Image credit: Gabrielle Henderson

Instagram’s square image days are long past as they’re introducing a new aspect ratio, allowing freedom in how creators present their photos.

For a long time, Instagram was synonymous with square images. The 1:1 aspect ratio was an iconic feature of Instagram’s photo sharing app for many years. It forced users to crop their photos and images to adhere to the aspect ratio.

The distinctive square grid was consistent and aesthetic, but limited the freedom of creators – particularly those taking photos, necessitating unforgiving cropping of all uploads. Times have changed and over the years, Instagram have added support for 4:5 portrait images and 1.91:2 landscape photos.

However, the most common capture ratio for smartphones has remained unuseable, requiring the majority of images taken on phones to be cropped for upload to Instagram. At long last, Instagram are allowing the aspect ratio that is commonplace across mobile devices.

Instagram now allows uploads in the 3:4 aspect ratio. This significant shift liberates creators and has been confirmed by Instagram head Adam Mosseri. Mosseri writes on Threads: “From now on, if you upload a 3:4 image, it’ll now appear just exactly as you shot it.”

The move will help to bring a better sense of consistency to Instagram. The huge popularity of Instagram Stories and Reels has seen the platform used more and more in a 9:16 format, filling the screen of smartphones. Images being uploaded in 3:4 will bridge the gap between the different ratios less jarringly than the square and lanscape ratios commonly used.

It’s a small change that will have a big effect, both on the appearance of the app and how creators use it. The ability to take photos using smartphones in exactly the size that you will upload to Instagram allows creators to focus on their framing more without looking to edit it later down the line.

A brief history of Instagram ratios

From it’s inception in 2010, Instagram had a purely 1:1 square focus. That meant that all images uploaded had to be square and needed to be cropped on upload if they weren’t.

In 2015, Instagram began allowing the upload of landscape and portrait photography. Portrait photos were able to posted in 4:5 ratio. Landscape photos were recommended in 1.91:1 ratio. Users could upload photos in different dimensions but these were recommended ratios.

With the introduction of Instagram Stories, they began using a 9:16 portrait ratio that filled the average smartphone screen when vertical. Instagram Reels then followed suit, also adhering to a 9:16 ratio. Instagram videos can be uploaded in any aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 4:5.

Near the start of 2025, Instagram changed their grid layout from square to rectangles. This changed how user profiles looked at a glance and the explore grid. Instagram’s Head Adam Mosseri said: “I know some of you really like your squares… but at this point, most of what’s uploaded, both photos and videos, are vertical in their orientation.”

Which leads us to today’s news. In 2025, Instagram added support for images in 3:4 ratio to the feed. It represents a larger shift in Instagram’s approach to encourage a more vertical platform that lines up with how people interact with smartphones and take photos using them.