New Instagram update 2022: latest changes explained, are they automatic, and how to update your app

Instagram is currently undergoing a revamp - with the site’s colours, typeface and logo all being tweaked.

The social media platform said the refresh is designed to help create a “more immersive and inclusive experiences” for users.

Here we take a look at what changes have been made and why Instagram is undergoing a makeover.

What changes have been made?

The changes were introduced on 23 May 2022, with a new brighter icon with the app’s signature colour gradient.

The colour palette, fashioned using 3D modelling, appears in Create, stickers and on the story rings.

Instagram has also launched new typography called ‘Instagram Sans’, which will feature on its billboards, websites, and in Stories and Reels.

Has Instagram’s background changed?

A new update in June 2022, has led some users confused about the sudden change in their Instagram background.

For some users, their background has turned black as Dark Mode has been enabled.

In the settings menu, under theme, the new update can be reversed and people can switch back to ‘light’ mode if they want to.

In another new feature, users can see posts in a 9:16 ration - a bigger format that fills the screen in a similar size of reels.

App updates are controlled in the app store, which can be found by going into the App store, clicking on your profile and scrolling down.

For android’s, go into Google Play Store, tap your profile icon, ‘manage apps & device’ and go into ‘updates availabe’.

What was said?

Regarding the new changes, the company said the new design will put content first by displaying full-screen imagery.

They said: “We partnered with language experts around the world to adapt the typeface to global scripts including Arabic, Thai and Japanese,

“We want to support all of our creators and community members who push culture forward to express themselves fully in any language they choose.

“We’re bringing new energy and purpose to our colours, typeface, logo and other brand elements with a refreshed visual identity.

“Our new system is designed to embrace continued evolution to help us create more immersive and inclusive experiences for our community.”

Why has Instagram changed? 

The changes were implemented to make the platform more immersive, creating a more Tik Tok like experience with full-screen, short-video content.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri explains the changes himself in a video on Instagram.

He said: “We’re moving Instagram to a place where video is a bigger part of the home experience, where content is more immersive.

“One step on that path we’re starting to experiement with this week, is a test where both photos and videos take up more of your screen.

“We know the future of video and the future of photos are mobile-first. They are 9:16.

“So you’ll see us testing out taller photos and taller videos in your feed”.