Your Instagram grid is getting a makeover—if you want it to, at least.
As of Monday, June 8, Instagram users will be able to rearrange their profile grids (their photos and videos) however they please.
Previously, posts only appeared in chronological order. The only way to control what people saw first was by utilizing the pin feature, with users able to lock up to three posts at the very top of their grid, followed by their recent posts.
However, users can now click and drag posts—even ones that were posted a decade ago—giving them a lot more control over where posts show up and, therefore, how their grid appears to their followers.
Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram as well as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Threads, told Fast Company that the feature has been requested relentlessly by users, but the social media site wanted to be intentional about the rollout. “We know this is long overdue, but we wanted to take the time to get it right,” Meta said.
The change was reported earlier by USA Today.
How can I use the new feature?
Rearranging your grid, which Instagram is dubbing “Grid Reordering,” is fairly intuitive.
Just tap a post and wait until the editing menu appears. The menu will allow you to view insights, pin your post or, as of Monday, “reorder” your “grid.”
When you click the newest option, you’ll be able to drag your post so that it appears in the desired location. Pinned posts, as always, will still be shared at the top of user profiles.
Note that the feature only works on mobile devices.
While the move will only change the way the platform looks—not how it’s used—users already seem to be pleased about the extra design control they’ll have over their grids.
On a viral post announcing the change, users shared their excitement with comments like “finally” and “best feature change.”
Still, some harped on other features they wished the social media site would embrace, like allowing users to rearrange their previously posted highlights, or enabling them to see not only who follows their page, but also who unfollows them.
The other big request
Meanwhile, perhaps the biggest complaint about Instagram (and Facebook) is how extraordinarily hard it is to reach user support in the case that your account gets hacked or you get locked out of it. Helplessly watching as hackers post on your account can be tremendously frustrating.
In March, Meta announced that it was implementing AI to automate its support to users, saying the AI-powered chatbot was “designed to resolve account issues from start to finish,” and would have the ability to “reset your password securely.”
Recently, that led to a widespread hacking campaign where hackers actually took over high-profile accounts, as The Verge reported.
“We’ve made meaningful improvements to our support experience over the past year, including launching a centralized support hub, and the Meta AI support assistant, a tool designed to provide reliable, 24/7 support for nearly any support issue at any time,” Meta said when asked about the issue. “We will continue to make improvements and will share more as we have updates.”
However, there’s no word yet on whether Meta will further address this popular request. Either way, greater control—over your profile’s appearance or otherwise—is tough to complain about.
