backfire? Opening Instagram might feel like stepping into a TikTok room by mistake. Users who enjoy food photography may not appreciate elongated food photos; shallow depth of field and close focus photos are better suited for square format, which can better showcase photography styles. Elongated photos may be suitable for portraits and landscapes but not necessarily for objects and products.

Instagram, like Facebook, always seems to "emulate" the designs of other companies. If Instagram disregards the existing experiences of creators and users, it may risk losing more users.