Instagram or «Instagzam», that is the question: the social network changes its wordmark

Hey, have you noticed that Instagram changed something? No, it is not a new feature or a feed redesign. It is something smaller, but if you are the kind of person who notices those details, you probably caught it the moment you opened the app. That italicized name up top, the one you have been seeing for 10 years without anyone touching it, changed. And, as expected, the internet already had opinions about it within hours.

It was announced by none other than Adam Mosseri, Instagram’s head, this Thursday. He posted it on his account with a photo of the new design and a pretty straightforward explanation: he described the new logo as cleaner and more modern, with nods to the original and the same simplicity as always. No three-paragraph corporate jargon, just that.

Just to be clear, it is not the logo, it is the wordmark

The gradient camera icon, the one on your home screen, is still exactly the same. That was not touched. What changed is the wordmark, meaning the written “Instagram” that appears at the top when you open the app and scroll through your feed. It is the signature, not the icon-logo. People confuse the two all the time because colloquially we call both “the logo,” but they are different things.

That italic signature had been there since 2016, when Instagram carried out its major brand refresh and left behind the retro camera icon we all remember from its early years. Since then, that handwritten typeface had been practically untouchable… until now.

And who created Instagram’s original signature?

This was the most “did you know?” detail in the whole story, and it seemed worth sharing. The italic script we knew until yesterday was not created by an algorithm or a faceless branding committee. It was designed by a typographer named Mackey Saturday back in 2013, aiming for a balance between a refreshed feel and the familiar shape millions of users already recognized. In short, that cursive stroke you grew up seeing at the top of your screen when reading “Instagram” has a real person behind it.

The new version keeps the handwritten spirit, but blends cursive strokes with more print-style features: the curves are less ornamental, and the letters are quicker to read when the logo appears small, which is how most people actually see it, in the top bar of their phone.

The joke that is not going away: “Instagzam”

As with any logo update worthy of the name, the public reaction arrived almost at the same time as Mosseri’s post. The specific issue is how the “r” ended up being drawn. To many people, it looks like a “z,” and that is where the meme that will likely stick with Instagram for a while was born.

Instagram is introducing a new wordmark logo after 10 years. pic.twitter.com/hF4PzlaO2S

— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 13, 2026

In the comments on his own post, one user summed up how half the internet felt with a simple “oh yes, Instagzam”. From there, it turned into a full-on festival: people swearing it says “Instagwam” (the way a baby would pronounce it, according to some comments), and even one person joking that Guam, the Pacific island, was finally getting its due with the imaginary “Instaguam.” Internet things, I suppose.

Brands like Metricool also jumped on the gossip train with funny comments about all the extra work awaiting whoever handles community management and now has to update Canva Canva assets. Because yes, for anyone working in digital marketing or social media, these kinds of changes mean extra hours updating templates, brand kits, and style guides.

Even ChatGPT has answered Instagram:

Still, while the initial noise on social media was mostly mocking, it is not exactly unanimous. Experience tells us that in a year, no one is going to remember the previous logo. That is how the eye works with these things: we get used to them incredibly fast. Although the nostalgic among us still remember what Instagram’s little Polaroid camera logo looked like.

Instagram is preparing a broader image refresh

According to Meta’s own blog, they are working on a broader overhaul of Instagram’s entire visual system: new typefaces across the platform, including an updated version of Instagram Sans, as well as a new handwritten font called Instagram Pen and a typeface called Instagram Mono. In other words, what you saw today is probably the first chapter of a larger visual identity update that will gradually appear in compositions, animations, and even in the app’s overall look and feel.

For now, Instagram has not confirmed whether the rollout of the new wordmark is global and immediate or whether it will arrive by region and in phases, as happened with previous redesigns. So if the new signature has not shown up for you yet, do not worry: it is only a matter of time.