Changes to Instagram You Need to Know in 2025

Like social media itself, Instagram is always evolving. In 2021, Reels debuted on the platform. In 2023, Threads took on X, and Instagram finally rolled out in-feed polls for all users 2024. With all the changes and features arriving every year, it’s hard to know what to keep on your radar and how it will impact your business.

This year, we did the scrolling for you and compiled the ten latest, greatest Instagram features and updates to follow in 2025.

Instagram Trial Reels are about to change the game.

This one is b-i-g. You’ll soon be able to create video content you can test and tweak before pushing to your followers. Instagram will serve your Trial Reel to random users, giving you real-time feedback on new content themes and topics. And if you’re happy with the trial’s results, you can publish the post on your profile and push it to your follower’s feeds.

Using music in carousels and photos will boost your reach.

With 20-plus image carousels dropping this year, static posts are officially cool again. But if you want that vintage 2010s-era reach for those carousels, you’ll need to add some audial ambiance.

Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri has confirmed that, just like with Reels, including trending sounds and music will be crucial for boosting static posts in the algorithm.

Call it the TikTok-ification of Instagram, call it good storytelling—the bottom line is that audio hooks will still be crucial for increasing reach.

Links are coming to Reels (for a price).

Rejoice! You can now drive followers to landing pages from videos via tappable links.  

But there’s a caveat. You’ll need a Meta-verified account and a special subscription to post those sweet, sweet links. Meta is charging $49.99 a month to include two links per Reel, $119.99 per month for four links, and a hefty $349.99 for SIX links per Reel. Those fees can add up, but the opportunity to boost conversion at scale, if not priceless (obviously), is incredibly valuable and unprecedented on the platform.

Customers can soon use promo codes when shopping on Instagram.

Your ads will automatically apply valid promo codes at checkout, or shoppers can manually copy and paste a code in the entry field. 

Your grid will have a taller, rectangular format.

Lo, those old-school square posts are gone. Grid posts will feature a 3:4 aspect ratio.

You could be tempted to file this update in the “latest changes to make TikTok users feel more at home on Instagram” folder. But it’s always been tricky for creators to fit smartphone photos and videos in Instagram’s 1:1 thumbnails. This phone-friendlier format has surely been in development for a while, even if the timing—rolling out right around TikTok’s short-lived U.S. ban—might raise some eyebrows.

Speaking of raised eyebrows, if your grid now looks a bit wonky in 3:4, don’t fret! Because…

You’ll be able to customize your post and Reel thumbnails.

Tap the three dots in the upper right-hand corner of your profile, then tap “adjust preview” to finetune the thumbnails in your grid.

Feed posts and grid posts will look different.

Your content will have a 4:5 ratio in your followers’ feeds while sporting the new 3:4 ratio on your grid. It’s another example of why customizing thumbnails will be so important: It will help ensure your content looks picture-perfect wherever your audience finds it.

You’ll be able to re-organize your grid posts.

Your best content will soon be able to rise to the top—literally. Instagram is allowing you to move well-performing posts up in your feed and less relevant content further down your profile. This is different from "pinning" a post, which keeps the content displayed at the top of your grid indefinitely. New posts will bump older ones down, so be sure to stay on top of your content curation. 

Grid-only posts are coming.

Gone are the days of posting multiple tiles to followers’ feeds that make zero sense out of context. You can add aesthetic posts to create flowing infographics, multi-image landscapes, and more on your grid without blowing up your followers’ feeds.

Story Highlights will have a designated grid tab.

Instead of living behind circular icons above your grid, your Story Highlights will have their own tab like Reels and Mentions. The Highlights behind that new tab will feature vertical thumbnails like Reels or static posts, as well.

With the meteoric rise and near-ban of TikTok, the sale and rebranding of Twitter, and the emergence of generative AI, social media has perhaps changed more in the last five years than it had in the previous decade. During that time, Instagram has become an even more reliable, valuable program for brands and content creators. Staying on top of the platform’s most important features will be crucial for connection with audiences in 2025—and beyond.