Instagram has unveiled a redesigned wordmark for the first time in about a decade, giving the social media platform’s written logo a sharper and more modern appearance while retaining elements of its familiar identity. Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced the change on Thursday, saying the previous wordmark had begun to feel dated after being used for around 10 years. The new design updates the handwritten “Instagram” lettering, but the platform’s familiar gradient camera app icon remains unchanged.
Mosseri revealed the new wordmark through posts on Instagram and Threads, describing it as a cleaner, sharper and more contemporary interpretation of the company’s visual identity.
According to Mosseri, Instagram wanted to modernise the wordmark while retaining a connection to the simplicity and craftsmanship associated with its earlier branding.
The result retains a handwritten character but introduces a mix of cursive and more conventional letterforms. Some of the most noticeable changes appear in letters such as “s”, “r” and “g”, giving the name a different visual flow.
The redesign applies specifically to Instagram’s wordmark — the written version of the company’s name — rather than the app icon seen on smartphones.
The pink, orange and purple gradient camera icon remains unchanged. The wordmark, meanwhile, is used in places such as the top of the Instagram app, marketing materials and other brand communications.
The distinction is significant because the app icon is arguably Instagram’s most recognisable visual element and has become closely associated with the platform globally.
Instagram has not indicated whether changes to the app icon could follow the wordmark refresh.
Instagram’s previous major branding overhaul came in 2016, when the platform replaced its older retro camera-inspired design with a colourful gradient icon and introduced the cursive-style wordmark that remained in use for the following decade.
That 2016 redesign represented a dramatic break from Instagram’s early visual identity as the service expanded beyond its origins as primarily a photo-sharing app.
The latest change is considerably more restrained. Rather than completely reinventing the brand, Instagram has chosen to refine one element of its existing identity.
The new design quickly generated debate on social media, with users offering sharply different assessments of the updated lettering.
While some welcomed the more modern appearance, others criticised its readability and questioned whether the decade-old wordmark needed changing at all. Some users joked that the redesigned lettering appeared to spell something closer to “Instagzam” than Instagram.
The reaction reflects the challenge technology companies often face when altering highly familiar branding. Even relatively minor changes can attract intense scrutiny when a logo or typeface has been seen by billions of users for years.
The wordmark update comes as Instagram itself has changed substantially from the platform it was when the previous design was introduced.
Over the past decade, Instagram has expanded well beyond traditional photo sharing, with Stories, Reels, direct messaging, shopping and creator-focused features becoming major parts of the service.
The redesigned wordmark therefore represents a subtle visual update for a platform whose products and user experience have undergone far more significant changes.
For now, Instagram has opted for evolution rather than a wholesale branding overhaul: the name has a new look, but the gradient camera icon that users tap every day is staying put.