Why has my Instagram layout changed 2022?

If you've avoided using Instagram's web platform, you might just try it out again. That's because Instagram just made a case for using it with an update.

Instagram has made a lot of changes in 2022, but this is one of its most significant changes to date. The Meta-owned social media network has improved the design of its web platform. You've probably heard some snippets, but we're here to tell you more about it. Let's jump right in.

Instagram Web Has a New Look

Instagram's web platform has a new and improved look. The new design was announced by Instagram head Adam Mosseri on Twitter as one of its "finally features". As explained by Mosseri:

We know a lot of people use the web to multitask, and we wanted to make sure Instagram was as great an experience as possible online. So, it is cleaner, faster, easier to use, and it's redesigned now to take advantage of large-screen monitors, which have become more and more the norm.

And he's right. Many Instagram users have been lamenting about the subpar web platform for some time now. They rightfully want to quickly scan their feeds while working, as they do on Facebook. But the experience just hasn't been the same on Instagram's web platform.

Instagram's mobile and web platforms are vastly different. Users have typically preferred using the mobile app because it's just more user-friendly. For instance, for a long time, you couldn't even upload posts on the web platform until Instagram started testing a PC upload feature with some users in June 2022.

But Instagram has, instead, been focused on improving the mobile app. In May 2022, Instagram rolled out a visual refresh that changed how the app looked. Apart from adding a PC upload feature, the web platform had clearly taken a back seat, and users had no choice but to lean on the mobile app.

Be that as it may, the long-awaited web platform update is a step in the right direction. But what has changed exactly? Let's take a look.

What Has Changed in Instagram Web's Redesign?

You'll immediately notice the difference upon logging into Instagram online. The layout is much more streamlined and organized. There are four main sections: the feed in the middle, two side panes on either side of the screen, and Stories at the top.

The Home, Search, Messages, and Notifications tabs have moved to the left pane, along with the Explore, Create, Profile, and More tabs. These tabs collapse into icons and expand depending on your screen.

The side pane on the right hosts your Profile, where you can easily switch to another profile at the click of a button. Below are Profile Suggestions, which fill up most of the space.

When you select and view a post in the feed, click through someone's profile, or select a profile suggestion on the right, the left pane remains unchanged. That means you can quickly select any tab on the left while scrolling through someone's profile without having to go back, making navigation easier.

The new layout undoubtedly makes Instagram web more user-friendly. It makes it easier to navigate and quickly access what you need. Instagram is rolling out the new design slowly to users.

Give Instagram Web a Chance

Now that Instagram has improved its online platform, you can try using it more often to avoid dozing off at work. Or you can switch to it in your browser during your lunch break, unless you'll be using your mobile phone anyway.

As for whether you'll be using it more than the mobile app, that would be a stretch. But the changes are a good start, especially while we wait for Instagram to drop an iPad app.

Instagram is currently undergoing a revamp - with the site’s colours, typeface and logo all being tweaked.

The social media platform said the refresh is designed to help create a “more immersive and inclusive experiences” for users.

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Here we take a look at what changes have been made and why Instagram is undergoing a makeover.

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What changes have been made?

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The changes were introduced on 23 May 2022, with a new brighter icon with the app’s signature colour gradient.

The colour palette, fashioned using 3D modelling, appears in Create, stickers and on the story rings.

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Instagram has also launched new typography called ‘Instagram Sans’, which will feature on its billboards, websites, and in Stories and Reels.

Has Instagram’s background changed?

A new update in June 2022, has led some users confused about the sudden change in their Instagram background.

For some users, their background has turned black as Dark Mode has been enabled.

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In the settings menu, under theme, the new update can be reversed and people can switch back to ‘light’ mode if they want to.

In another new feature, users can see posts in a 9:16 ration - a bigger format that fills the screen in a similar size of reels.

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App updates are controlled in the app store, which can be found by going into the App store, clicking on your profile and scrolling down.

For android’s, go into Google Play Store, tap your profile icon, ‘manage apps & device’ and go into ‘updates availabe’.

What was said?

Regarding the new changes, the company said the new design will put content first by displaying full-screen imagery.

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They said: “We partnered with language experts around the world to adapt the typeface to global scripts including Arabic, Thai and Japanese,

“We want to support all of our creators and community members who push culture forward to express themselves fully in any language they choose.

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“We’re bringing new energy and purpose to our colours, typeface, logo and other brand elements with a refreshed visual identity.

“Our new system is designed to embrace continued evolution to help us create more immersive and inclusive experiences for our community.”

Why has Instagram changed? 

BeReal is a new social media app that rivals the cultivated feeds you typically see on influencer-dominated app Instagram. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

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The changes were implemented to make the platform more immersive, creating a more Tik Tok like experience with full-screen, short-video content.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri explains the changes himself in a video on Instagram.

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He said: “We’re moving Instagram to a place where video is a bigger part of the home experience, where content is more immersive.

“One step on that path we’re starting to experiement with this week, is a test where both photos and videos take up more of your screen.

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