The New Instagram Layout Explained: Why Your DMs Are Moving & What It Means for You

When you open Instagram it’s probably second nature: you swipe right for DMs, left for Story posting, and tap along the bottom nav bar for home, search, post-creation, Reels and profile. But hold onto your thumb-scroll habits, because Instagram is about to reshuffle everything – and it’s all in service of the features pulling its growth: Reels, DMs and algorithmic recommendations.

In a post on Instagram Reels (of course), Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced that the app has hit three billion users, which naturally prompted a re-think of what fuels that growth. “And if you look at the last few years, almost all of that growth has been driven by DMs, Reels, and recommendations,” Mosseri said. Because of that, Mosseri said, they’re redesigning the app.

 

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So what exactly will change? Right now, the bottom navigation bar shows five icons: Home, Search/Explore, the Post button (+), Reels, and your Profile. Swiping right takes you to DMs, swiping left invites you to post a Story. Soon, however, Instagram will roll out a bar that looks like this: Home → Reels → DMs → Search/Explore → Profile. The dedicated + button disappears from the bottom, and to create a post you’ll instead tap top-left.

Video: @mosseri

 

Meanwhile, the swipe motions you already do – which previously moved you between feed elements – will increasingly shift you between Reels, DMs and feed-tabs. It’s a re-engineering of your muscle memory.

 

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But the changes don’t stop at layout. Instagram is also about to give you more control over what you actually see. The company is testing a new “tune your algorithm” feature – starting with Reels – where you’ll be able to visit a settings page that shows the topics Instagram thinks you’re interested in and then edit them to better reflect your real interests. “We’ll soon start testing a way for you to tune your algorithm by adding and removing topics based on your interests, starting with Reels,” Mosseri wrote. “Really excited for all that’s to come. Thank you for being on the journey with us and making Instagram so special.”

Let’s unpack this for you…

Why The Layout Is Shifting:

Instagram isn’t just about pretty flat-lays or curated grids anymore (though yes, those still matter). It’s now a full-on video-first, message-first platform. If growth = engagement = time spent, prioritising Reels and DMs makes all the sense in the world. Reels are how Instagram competes with the short-form video juggernaut TikTok, and DMs are how the platform keeps people coming back again and again. Mosseri’s call-out of DMs, Reels and recommendations as “almost all of that growth” is telling – the classic “scroll the feed” era is far behind.

 

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What this means for you:

• That beloved “+” button you tap to post? It’s being moved. Not gone, just relocated to the top left. So if you reach bottom third of your screen for it reflexively, prepare for a mini face-palm when you realise it isn’t there.
• The DMs icon (paper-aeroplane) is getting more prominence; swipe motions between content types will likely feel more aggressive and fluid.
• You’ll have more personalisation power. Ever felt like your Reels feed is too random or too … “whatever Instagram thinks I like this month”? The “tune your algorithm” test promises to hand some of that power back.

What to do now:

• Update your app and keep an eye out for layout changes in your region – UK rollout is already under way.
• Get familiar with the new tab order in advance so you’re not hunting for DMs or feeling the existential dread of “where did my post button go?”
• Dive into settings once the algorithm-tune feature is live – take five minutes to review what Instagram thinks you like, and refine it. Your future feed will thank you.
• For creators or brands: re-evaluate how your DMs strategy and Reels cadence work. Instagram’s redesign signals that they expect your content strategy to lean more into video and direct engagement than ever before.

 

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The Bigger Picture:

Instagram is doubling down on why users come back: messaging and short-form content. The classic grid-based aesthetic is being deprioritised. 

Even posts exist no longer purely to appear in the main feed but to fuel discovery, DMs and Reels loops. For those of us who grew up on perfectly curated grids, this feels like the end of an era – but also the beginning of one where your stories, chats and video snippets become the star.

In short: don’t panic, just adjust. The app you know is evolving, and now you know why, what, and how. Keep your fingers nimble and your feed tuned.