Instagram stores photos at up to 1080 pixels wide and keeps any photo whose aspect ratio is between 1.91:1 and 3:4, which is 1080 by 566 to 1080 by 1440 pixels. Square is 1080 by 1080 and 4:5 is 1080 by 1350. Reels accept 1.91:1 to 9:16 with a recommended 420 by 654 cover, a carousel holds up to 20 items in one orientation, and Instagram publishes no pixel size for stories or profile pictures.
An Instagram post is stored at up to 1080 pixels wide, and a photo keeps its shape when its aspect ratio is between 1.91:1 and 3:4, which is 1080 by 566 to 1080 by 1440 pixels. Inside that range a square is 1080 by 1080 and a 4:5 portrait is 1080 by 1350, while Reels and Stories fill the screen at 9:16, or 1080 by 1920.
Every size on this page was read on 13 October 2026 in the Instagram Help Center (photo resolution, reel size and aspect ratios, posts with multiple photos) or in Meta's ads guide. Where Instagram prints a ratio but no pixels, the pixel size is arithmetic at 1080 wide and is marked as such. File size limits, bitrates and safe zone pixel counts from the earlier version had no Instagram source and have been removed.
Quick answer: Instagram sizes in one table
| Format | Size in pixels | Aspect ratio | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feed photo, landscape | 1080 x 566 | 1.91:1 | Help Center: the widest supported ratio |
| Feed photo, square | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 | Arithmetic, inside the supported range |
| Feed photo, portrait | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 | Arithmetic, inside the supported range |
| Feed photo, tallest | 1080 x 1440 | 3:4 | Help Center: the tallest supported ratio |
| Carousel slide | Same as a feed photo | One orientation for every slide | Help Center: up to 20 photos and videos |
| Reel | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 (accepted from 1.91:1 to 9:16) | Help Center ratio; pixels are arithmetic |
| Reel cover photo | 420 x 654 | 1:1.55 | Help Center: recommended size |
| Story | 1080 x 1920 or 1440 x 2560 | 9:16 | Meta ads guide; the Help Center lists no size |
| Profile picture | Not published | Not published | Help Center gives steps and no dimensions |
- Make every photo 1080 pixels wide. Wider files are sized down to 1080.
- Keep photos between 1.91:1 and 3:4. Anything outside that is cropped.
- Square is 1080 x 1080, 4:5 is 1080 x 1350, 3:4 is 1080 x 1440.
- Reels and Stories are 9:16, which is 1080 x 1920.
- A carousel takes up to 20 items and one orientation for all of them.
- Instagram publishes no pixel size for stories, profile pictures or highlight covers.
What size is an Instagram feed post?
Instagram's Help Center states the rule in one paragraph. It uploads a photo "at the best quality resolution possible (up to a width of 1080 pixels)". A photo between 320 and 1080 pixels wide is kept at its original resolution "as long as the photo's aspect ratio is between 1.91:1 and 3:4 (a width of 1080 pixels with a height between 566 and 1440 pixels)".
Three things follow, and Instagram says each one on the same page:
- Outside the range, it crops. "If the aspect ratio of your photo isn't supported, it will be cropped to fit a supported ratio."
- Too small, it enlarges. A photo at a lower resolution is enlarged "to a width of 320 pixels".
- Too large, it shrinks. A photo at a higher resolution is sized down "to a width of 1080 pixels".
So the width is fixed and the height is your choice. The chart shows how much taller each shape is at the same 1080 pixel width.
Source: Instagram Help Center for 566 and 1440; the others are the stated ratio multiplied out. Read 13 October 2026.
Instagram's advice for a sharp upload is short: use the most recent version of the app, and upload a photo at least 1080 pixels wide with an aspect ratio inside the range. To fix the framing after you pick a photo, tap Edit and then Adjust, and pinch or drag the photo inside the frame, as the Help Center's page on cropping a photo describes.
4:5 or 3:4: which portrait size should you use?
Both work. The Help Center's range ends at 3:4, so 1080 by 1440 is the tallest photo Instagram keeps without cropping, and 4:5 at 1080 by 1350 is 90 pixels shorter. Instagram does not say which performs better, and no figure on its pages ties a ratio to reach.
