Instagram rolls out customized icons … however just for teenagers

Some Instagram customers are feeling cheated out of a brand new function, because the photograph and video sharing app on Wednesday introduced the launch of customized icons — however just for its teen customers.

Teenagers can now select from a set of customized icons that flip the standard Instagram emblem into new variations that can be utilized because the app’s icon on their telephone’s dwelling display screen. The choice is accessed by tapping the Instagram emblem on the high of the house feed after opening the app.

At the moment, the customized icons embrace six renditions of the Instagram emblem styled as neon, clear glass, fireplace, flowers, inexperienced slime, and extra.

Within the replies to its announcement on X, customers are overwhelmingly pushing again towards the concept that such a function must be age-gated, noting that grownup customers additionally need to customise their dwelling screens. Some accused Instagram of chasing Snapchat with the function. (On Snapchat, customers want a paid Snapchat+ subscription to alter the app’s icon.) Others mentioned it gave them “MySpace vibes.”

Instagram’s teen accounts, launched in 2024, add further restrictions and built-in protections for minors, together with limits on content to PG-13 material. The corporate, earlier this yr, began using AI technology to identify teens who lied about their age on the social community and enroll them within the extra restricted teen accounts.

With customized icons, the corporate is attempting a unique strategy: utilizing a carrot as an alternative of a stick, so to talk, to make the teenager accounts appear extra interesting. Reached for remark, Instagram advised TechCrunch it added the icons as a result of it discovered teenagers like to customise their Instagram expertise. The corporate mentioned it has no plans to develop entry to icons to older customers or paid subscribers.

Youthful customers do make sense as a goal for personalization choices, as they’ve overwhelmingly embraced the iPhone House Display screen customization development, which saw renewed interest when Apple launched widgets in 2020 with the launch of iOS 14. Apple additionally made it simpler to customise icons with improvements to app shortcuts. Extra not too long ago, Apple has simplified the method with tinted icons in iOS 18, which have been updated in iOS 26.

Android customers have had these types of customization choices for much longer, although the majority of U.S. teenagers are on iPhones.

Up to date to incorporate Instagram’s remark.