Instagram brought the square format back into the limelight — but now users don’t need to keep their Instagram galleries square. On Tuesday, August 29, Instagram began rolling out an update that allows users to share multiple photos in the landscape or portrait orientation, as well as the traditional square.
All photos uploaded into a single post need to share the same shape, which Instagram says is required to maintain a smooth, consistent experience. Now, though, users have the option to choose portrait and landscape looks when uploading multiple photos (or videos) to a single post.
Instagram launched the ability to upload multiple images at once back in February, starting the the Instagram classic square format. When multiple images are uploaded to a single post, viewers can swipe through the different shots to view the entire gallery. The feature allows up to ten photos and videos to be included in a single post. The gallery posts can be edited with a single filter all at once, or can be adjusted individually with different filters on each shot. Inside user profiles, galleries are marked with an icon that indicates there are more shots underneath that first photo.
The new multiple-photo options are part of several smaller updates Instagram has launched over the past few weeks. Users can now edit a photograph’s tags after publishing, Instagram says. On iOS, the Instagram app now allows users to save their posts for publishing later. The ability to save a post for later is an interesting move for Instagram, which has avoided features like post scheduling, and even the use of third-party programs, to keep that “Insta” nature.
Instagram tends to favor that square format when launching new features but has traditionally expanded the aspect ratio options in later updates. Earlier this year, Instagram Direct added the option to share non-square photos in private messages. Landscape and portrait orientations in single posts have been around since 2015.
The new gallery options are available in version 12 of the Instagram app, available in both the App Store and Google Play. The ability to save drafts, for now, is only an iOS feature.
