How to Edit Your Grid on Instagram + Pro Strategy Tips

Instagram is turning 15 this year — and it brought presents: new features to unleash your creativity. One of the most exciting? The ability to rearrange your grid posts. No more being stuck with the strict “chronological only” look. So, if you’ve been wondering how to edit your Instagram grid, you’ll find the answer right here.

Instagram Is All About Creative Freedom (Finally!)

In a recent update, Instagram’s head Adam Mosseri shared that Instagram is putting creativity in the limelight and empowering creators to feel confident sharing their work. 

“I want Instagram to be a place where you can overcome self-doubt, and just make it, share it, do it anyway”, he wrote.

This seems to come in response to the broader criticism Meta has been receiving about its algorithmic control. To ease those concerns and back up Mosseri’s statement, Instagram has recently rolled out a handful of new tools designed to make content creation less intimidating and more fun: 

• Trial Reels: Test your Reels with non-followers before you commit to sharing them with your audience.
• Edits, its own video editing app: A bunch of new features to fine-tune your content right in the app.
• Teleprompter: So you never forget your lines again (makes it easier to talk to the camera!).

And now (*drumroll*) — the grid customization feature.

Rearranging Your Grid = More Creative Control

Previously, your posts would appear on your profile in the order you shared them. And the only way to spotlight a post was to pin it to the top. Fast forward to today, and now you have full control over your grid’s layout. You can reorder posts to match your style, boost your top-performing content, or just make things look more cohesive.

Here are just a few ways to make the most of this update:

• That one Reel that went viral last summer? Move it to the front.
• Your most aesthetic photos? Group them together for that perfect vibe.
• Launching a new product? Make sure your visuals line up just right.

How to Edit Your Instagram Grid 

So, how do you actually rearrange your grid? 

Instagram has made it pretty intuitive. Here’s your step-by-step guide to getting that picture-perfect layout — once the option is rolled out to your account (as always, it might take some time until it’s available to everyone):

• Go to your profile: Open the Instagram app and head to your profile page.

• Access “Edit Grid”: Long-press on any post in your grid. You should see an “Edit Grid” option appear. (Alternatively, it may also be located under “Edit Profile”.)
• Drag and drop your posts: Once in edit mode, simply drag your posts around until your grid looks exactly how you want it.
• Save your layout: Instagram saves the changes automatically while you’re in “Edit Grid” mode. You can also undo any actions during the same session if you change your mind.

💡 Pro tip: Use this feature to bump high-performing, evergreen content (like a popular guide or service explainer) to a more prominent position near the top of your feed, ensuring new visitors see your best work immediately.

Adjusting the Thumbnail Preview

When you post Reels, videos, or even photos with varying aspect ratios (like 4:5 or 9:16), Instagram often crops the thumbnail displayed on your profile grid unpredictably. You must manually select the best visual crop.

• For Videos/Reels: Before posting, you select a Cover Photo for the video. Crucially, you can adjust how this cover image is cropped specifically for the profile grid. On the cover selection screen, use the Crop or Adjust option to pan the image until the most important visual element is centered in the 1:1 square that appears in the grid preview.
• For Photo Posts: For photos that aren’t square, Instagram usually forces a center crop in the grid. To maintain a clean look, always try to keep the key visual information of your image within a 1:1 safe zone during the creation phase.

Pinning Posts for Focus

Pinning is a simple, effective, and available tool for controlling your grid’s top three positions.

• Function: This forces three selected posts to remain at the absolute top of your grid, regardless of when they were published.
• Usage: Pin your latest campaign announcement, your best piece of evergreen content, or a powerful introduction video. This acts as a fixed “welcome” message for all profile visitors.

Bonus: Adjust How a Post Looks in the Grid

Want even more control? You can fine-tune how individual posts appear in your grid. Just tap into a post, select the three dots (•••), and choose “Adjust Preview.” From there, you can choose to Fit or Fill the grid space — and even tweak the background color if you go with Fit.

Why This Matters to Social Media Managers

As a social media manager, this is an opportunity to rethink your Instagram strategy. Your grid is your portfolio — it’s often the first thing people see when they visit your profile. Now, you get to control the first impression of your followers (and future followers).

Here’s what you can do with the new grid editing feature:

• Highlight evergreen content
• Curate your visual story
• Guide visitors through a logical content flow
• Repurpose old but high-performing posts without re-uploading them

In other words, your grid just became a more strategic storytelling tool.

Plan the Perfect Grid with a Feed Preview First

Now that Instagram lets you rearrange your grid, you might also be asking: Can I preview my feed before posting?

Because let’s be honest — you don’t always want to fix things after they go live.

Yes, but only for some.

Instagram is testing a native preview feature, but it’s limited to single posts and not yet available to everyone.

Want full control now?

Metricool’s Instagram Feed Preview lets you plan your grid in advance — for free.

What you can do with Metricool:

• Plan your grid visually to maintain a consistent aesthetic.
• Identify and fix layout or content errors before publishing.

• Preview your feed across platforms (Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.).
• See desktop and mobile versions to optimize for all screen sizes.
• Perfect for grid-style posting or multi-image compositions.

Whether you’re editing live posts on Instagram or planning ahead with Metricool, you’ve now got full creative control — before and after publishing.

💡 Pro tip: Use Metricool to preview your feed, then tweak your grid directly on Instagram once your posts are live.

How Should You Edit Your Instagram Grid? Strategic Layout Ideas

Before you start posting, choose a layout style that reflects your brand’s content type and frequency. This is the first step in deciding how to change your Instagram grid layout purposefully.