- Inside the supported range, so it is never cropped
- The ratio Meta's ads guide lists for feed image ads
- 90 pixels shorter than 3:4 at the same width
- Choose it when the same file will run as an ad
- The tallest ratio the Help Center supports
- Takes the most height in the feed without a crop
- Leaves the most room for a tall subject
- Choose it for organic posts that will not run as ads
Whichever you choose, check how it sits on your profile before you post. Instagram's Help Center does not document how the profile grid trims a post, so the practical test is to look. Our free Instagram crop and grid preview shows one photo as a 4:5 post, a 3:4 tile, a square and a landscape, and lets you set the focus point. To spread one image across a row or more of the profile, the free Instagram grid maker splits it into 3:4, 4:5 or square tiles and numbers the order to post them in.
What size is an Instagram carousel?
A carousel uses the photo sizes above. The limits Instagram adds are about count and consistency. Its page on sharing multiple photos or videos says you can include "up to 20 photos and videos as a single post", and that "the orientation you choose (square, portrait or landscape) affects all of the photos or videos in your post. You can't select a different orientation for each photo or video."
- Size every slide the same. If the slides differ, the one orientation you pick trims the others.
- Videos in a carousel are not reels. Instagram says they "will not show up in the Reels tab or have reels features".
- You can reorder or remove slides after posting, but you cannot add new ones.
For a panorama that swipes across slides, the free Instagram carousel splitter cuts a wide image into slides that are each 1080 pixels wide. What to put on the slides is covered in our Instagram carousel guide.
What size are Instagram Reels?
Instagram's page on reel size and aspect ratios gives four figures. You can upload a reel "with an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16". Reels "should have a minimum frame rate of 30 FPS" and a "minimum resolution of 720 pixels". And "the recommended size for cover photos is 420px by 654px (or 1:1.55 ratio)", with a note that you cannot edit the cover after uploading it.
A reel that fills a phone screen is 9:16, which is 1080 by 1920 pixels. On length, Instagram says you can record and edit reels up to 20 minutes, and adds: "Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences." For sharper uploads, the reel size page points to a setting: open your profile menu, tap Media quality and turn on Upload at highest quality.
Shape affects reach as well as looks. In Instagram Ranking Explained (31 May 2023), Adam Mosseri writes that Instagram aims to make some reels less visible, including "low-resolution or watermarked reels, reels that are muted or contain borders". A horizontal clip padded with bars is a reel with borders. Our Instagram Reels size guide has the full spec sheet, Reels export settings covers the editor side, and why Reels go blurry covers the fixes.
What size is an Instagram Story?
Here Instagram publishes less than most guides imply. The Help Center's page on sharing a photo or video to your story lists no pixel size. It does give one length rule: a video up to 60 seconds appears as one clip, and a longer video is broken into several.
The figures that exist come from Meta's ads guide. For Stories image ads it lists a 9:16 ratio and a resolution of 1440 by 2560 pixels. A 1080 by 1920 file has the same ratio. The guide also suggests leaving "roughly 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom, and 6% on each side" free of text and logos, so the profile icon and call to action do not cover them.
Meta's page on safe zones adds that on screens taller than 9:16 the picture may be zoomed to fill the screen, which can crop the edges. For how long a story can run, see how long Instagram Stories can be.
What size is an Instagram profile picture?
Instagram does not publish one. Its page on adding or changing a profile picture gives the steps and one warning, that the picture "is public to everyone, on or off Instagram". It lists no dimensions, and neither does any Help Center page read for this guide. The same is true of story highlight covers.
A reasonable working file is a square at 1080 by 1080 with the face or logo in the centre, because 1080 is the widest size Instagram keeps for photos. That is our suggestion and not an Instagram rule. For covers, our guide to Instagram highlight covers walks through adding and changing one.
