The 13 Most Popular Instagram Trends That Dominated 2025
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Remember that moment you saw a friend doing a wild “choose one” challenge and then a major brand doing the exact same thing to sell their products?
Or maybe you saw an impossibly perfect “day in my life” video, followed by a hilariously real “expectation vs. reality” version that made you feel seen. That’s Instagram in 2025 – a wild ride of viral trends that became so much more than just a fleeting moment!
They have become a part of how we share our lives and how businesses connect with us. You don’t have to feel left behind. We’ve done the scrolling for you.
In this blog, we’ll let you know the 13 trends on Instagram that dominated this year, so you can start creating your own and implement them in your business!
Trend #1: “Choose One” Challenge
Scrolling through the feed, a post catches your eye, not because of an attractive video, but a simple, compelling question. This presents two options, both equally attractive or absurd, and your brain immediately starts thinking about pros and cons.
You find yourself mentally arguing before thinking about your comment. It is a direct invitation to participate that transforms an inactive viewing experience into an active, decision-making moment.
Peak Month: February 2025. This trend reached its height in the initial year because people demanded easy, interesting methods to connect with content. The simple format made it a quick, viral hit.
Why it exploded
- It gets people talking, which leads to more comments and connectivity.
- It is easy for anyone to adapt, so it works for any topic.
- The trend taps into a basic human desire: we all love to make a choice.
Which business can use this & how
Perfect for: Online shops, restaurants, travel brands, and beauty companies.
- Compare your products: Post two popular items and ask, “Which one?” – watch people engage and learn what they like.
- Test new ideas: Before launching something new, show two options and let followers vote.
- Show your fun side: Ask silly questions that match your brand (e.g. coffee shops: “Early bird or night owl?”).
- Get free research: Use choices to learn about pricing, features, or what customers actually want.
- Get customers involved: Ask them to make their own “choose one” posts with your product.
Trend #2: “Outfit Check” Transitions
You’re watching a video when suddenly, one hand points to an outfit. The camera “scans” downwards for an ideal beat, and with a sharp, spontaneous cut, the whole look changes.
The smooth transition from one outfit to another is a satisfying and polished visual experience. It’s not just about what you’re wearing; it’s the effortless reveal and a complete time for music, which makes the content so attractive and addictive.
Peak month: March 2025. This trend hit its peak as spring fashion, which became the go-to format for showcasing new styles and outfits. Its easy-to-recreate nature promoted its rapid spread.
Why it exploded
- This is perfect for fashion and personal style, allowing people to easily showcase their clothes.
- Minimum editing is required, which is easy to recreate.
- The videos have high replay value as viewers see them again for style ideas.
Which business can use this & how
Perfect for: Fashion brands, jewellery stores, beauty companies, fitness wear, styling services
- Show multiple looks: Create quick transitions between different outfits using your products.
- Style tutorials: Show how a basic piece turns into a different form with your accessories.
- User-generated content: Ask customers to make their own outfit checks with your products, then reshare the best ones.
- Day-to-night demos: Show how to transition from a work outfit to an evening look using your products.
- Partner with influencers: Team up with fashion creators for outfit check collaborations.
Must read: Social Media Memes to Promote Your Business (2025 Memes)
Trend #3: Extended Carousels (20+ Slides)
Instagram trends 2025 allow up to 20 images or videos, this trend involves using the extended Instagram carousel feature to create more comprehensive, narrative-driven content. Instead of a quick photo dump, you are invited on a journey.
As you swipe through, a story reveals itself slide by slide. A step-by-step recipe, a travel diary from beginning to end, or a wide breakdown of a new project. Each swipe reveals a new chapter, encouraging you to invest your time and follow the full story.
Peak month: After the April 2025 platform update, which expanded the slide limit, creators rushed to experiment with this new form of storytelling.
What made it different
- The 20-slide range is allowed for complete, long-term stories.
- The format creates a high engagement time for each post.
- It became the perfect tool for detailed tutorials and behind-the-scenes content.
Which business can use this & how
Perfect for: Online schools, real estate agents, software companies, consultants, recipe brands, manufacturing businesses.
- Step-by-step guides: Break complex processes into 20 simple slides that actually help people.
- Success stories: Share your client stories in multiple slides to prove your value.
- Product creation: Document the process of creating your products, from initial consideration to final result.
- Educational series: Create a wide guide that shows that you are an expert helping your audience.
- Before/after stories: Use multiple slides to show gradual progress and amazing transformations.
- Customer journeys: Show that it really means to work with you from beginning to end.
If you’re on Instagram marketing and following Instagram content trends 2025, well done! But if you want to grow your business with more visibility, learn how to embed Instagram video on website, with most easy and quickest way.
