Google Rolls Out Instagram-Style "Review Stories" on Business Profiles
What happened
Google has begun rolling out a new visual review format on Business Profiles, displaying customer reviews and their accompanying photos in a swipeable "Story" format — similar to Instagram Stories or TikTok feeds.
Instead of the traditional text-only review list, photo reviews now appear in a vertical carousel that users can tap through. Customers can also "like" individual photos attached to reviews, adding a social engagement layer to Google Business Profiles for the first time.
The feature is part of Google's broader push toward visual content in local search. Combined with the recently launched Gemini-powered photo suggestions — which prompt users to upload relevant photos from their camera roll — Google is actively making Business Profiles more visual and interactive.
The rollout appears to be gradual, with the feature already live in several markets and expected to expand through Q3 2026.
What this means for tradespeople
This changes how potential customers browse your profile. Instead of scrolling through a wall of text reviews, they're now swiping through a visual feed. Reviews with photos will get significantly more visibility than text-only reviews.
For tradespeople, this is a major shift. If your reviews are all text with no photos, they'll effectively become less visible as photo reviews take the spotlight. A customer who photographs your finished kitchen, tiled bathroom, or rewired consumer unit is now creating content that sits front and centre on your profile — in a format designed to hold attention.
This also means the photos your customers leave will matter more than ever. A blurry photo of a receipt is very different from a clear shot of a completed job.
What to do about it
- Ask customers to include a photo when leaving their review — a quick "would you mind adding a photo of the finished work?" goes a long way
- Do your own part — upload high-quality photos of completed jobs to your Google Business Profile regularly
- Think about the visual first impression — the Story carousel is the first thing browsers will swipe through, so make sure your profile has strong visuals
Source: Starworks — Google Review Stories Explained