Instagram To Test 9:16 Ratio For Portrait Images

After backtracking their announcement of making the app more video-centric, Instagram has announced that they will be adding a new photo ratio for portrait images.

The social media site received backlash from users and celebrities for rolling out new features trying to keep up with competitor TikTok. Now, the social media platform’s CEO Adam Mosseri is redirecting efforts toward still images. He's just announced a new testing phase for 9:16 portrait images.

Per Hypebeast, Mosseri revealed the new test during an AMA session, where he said the service currently supports “tall videos, but you cannot have tall photos on Instagram. So we thought maybe we should make sure that we treat both equally.” As he points out, the app has limited portrait images to a maximum ratio of 8:10. This ratio crops portrait images into an almost square-like format, but the new 9:16 support will give users much more room for creativity.

There’s no precise date yet for when the testing phase for the new feature will arrive and who will be eligible for it. Mosseri says the process will begin “in a week or two.”