Trend #4: Trending Audio Remixes
A familiar tune begins to play, but something is different. The tempo is slower, or a new beat has been added. The sound is still fresh, awakening a feeling of nostalgia while feeling completely new.
This remix becomes the foundation for creative expression. The trending Instagram songs or sounds inspire the visuals and dictate the mood, making it a powerful vehicle for a wide range of content.
Peak months: Various throughout the year. This is one of the popular Instagram trends that has no single peak month, as new remixes and mashups consistently come up to drive new waves of content.
What Made It Work
- The remixes use familiar music with fresh twists, feeling both new and nostalgic.
- They are often business-account friendly, which is a big plus for brands.
- They have a cross-generational appeal, which connects with a wide range of people.
Which business can use this & how
Perfect for: Marketing agencies, event planners, fitness studios, restaurants, car brands, lifestyle companies.
- Create your sound identity: Find trending sounds that match your vibe and use them consistently.
- Get attention to all ages: Use nostalgic remixes that both young and older customers like.
- Show company culture: Have your team create fun content with trending sounds.
- Seasonal campaigns: Match trendy audio with holidays and special promotions for more shares.
- Get customers involved: Ask followers to use specific sounds when posting about your products.
- Cross-generational reach: Use remixed classics to connect with multiple age groups at once.
Trend #5: “Behind the Scenes” AI Integration
A creator you follow, starts a video by revealing a screen full of code or a complex user interface. They walk you through how an AI tool helped them generate an idea, write a caption, or even edit a video.
It is an honest look at the creative process in the era of technology. It feels like getting a peek behind the curtain, explaining a new tool and building trust through transparency.
Peak month: May 2025. As the AI tools became more accessible, the creators began to openly share their workflows to create confidence with their audience. This trend was at its peak in response to the increasing curiosity about the role of AI in content construction.
What made it a hit:
- This trend builds trust in AI-enhanced content by being transparent about how the tools are used.
- This provides educational value for other creators, showing them new ways to use AI in their work.
- The trend demonstrates AI tools for the general audience, making it easier to understand complex techniques.
Which business can use this & how
Perfect for: Tech companies, marketing agencies, online schools, design studios, AI startups, and consultants.
- Show your process: Film exactly how you use AI tools in your work – it builds trust and looks innovative.
- Teach others: Create content that shows people how to use AI in their business – this adds an impression of you as an expert.
- Be transparent: Let customers see how AI helps you work better and faster for them.
- Stay ahead: Keep your brand as advanced by sharing your AI journey.
- Build trust: Show that AI improves your work rather than replacing human creativity.
Trend #6: “Real vs. Expectation” Content
You see a fully styled picture of a good or a beautiful journey destination, then suddenly, it shows the actual footage without any editing. The contrast is often humorous and always relatable.
This type of content is a fresh breath of honesty in the world of curated perfection, making the creator more authentic, and the content looks more reliable.
Peak month: June 2025. This trend found its peak as audiences grew tired of overly perfect, edited content. The content format was developed to be more authentic, resonating deeply with audiences seeking genuine and trustworthy experiences.
The authenticity shift:
- It creates a strong relationship by being more reliable and honest.
- This helps reduce unrealistic expectations for viewers.
- This trend often shows significantly higher engagement than highly perfect content.
Which business can use this & how
Perfect for: Food brands, travel companies, beauty services, home improvement, fitness centres and small businesses.
- Set realistic expectations: Compare what customers expect what they really get (but in a positive way).
- Share the messy parts: Show behind-the-scenes chaos alongside the success – makes you more relatable.
- Reveal industry myths: Address common misconceptions by showing reality vs. what people expect.
- Reveal product truth: Show your products in the real world, not just the right light and editing.
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Trend #7: Interactive Story Features
Your daily stories scroll now is not just something you see; this is something you do. A creator asks you a question, and you are forced to tap on a poll to share your opinion.
Another asks you to create a question, or a third one invites you to add your own photo to a shared sticker. This back-and-forth exchange turns your view into a direct interaction, making you feel like a valued part of a community.
Peak month: June 2025. This Instagram story trend was released as new, attractive story features, giving the creators more content to interact directly with their audience. It became a core strategy for community engagement.
New features: Upgraded story stickers, polls, and engaging editing options.
Why It Exploded
- This promotes an algorithm, which shows more stories with high engagement.
- It creates a community by encouraging people to participate
- The trend enables easy content creation with a significant impact.
Which business can use this & how
Perfect for: Retail stores, service businesses, event planners and nonprofits.
- Get immediate feedback: Use polls and questions to learn what customers actually want.
- Help them decide: Ask followers to vote on new products, colors, or features before you make them for your business.
- Build community: Create regular interactive series that bring your audience together.
- Make learning fun: Use quizzes and questions to teach people about your industry.
