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Instagram Updates Decade-Old Wordmark as Users Mock Its Readability

The bolder, script-style mark is part of a broader visual system meant to reflect personal expression and the app’s shift toward short-form video and commerce.

Overview

  • Instagram announced a refreshed cursive wordmark and new typefaces as part of a brand overhaul that the company said it first revealed on Aug. 13.
  • The change replaces the top-of-app wordmark for the first time in ten years and introduces updated Instagram Sans plus Instagram Pen and Instagram Mono.
  • The new wordmark is already appearing for users worldwide and Meta says the full identity rollout will continue through the rest of this year and into 2026.
  • Many users and several corporate accounts criticized the design’s legibility, noting the revised letterforms make the name look like “Instagzam,” which prompted viral jokes and mock logos from brands such as McDonald’s and KitKat.
  • Instagram’s design leaders defended the choice as a move to foreground individuality and creative expression and said the team tested hundreds of directions before selecting the current script.