How to Move Instagram Post Order

Ever wish you could just drag and drop your Instagram posts into a different order for that perfect grid aesthetic? You're not alone. While there’s no magic button to shuffle your feed after you’ve posted, this guide covers what you can do. We’ll walk through the official features Instagram provides, a common workaround, and the best way to get a perfectly curated grid every single time.

The Direct Answer: Can You Actually Rearrange Instagram Posts?

Let's get straight to it: no, you cannot directly reorder or move posts that have already been published on your Instagram grid. Once a photo, video, or Reel is live, its spot in your profile's timeline is locked in based on its posting date. Instagram is designed as a chronological journal of moments, so the posts appear in the reverse order they were published (newest first).

This is a core function of the platform and there are no hidden settings to change it. Every post has a permanent 'timestamp,' and that's what determines its place on your feed. But don't worry - while you can't shuffle the deck, you still have some powerful cards you can play to influence how your grid looks and feels.

Your Best Option: Pinning Posts to the Top of Your Grid

The simplest and most effective way to control the order of some posts is by using Instagram's "Pin to Profile" feature. This allows you to hand-pick up to three existing posts and permanently stick them to the top of your profile grid, regardless of when they were originally published.

Think of it as your grid's "greatest hits" or "welcome mat." It’s the first thing visitors see, making it valuable digital real estate.

How to Pin an Instagram Post:

1. Navigate to your Instagram profile and find the post you want to feature.
2. Tap on that post to open it in full view.
3. Tap the three dots (...) in the top-right corner of the post.
4. From the menu that appears, select Pin to your profile.

That's it! The post will instantly jump to the top-left position of your grid, marked with a small white pin icon. You can repeat this process for two more posts. The three pinned posts will fill the entire top row of your feed.

Quick tip: The order of the three pinned posts is also chronological based on when you pinned them. The last post you pin will appear in the top-left spot. To reorder your pinned posts, simply unpin them and re-pin them in your desired sequence.

When should you use the Pin feature?

• Introduce Yourself: Pin a post that tells new followers who you are and what you do.
• Highlight an Offer: Promote a sale, an event, or a special discount so it's impossible to miss.
• Showcase Your Best Work: Pin your most popular Reel, a stunning photo, or a testimonial that got tons of love.
• Answer a Key Question: Pin a post that answers a frequently asked question to help your audience immediately.

The Big Workaround: The Archive and Repost Method

If pinning isn't enough and you're determined to completely overhaul your grid's order, there is a manual technique you can use. Be warned: This method is time-consuming, has significant drawbacks, and can negatively impact your post engagement. It involves archiving your photos and then republishing them in the new order you want.

This approach gives you total control over the post sequence, but it comes at a cost.

Step-by-Step Guide to Reordering Your Grid Manually

Before you begin, have a clear vision of your new grid layout. Take a screenshot of your current grid and use a photo editing app or a tool like Canva to map out exactly where each post should go. Once your plan is ready, you can start.

Step 1: Archive the Posts You Want to Move

You need to temporarily remove posts from your grid to make way for the new order. It is vital to archive them, not delete them. Archiving saves your posts with their original likes and comments in a private folder, whereas deleting removes them forever.

• Go to a post you want to move.
• Tap the three dots (...) in the top-right corner.
• Select Archive. The post will disappear from your profile but will be safe in your archive.

Repeat this for all the posts included in your planned redesign. Your grid might look a little empty for a while, but that’s part of the process.

Step 2: Repost in Your Desired Order (From Oldest to Newest)

This is where the new grid takes shape. You will be reposting your archived photos as if they were new posts. The key is to post them in reverse chronological order.

For example, if you want Post A to be at the top of your grid, Post B below it, and Post C below that, you must upload them in this order:

1. First, repost Post C.
2. Second, repost Post B.
3. Finally, repost Post A.

Since Instagram places the newest posts at the top, Post A will end up in the top-left corner, exactly where you wanted it.

To access your archived content, go to your profile, tap the hamburger menu (☰) > Archive > Posts archive. From there, you can view your archived posts, save the photos or videos back to your phone, and then re-upload them.

The Major Downsides of This Method

While this technique works, you need to understand the consequences before starting.

• You Will Lose All Likes and Comments: When you repost content, it's treated as a brand-new post. All the social proof - likes, comments, saves, and shares - from the original post will be gone forever. This can make an otherwise popular photo look like it performed poorly.
• Followers May Be Spammed: Your followers' feeds will suddenly be flooded with photos they've already seen. This can be annoying and may even cause some people to unfollow you. To minimize this, you could try posting late at night when fewer people are online.
• It's Extremely Time-Consuming: If you're trying to reorder dozens of posts, this process can take hours or even days. It's a significant manual effort.
• You Lose Original Post Dates: The new posts will all have recent dates, erasing the true timeline of when you shared those moments.

Because of these downsides, this method is best reserved for small-scale makeovers on a small number of posts or for accounts that are comfortable with a "fresh start."

The Pro Strategy: Plan Your Grid Before You Post

Instead of trying to fix your grid after the fact, the best approach is to get it right from the start. Perfecting your Instagram aesthetic isn't about rearranging old posts, it's about thoughtfully planning your future ones. This takes the stress out of live posting and gives you complete creative control over your brand's visual identity.

Using a visual grid planner is standard practice for successful brands and creators. These tools give you a sandbox where you can see how your photos and videos will look next to each other before they ever go live.

Benefits of Planning Your Grid in Advance

• Achieve Visual Consistency: Whether you're aiming for a checkerboard pattern, a color gradient, or a consistent photo editing style, a planner lets you organize posts to achieve a cohesive and professional look.
• Eliminate "Post and Pray": No more posting a photo and immediately regretting it because it clashes with the one next to it. Seeing the layout beforehand catches aesthetic mistakes before they happen.
• Master Brand Storytelling: Your grid is a visual narrative. A planner helps you arrange content to tell a compelling story, guide your audience's eye across themes, and create a stronger brand connection.
• Work More Efficiently: Batch-create your content, upload it to your planner, and arrange the perfect sequence. This separates the creative process from the administrative task of posting, saving you time and mental energy.

You can create a simple mock-up using a collage app or design tool, but an integrated scheduler with a visual planner is the most seamless way to execute your content strategy.

Final Thoughts

While you can't magically reorder existing Instagram posts with a drag-and-drop feature, you have solid alternatives. Use the pinning feature to highlight your best content, or brave the archive-and-repost method for a total grid transformation if you're willing to accept the trade-offs. Ultimately, the most powerful and sustainable path to a beautiful grid is proactive planning.

We built our Visual Calendar in Postbase precisely for this reason. After uploading your media, you can drag and drop your scheduled posts around the calendar to preview exactly how your grid will look, allowing you to perfect the order and aesthetic before anything goes live. It turns grid planning from a stressful guesswork game into a simple, creative process that gives you the confidence that your profile always looks its best.