- Create event buzz: Use countdown stickers and polls to build excitement for launches or events.
- Quick customer service: Answer common questions through story Q&As – saves time and shows expertise.
- Encourage to share: Ask followers to share your stories and experiences, then feature the best ones.
Need to know Instagram follower hacks? Read one of our interesting blogs on this: Increase Your Instagram Followers with 9 Simple Tricks.
Trend #8: “Day in My Life” Minimal Editing
The video begins with someone waking up, no makeup, in natural light. This cuts them into a simple breakfast, running to work or doing their work. There are no fancy infections, no dramatic music, just the real moments shown on the camera.
The simple, unfiltered content makes you feel that you are with a friend, and gets you closer to your followers.
Peak month: May 2025. This trend has a huge fan base, as it’s against over-produced content, reaching its peak in mid-year. The creators adopted a more raw, authentic style that creates strong beliefs and relatability with their audience.
The minimalism movement
- People were tired of highly produced materials, so this trend gave them complete perfection.
- The simple style led to higher trust and more relatability with the audience.
- This offered a low production barrier to the creators, making it easy for anyone to join it.
Which business can use this & how
Perfect for: Small businesses, B2B companies and personal brands.
- Show your real work: Give a behind-the-scenes look at a typical workday to humanize your brand.
- Introduce your team: To make your company more reliable, share short, unfiltered clips of employees or departments.
- Demonstrate the process: Let people see the raw, unedited process of creating a product or service, from start to finish.
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Trend #9: Nostalgic Content Recreation
You see a modern producer wearing low-ripped jeans and a crop top, but with a granular filter that seems to be filmed in the early 2000s. Could be a classic getup also. But the visual triggers a memory, such as a childhood trend, a favorite song, or a fashion style years ago.
This content bridges generations, which makes the older audiences indifferent and the young audiences feel that they have discovered something new and quiet from the past.
Peak month: March 2025. In the early 2000s, Nostalgia reached a fever pitch, with an increase in the reformation of vintage aesthetics. These popular themes reach their peak in line with the trend.
Popular theme: Early 2000s trends, childhood memories, vintage aesthetics.
Connecting generations:
- The trend connects with Millennials and Gen X by bringing back cherished memories.
- It helps Gen Z discover old trends, making the content feel new and cool to them.
- The nostalgia factor makes the material highly shareable in all age groups.
Which business can use this & how
Perfect for: Brands with a long history, fashion, food & beverage companies.
- Recreate past ads: Film a modern version of an old commercial to create a fun “then vs. now” moment.
- Bring back a classic: Launch a limited-edition product with a retro design that taps into nostalgia and creates buzz.
- Share your history: Explain your brand’s founding story with throwback photos and vintage aesthetics to connect with older and younger audiences.
Trend #10: Quick Tips and Hacks Format
A video starts and immediately jumps into actionable advice. In less than 30 seconds, you’re given a new productivity trick, a cooking shortcut, or a life hack you’ve never thought of.
The information is delivered so quickly and clearly that you find yourself saving the video to refer back to later. Its content is designed to be highly useful and easy to apply, which provides quick value.
Peak month: April 2025. This trend became popular in the spring as the audience was looking for quick, helpful content. The high number of saves and strong performance of the algorithm made it a go-to choice for creators.
Format: Short, actionable advice in easily digestible formats.
Why it works:
- The content is highly useful, so people save it for later use.
- Tips are quick and easy to understand, which means that people can apply them instantly.
- The algorithm favors this kind of helpful content, giving it a bigger audience.
Which business can use this & how
Perfect for: Any business that provides a service or product that solves a problem.
- Be a helpful expert: Share quick, valuable tips related to your industry to build authority and show expertise.
- Teach people how to use your product: Give quick hacks on how to get the most out of what you sell, making it more useful for customers.
- Save your customers’ time: Provide shortcuts or simple solutions for common problems.
Trend #11: Audio-First Content Creation
A specific sound or song becomes a trend, and suddenly, you see the endless variations of the videos built around it. The sound itself sets the stage, and the creators customize their scenes to match their views and rhythms.
The audio becomes the initial point of the creative process. This is the one that makes the content searchable and drives its popularity on social media.
Peak month: July 2025. This trend reached its peak in mid-summer as platforms preferred trending sounds. Creators who mastered the art of building content around audio saw a significant increase in their reach.
The audio revolution
- The trending audio tells the creators what kind of videos to make.
- This helps your content to reach more people, as the algorithm is in favor of popular sounds.
- The sound is now a main part of the creative process, not only something you add later
Which business can use this & how
Perfect for: Any business on social media, especially those targeting a younger audience.
- Align your content to sounds: Plan your visuals around a trending audio to make your content more likely to be found.
