[2] Since 2015, following a steep decline in sales, the magazine cut back on its print distribution in favor of online content, which has grown significantly.

[3][4][5][6] In November 2017, it was announced Teen Vogue would cease in print and continue online-only as part of a new round of cost cuts.

[7] The magazine was published in a smaller 6¾"x9" format to afford it more visibility on shelves and some flexibility getting into a digest size slot at checkout stands.

[14][15] On November 2, 2017, it was announced Teen Vogue would cease its print edition and continue as an online-only publication as part of a new round of cost cuts.

[16][17] Welteroth later criticized the move as well as Condé Nast's lack of notice given to staff, stating that her attempts to find a new investor were prohibited by the company.

[25] On May 10, 2021, Condé Nast announced that Versha Sharma, a managing editor at NowThis, would become Teen Vogue's next editor-in-chief.

[33] The group has made a shift in the magazine to increase its focus on social issues and politics, causing a [34][35][36] corresponding growth in web traffic.

According to inaugural beauty editor Karen Jesella, Teen Vogue initially strived to be "apolitical" and tried to create "not not feminist" content.

[39] According to The New York Times, many media observers were "surprised to see a magazine for teenagers making such a strong political statement,"[40] although Folkenflik acknowledged he drew criticism for expressing this surprise and at Slate, Mark Joseph Stern argued the essay was consistent with the magazine's record, since the appointment of Welteroth and Picardi, as a "teen glossy with seriously good political coverage and legal analysis, an outlet for teenagers who—shockingly!—are able to think about fashion and current events simultaneously.

"[41] At The Atlantic, Sophie Gilbert similarly noted, "The pivot in editorial strategy has drawn praise on social media, with some writers commenting that Teen Vogue is doing a better job of covering important stories in 2016 than legacy news publications.

"[42] The op-ed, as well as a previous obituary on Nancy Reagan that condemned her lack of action on AIDS, signaled a shift to more political coverage and leftist perspectives in the magazine, which led to friction between the newsroom, advertisers and executives.

[47] Teen Vogue's digital editorial director Phillip Picardi defended the column, saying that backlash was "rooted in homophobia".