Instagram photos are square. That’s just how Instagram has always been. Has it been annoying for many users? Absolutely. If you want to share a wider or taller photo on Instagram, often the only option is to create a letterbox image in a third-party app. It isn’t ideal, but it’s what people have to do to make sure the entirety of their photos are seen.
Well, not anymore. Now, in it’s about damn time news, Instagram is going to support landscape and portrait photos.
“Square format has been and always will be part of who we are. That said, the visual story you’re trying to tell should always come first, and we want to make it simple and fun for you to share moments just the way you want to,” says Instagram. “It turns out that nearly one in five photos or videos people post aren’t in the square format, and we know that it hasn’t been easy to share this type of content on Instagram: friends get cut out of group shots, the subject of your video feels cramped and you can’t capture the Golden Gate Bridge from end to end.”
Both photos and videos can now be oriented to landscape, portrait, or regular old square mode. No letterbox borders – just full-sized end-to-end photos.
Yes, this will change the overall look of your Instagram feed. If you’re a square purist, well, get on with the times, man.
Today’s update also adds the ability to adjust the intensity of video filters, and normalizes all filters for both photos and videos.