Get ready to curate your Instagram presence like never before. Instagram has officially announced a highly anticipated update that will finally allow users to rearrange the photos and Reels on their profile grid. This change breaks away from the long-standing chronological order, giving users unprecedented control over how their profile looks.
Announced alongside other upcoming features like “quiet posting” and a Spotify integration for Notes, the ability to edit your profile grid has been one of the most frequently requested features by the Instagram community.
Your Instagram Grid, Your Way
Up until this update, the only way to influence your grid’s layout was by pinning up to three posts to the top. All other content simply appeared chronologically as you posted it. This often meant users had to meticulously plan their posts in advance or rely on third-party apps to maintain a specific aesthetic or highlight important content.
The new grid rearrangement feature changes everything. It will reportedly introduce a simple drag-and-drop functionality within an “edit grid” option, allowing you to manually organize existing posts. This empowers users to:
Create a specific visual aesthetic or theme.
Highlight their best or most important content for profile visitors.
Control the critical first impression someone gets when visiting their profile.
Simply refresh the look of their profile whenever they wish.
While the exact launch date is yet to be confirmed, this feature has been a long time coming. Instagram head Adam Mosseri hinted at exploring it in January 2025, and app researchers had even spotted the feature in testing as far back as 2022 before it was seemingly shelved. Now, the company says it’s ready to roll out the update soon.
Introducing “Quiet Posting”: Share Without the Pressure
Beyond the grid, Instagram is also testing a feature referred to as “quiet posting.” This experimental functionality allows you to publish content directly to your profile without it appearing in your followers’ main feeds.
According to Mosseri, this feature stems from the understanding that “creative expression can feel intimidating, especially when posting something to feed.” The pressure to gain likes, comments, and high engagement can make sharing content stressful. Quiet posting offers a lower-pressure way to add photos or videos to your personal collection on your profile without broadcasting it widely.
This concept isn’t entirely new for Instagram. It’s similar to the existing “Trial Reels” feature, which allowed creators to test new video content by showing it primarily to non-followers, bypassing their existing audience. Instagram data showed positive results from Trial Reels, with 40% of creators posting Reels more often after using it, and 80% of those seeing increased reach to new audiences. Trial Reels are now rolling out more widely to all users, further emphasizing Instagram’s push for low-pressure creative tools.
Both grid rearrangement and quiet posting (or Trial Reels) reflect Instagram’s broader strategy to provide users with “added flexibility over how and where your content shows up and helps you create and share without added pressure,” as stated by Mosseri. These updates suggest a shift towards a more profile-centric experience, where the grid acts increasingly like a curated personal or brand portfolio, offering users more control over their online identity and presentation.
More Updates: Music in Notes & Creator Support
Instagram isn’t stopping there. The company also announced:
Spotify Integration in Notes: Users will soon be able to stream and share the music they are currently listening to from Spotify directly to their Instagram Notes, allowing followers to see their real-time music activity.
Drafts Initiative: A new program called “Drafts” is being launched to support emerging creators. While not a dedicated creator fund, Instagram will partner closely with creators to provide tailored support, which may include financial assistance, connections, co-ideation, and collaboration opportunities based on their unique creative projects.
These collective updates signal Instagram’s commitment to evolving its platform, empowering users with more creative control, reducing the anxiety often associated with public posting, and investing in the talent that drives the platform. Get ready for a more personalized and potentially less stressful Instagram experience.