- Create a sound identity: Use consistent, brand-appointed audio so that people identify your content in crowded feeds immediately.
- Jump on trends early: Use a new trending sound to get a head start and reach a larger audience.
Must read: How to Integrate Instagram Portfolio Feeds to WordPress.
Trend #12: Collaborative Content Features
You watch a video pop up on your Instagram feed with two profiles on the top, not only one. Two creators have worked together, and the content is now visible to both their audiences.
This partnership looks like a smart, strategic step. They are sharing their followers and working together to make something bigger, expanding their reach and impact as a team.
Peak month: June 2025. New Instagram updates improved the cooperation tool, so creators started using it to grow their audience.
Why collaboration grew
- The algorithm promotes the material created by two or more people, so it is seen by larger audience.
- This is a natural way to introduce your followers to a new audience and help both accounts grow.
- This allows the creators to share the workload, making it more efficient to create content.
Which business can use this & how
Perfect for: All businesses looking to expand their audience and create excitement.
- Team up with influencers: Partner with a creator for a joint post to reach their followers and introduce your brand to a new audience.
- Cross-promote with other brands: Work with a non-competing business on a shared campaign to expand your reach.
- Allow your team to handle: Let an employee or a department run your social media for a day to offer a fresh perspective.
Do you know that connecting Instagram on website is easy, if you follow the right path and right tool? Discover the Easiest Way to Manually Connect Instagram on Website
Trend #13: Authentic Storytelling Revival
A creator starts their video not with a performance, but with an honest, personal story. They talk about a struggle that they faced, a lesson that they learned, or a moment that changed their perspective.
It’s raw and vulnerable, without the usual perfect lighting or staged shots. This change for real narratives makes a deep and permanent relationship, making you feel that you really know the person behind the screen.
Peak Month: July 2025. This trend became the most popular in the summer. On being real and authentic, the emphasis created a deep connection, bringing people closer together.
The authenticity demand:
- People are tired of seeing overly perfect, scripted, and “fake” content.
- When creators are honest and vulnerable, it builds trust.
- Sharing personal stories makes people feel like they are part of a real community, not just a regular audience.
Which business can use this & how
Perfect for: Mission-driven companies, small businesses, and personal brands.
- Share your origin story: Be honest about the challenges and wins you faced when starting out to build trust and emotional connection.
- Highlight real customer experiences: Explain the story of how your product or service genuinely helped someone, using authentic customer feedback.
- Show your brand’s mission in action: Film your team working on a project or giving back to the community to show your brand’s values.
Beyond the Trends: Building Your Future on Instagram
The way people use Instagram have changed. It is no longer about showing only the right, edited photos/videos. The Instagram marketing trends 2025 show us that what actually does the work is real and interactive.
By using challenges, honest videos, trending Instagram hashtags and two-way conversations, you are building a real community. It is much more powerful than those who simply post and expect people will like it.
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The new trends are the ways for any business that wants to connect with their audience. In a world where everyone is tired of a material that feels fake, the future is related to those who are authentic, who listen to their followers, and who are really engaged with it.
FAQ
What is the new AI trend on Instagram?
The new AI trend on Instagram is the use of artificial intelligence to generate and improve visual content, from creating stylish art to producing virtual influencers. Additionally, AI is used behind the scenes to write captions and automate other tasks for creators.
What is the “side shot” Instagram trend?
The “side shot” trend is a social media challenge where people post a photo or video of themselves from the side, often in response to being tagged or “nominated.” It’s a quick and easy way to participate in a viral trend.
How to find trending audio on Instagram?
To find trending audio on Instagram:
- Look for the upward arrow next to the audio name on Reels. This icon indicates that the sound is gaining popularity.
- Scroll through the Reels tab, it will automatically show you popular and trending content.
- When creating a new Reel, check the “Trending” option within Instagram’s audio library.
How to find trending hashtags on Instagram?
To find trending hashtags on Instagram:
- Use the search bar and tap the “Tags” tab to see popular and related hashtags for your keywords.
- Browse your Explore page to see what’s currently trending in your niche and among your interests.
- Follow and observe the hashtags used by top creators and competitors in your industry.
How to find “Add Yours” on Instagram?
To find and use the “Add Yours” sticker:
- Tap the “Add Yours” sticker directly on someone’s Story or Reel to join their trend.
- When creating your own Story or Reel, tap the sticker icon and search for “Add Yours” to see a list of popular prompts you can use.
Hridi Paul
Hridi here, a curious mind navigating the exciting world of digital marketing with 3-years of experience in content writing, copywriting, and email marketing. I love exploring the ever-evolving world of marketing and finding creative ways to connect with audiences. When I’m off the clock, you’ll often find me enjoying music or seeking serenity in nature.
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