Instagram has unveiled a series of major updates that significantly reshape the way users engage with content. These changes align with evolving user preferences and shifting social media dynamics, especially amid TikTok’s uncertain future in the U.S.
New Instagram Features And Why They Matter
From extending the maximum Reels length to launching a standalone video editing app and revamping the profile grid, Instagram is making bold moves to cement its dominance.
Here's an overview of all the new changes coming to Instagram in 2025.
1. Reels Just Got Longer: 3-Minute Videos Arrive
One of the most significant changes Instagram has introduced is extending the maximum Reels length from 90 seconds to 3 minutes. This update comes in response to creator feedback, with many users expressing frustration over the previous time constraints.
Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s head, confirmed the change, acknowledging that 90 seconds was often too restrictive for creators who wanted to share more in-depth storytelling.
Why This Matters
- Better Storytelling: The extension allows creators to craft longer and more engaging narratives without needing to break content into multiple clips.
- Competing With TikTok: Instagram is taking cues from TikTok, which introduced 3-minute videos in 2021 and later expanded to 10-minute uploads.
- More Monetization Opportunities: Longer videos open the door for better ad integration, potentially benefiting social media influencers and brands using Reels for marketing campaigns.
While Instagram has tested extending Reels to 10 minutes, it has yet to roll out that feature widely, reserving longer video uploads for standard non-Reels posts.
2. Instagram’s ‘Edits’ App: A Game-Changer for Content Creators
Another major announcement is the launch of Edits, a standalone video editing app designed to rival CapCut, TikTok’s popular editing tool.
According to Mosseri, Edits will provide a “full suite of creative tools” for users who want to produce high-quality videos directly from their phones.
Key Features of Edits:
- AI-powered editing tools, including auto-generated captions, smart filters, and animations.
- Integrated overlays, text, and voice-over capabilities for a streamlined editing experience.
- Higher-quality camera support to improve video clarity and production value.
- Direct sharing options to Instagram and other social media platforms.
Currently, Edits is available for pre-order on iOS, with an Android launch expected soon. This move signals Instagram’s commitment to making its platform a more attractive hub for creators amid increasing competition.
3. The Tall Profile Grid: A Major Aesthetic Shift
Instagram is also making a significant change to its profile grid layout. Traditionally known for its signature square photo arrangement, the platform is shifting towards a tall, vertical profile grid.
What This Means for Users:
- Enhanced Aesthetic Appeal: The vertical layout aligns better with the dominance of portrait-oriented content, making user profiles more visually cohesive.
- Potential for Post Reordering: Instagram is experimenting with tools that allow users to rearrange posts in their grid, offering greater customization.
- Highlighted Stories Relocation: Instagram has relocated the Stories Highlights from their previous position between the bio and the grid to a dedicated tab within the profile grid. This change aims to create a cleaner, more streamlined profile appearance by reducing visual clutter.
- Impact on User Experience: While highlights are still accessible to followers, they no longer occupy space directly above the main grid. This modification has received mixed reactions, with many users expressing dissatisfaction under Mosseri’s Instagram post, criticizing the change for making it harder to access their saved highlights.
With Instagram increasingly emphasizing Reels and vertical video content, this shift makes strategic sense and signals a deeper integration of video-first experiences into user profiles.
4. More Social Engagement: Reels Reply Bar & Friend Activity Display
Instagram is also introducing two engagement-driven features:
Reels Reply Bar
- A new comment bar added directly to Reels to encourage more conversations.
- Users can respond to Reels easily, making the interaction process more dynamic.
Friend Activity Display
- Users can now see which of their friends have liked or commented on a Reel.
- This feature, displayed as profile bubbles at the top right of the Reels window, is designed to foster engagement.
- However, concerns about privacy have emerged, as some users worry about unintended visibility of their interactions.
These features mirror TikTok’s emphasis on social interactions, further reinforcing Instagram’s push to become a more engaging video platform. These two engagement features, in particular, have the potential to, unfortunately, spark disasters for users.
5. Other Notable Features: AI-Powered Content Discovery, Instagram Shopping Enhancements, and DM Improvements
Beyond video updates, Instagram is refining its content discovery and shopping experience:
AI-powered recommendations
Instagram will use advanced machine learning to suggest content more accurately based on user engagement. By analyzing user behavior, such as the posts they like and comment on, Instagram aims to personalize the feed further, ensuring that users see content that aligns with their interests.
Shopping integration updates
Instagram’s enhanced shopping features make it easier for users to browse and purchase products directly within the app. Similar to TikTok Shop, Instagram allows brands to tag products in posts, Reels, and Stories, making shopping seamless. Users can now:
- Tap product tags to reveal details like name and price.
- Save items to a private Wish List for future purchases.
- Buy directly on Instagram using Meta Pay, offering a fast and secure checkout experience.
- Discover products through AI-powered recommendations, similar to TikTok’s algorithm-driven shop feed.
In addition, Instagram can browse the @shop account, IG’s official shopping account, to discover emerging brands doing bits on the eCommerce side of the app.
Instagram’s improvements to its shopping ecosystem reflect a growing trend in social commerce, where platforms integrate content, engagement, and shopping into a single seamless experience. By mirroring TikTok Shop’s functionality, Instagram is positioning itself as a powerful marketplace for brands, influencers, and everyday users alike.
Improvements to DMs and Stories
Instagram is testing additional interactive features to enhance communication and content sharing. Users can expect:
- AI-powered smart replies to facilitate seamless and efficient conversations.
- Custom chat themes and message effects, allowing users to personalize their messaging experience.
- Vanish mode for disappearing messages, similar to Snapchat and Messenger’s self-destructing texts.
- Collaborative Story features, enabling multiple users to contribute to a shared Story thread.
- Shopping-related DMs, where users can directly inquire about products, request recommendations, and complete purchases within chats.
- Instagram Notes, a feature allowing users to post brief status updates within their inbox, keeping friends informed on quick thoughts or updates.
These changes aim to enhance the experience between users on the app. In addition, the changes hope to cement Instagram as a leading communication hub for brands and influencers.
The Future of Instagram: A Creative Hub for Content, Shopping, and Engagement
Instagram’s latest updates mark a significant shift toward longer video formats, enhanced editing tools, AI-driven content discovery, social commerce, and improved engagement features. As TikTok faces regulatory uncertainties, Instagram is seizing the opportunity to solidify its dominance in short-form and mid-length video content.
With longer Reels, a powerful editing app, profile grid customization, AI-powered recommendations, shopping integrations, and enriched DMs and Stories, Instagram is evolving into a one-stop creative and commerce platform. Looking ahead, users can expect more monetization opportunities, interactive AI features, and deeper customization options.
Whether these changes will successfully draw creators and businesses away from TikTok remains to be seen. However, Instagram’s latest updates demonstrate that the platform is committed to staying at the forefront of digital content creation, engagement, and social commerce.
