Some Instagram users feel left out after the platform rolled out a new feature that’s exclusive to teens. On Wednesday, the photo and video sharing app introduced custom icons, but only for younger users, leaving many adults annoyed and confused.
The feature lets teens pick from a range of creative icons that replace the traditional Instagram logo on their phone’s home screen. To access it, they can tap the Instagram logo at the top of their home feed. The current options include six colorful versions of the app’s logo, with styles like neon, glass, fire, flowers, green slime, and other playful themes.
After Instagram’s announcement on X, frustration flooded the replies. Many users questioned why such a simple feature should be limited by age. Adults expressed that they too enjoy customizing their home screens and shouldn’t be excluded. Some compared the move to Snapchat’s approach, where users need a paid Snapchat+ subscription to change the app’s icon. Others joked that Instagram was bringing back “MySpace vibes.”
Instagram launched teen accounts in 2024 to give minors a safer environment online. These accounts include restrictions that filter content to PG-13 and below. Earlier in the year, the company started using AI tools to detect teens who might have lied about their age and automatically moved them into more age-appropriate accounts.
With the new icon feature, Instagram seems to be shifting strategy — making the teen experience more appealing rather than just more restricted. When TechMarge reached out for clarification, Instagram said it added the icons after noticing how much teens enjoy personalizing their app experience. The company made it clear that it doesn’t plan to extend this feature to older users or even to paying subscribers anytime soon.
The move makes sense considering how much teens love customizing their digital spaces. Since Apple’s iOS 14 update in 2020 introduced home screen widgets, the trend of personalizing iPhones has exploded among younger users. Apple continued to improve customization through updates, including tinted icons in iOS 18 and later refinements in iOS 26.
Android users have enjoyed such creative freedom for years, but in the U.S., most teens use iPhones. Instagram’s decision to focus on them reflects that reality — even if it leaves adult users scrolling through their standard pink-orange logo, wishing they could join in the fun.