Instagram ad sizes
Ads have firmer specifications than organic posts, because Meta's ads guide prints a ratio and a resolution for each placement. These are the design recommendations for the Instagram placements, read on 13 October 2026.
| Placement | Ratio | Resolution | Other limits listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feed image | 4:5 | 1440 x 1800 | JPG or PNG, up to 30 MB, at least 500 pixels wide |
| Feed video | 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 | 1 second to 60 minutes, up to 4 GB |
| Feed carousel | 4:5 for images only, 1:1 if any card is a video | At least 1080 x 1080 | 2 to 10 cards, images up to 30 MB, videos up to 4 GB |
| Stories image | 9:16 | 1440 x 2560 | JPG or PNG, up to 30 MB |
| Stories video | 9:16 | 1440 x 2560 | Under 16 seconds plays in full; longer may be split into cards |
| Reels video | 9:16 | 1440 x 2560 | Up to 15 minutes, up to 4 GB |
Sources: Meta ads guide pages for feed images, feed video, feed carousels, Stories images, Stories video and Reels. Meta's page on aspect ratio best practices recommends 9:16 for Stories and Reels because "most people hold their phones vertically". Note the gap between the two rulebooks: the Help Center accepts organic photos up to 3:4, while the ads guide lists 4:5 for feed images.
How to size a post so Instagram does not change it
- 1Pick the shape first
Square, 4:5 or 3:4 for a photo or carousel. 9:16 for a reel or story. Decide before you design.
- 2Set the width to 1080 pixels
Instagram sizes wider photos down to 1080 and enlarges anything under 320, so 1080 is the size it keeps.
- 3Keep text away from the edges
On 9:16 content, leave the top, the bottom third and the side edges clear, following Meta's safe zone guidance.
- 4Match every carousel slide
One orientation applies to the whole post, so size each slide to the first.
- 5Turn on Upload at highest quality
Profile menu, then Media quality. Instagram notes that higher quality uploads can take longer.
- 6Check the frame before you share
Use Edit and then Adjust to move the photo in the frame, and preview how it will sit on your grid.
A correct file is the starting point. Whether the post earns saves and shares depends on what is in it, which is what the rest of the Instagram growth library covers, starting with the glossary entry on Instagram Reels.
Instagram post size: FAQ
What size is an Instagram post in 2026?
Instagram stores photos at up to 1080 pixels wide and keeps the shape of any photo with an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 3:4. At 1080 wide that is 566 to 1440 pixels tall. The common sizes inside that range are 1080 by 1080 for a square, 1080 by 1350 for 4:5 and 1080 by 1440 for 3:4.
Is the Instagram post size 4:5 or 3:4 now?
Both are accepted. The Instagram Help Center says a photo keeps its original shape when its aspect ratio is between 1.91:1 and 3:4, so 3:4 (1080 by 1440) is the tallest photo Instagram will not crop and 4:5 (1080 by 1350) sits inside the range. Meta's ads guide still lists 4:5 as the ratio for feed image ads.
What size are Instagram Reels?
Instagram says you can upload a reel with an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16, with a minimum frame rate of 30 frames per second and a minimum resolution of 720 pixels. Full-screen vertical is 9:16, which is 1080 by 1920 pixels. The recommended cover photo size is 420 by 654 pixels, a ratio of 1:1.55.
What size is an Instagram Story?
The Instagram Help Center gives no pixel size for stories. Meta's ads guide lists 9:16 for Stories with a resolution of 1440 by 2560 pixels, and 1080 by 1920 is the same ratio. For ads, Meta suggests keeping about 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% of each side free of text and logos.
What size should an Instagram carousel be?
Use the same sizes as a single photo: 1080 pixels wide at 1:1, 4:5 or 3:4. A carousel holds up to 20 photos and videos, and Instagram applies one orientation to all of them: square, portrait or landscape. You cannot choose a different orientation for each slide, so size every slide to the first.
What is the Instagram profile picture size?
Instagram does not publish one. Its Help Center explains how to add or change a profile picture and says the picture is public to everyone, but lists no dimensions. A square image at least 1080 pixels wide, with the subject in the centre, is a safe working file because it matches the widest size Instagram keeps for photos.
Why does Instagram crop or blur my photo?
Cropping happens when the aspect ratio is outside 1.91:1 to 3:4: Instagram says an unsupported ratio "will be cropped to fit a supported ratio". Softness has two documented causes. A photo wider than 1080 pixels is sized down to 1080, and a photo narrower than 320 pixels is enlarged to 320.