Guides
Instagram Image Sizes: Posts, Carousels, Stories and Reels
Published by Influence
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For an Instagram photo, start with a 1080-pixel-wide image and choose the shape that suits the content. Instagram’s current native photo guidance supports aspect ratios from 1.91:1 landscape to 3:4 portrait.
That includes 1080 × 1440 for a 3:4 portrait, 1080 × 1350 for 4:5, and 1080 × 1080 for a square. Instagram’s photo-resolution guidance.
For vertical Stories and Reels, our suggested working canvas is 1080 × 1920, or 9:16. Treat this as a design starting point; the format, account, and publishing method determine what can be uploaded.
Instagram sizes at a glance
All dimensions below are width × height.
| Format | Canvas size | Aspect ratio | What the number means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape photo | 1080 × 566 px | Approximately 1.91:1 | Landscape end of Instagram’s native photo range |
| Square photo | 1080 × 1080 px | 1:1 | A square within the supported photo range |
| Portrait photo | 1080 × 1350 px | 4:5 | A portrait option within the supported photo range |
| Taller portrait photo | 1080 × 1440 px | 3:4 | Portrait end of Instagram’s native photo range |
| Photo carousel | Match the chosen photo canvas | Consistent orientation | Prepare the slides together and inspect every crop |
| Story | 1080 × 1920 px | 9:16 | Our recommended vertical working canvas |
| Reel video | 1080 × 1920 px | 9:16 | Our recommended full-screen vertical export |
| Reel cover photo | 420 × 654 px | Approximately 1:1.55 | Instagram’s published cover recommendation |
The photo values follow Instagram’s published range; the square and 4:5 dimensions are calculated within it. Instagram separately publishes its Reel cover recommendation. Photo specifications, Reel specifications.
What is the difference between dimensions and aspect ratio?
Dimensions describe the number of pixels in an image. Aspect ratio describes its shape.
A 1080 × 1350 image has a 4:5 aspect ratio: four units wide for every five units tall. A 1080 × 1920 image has a 9:16 aspect ratio.
Two images can have the same shape but different resolutions. Increasing the pixel count of a small, blurry image does not restore missing detail.
What size should an Instagram feed image be?
Choose the image’s shape before adding text, borders, or other design elements.
Use a square when the composition works naturally in a square. Choose portrait when the subject benefits from more vertical space. Use landscape when the width matters to the photograph.
Instagram’s current native photo guidance includes 3:4 portrait uploads. A guide that treats 4:5 as the only portrait option leaves out that supported shape. Check the requirements of your publishing tool as well as Instagram’s native app. Instagram Help Center.
Worked example: adapting a portrait photo
Original image1080 × 1440 · 3:4
Cropped image1080 × 1350 · 4:5
Suppose you have a 1080 × 1440 photograph of a mug and need a 1080 × 1350 version.
The width stays the same. The height decreases by 90 pixels. A centered crop removes 45 pixels from the top and 45 from the bottom.
| Step | What changes |
|---|---|
| Original | 1080 × 1440, or 3:4 |
| Required version | 1080 × 1350, or 4:5 |
| Height removed | 90 pixels total |
| Centered crop | 45 pixels from each horizontal edge |
Before exporting, check the mug’s rim, base, and any text. Move the crop if centering would cut off something important. If you need to retain the entire photograph, place it within the new canvas and use a deliberate background instead.
What size should an Instagram carousel be?
Prepare carousel slides in a consistent orientation and review the sequence as a whole. Instagram’s current instructions say the selected orientation applies across the photos and videos in the carousel. Instagram’s carousel guidance.
For example, a five-slide mug-selection guide could use the same portrait canvas for:
- The title.
- Capacity.
- Handle comfort.
- Weight.
- Care instructions.
Keep titles, margins, and body text consistent. Check every slide rather than assuming that a good first slide means the rest will fit.
Native Instagram features and scheduling-tool capabilities can differ. Confirm the supported formats and attachment limits in the tool you will use.
What size should Stories and Reels be?
A 1080 × 1920 canvas gives you a 9:16 vertical composition for Stories or Reels. Keep the main subject clear, and leave room around important text so you can adjust the layout after previewing it.
For Reel uploads, Instagram publishes an accepted aspect-ratio range from 1.91:1 to 9:16 and a minimum frame rate of 30 frames per second. Our 9:16 recommendation is a practical vertical format within that range. Instagram’s Reel requirements.
Interface controls, captions, and other overlays can cover parts of the content. Preview the actual placement before publishing. A single fixed margin should not be treated as a guarantee for every device and placement.
Is a Reel cover the same size as the video?
The video and its cover serve different purposes. The video is the moving content; the cover represents it in places where a still image appears.
Instagram’s Help Center recommends 420 × 654 pixels for Reel cover photos. Check the cover preview independently from the video, particularly when it includes a title or a subject near an edge. Instagram’s cover-photo guidance.
Why does the image look different on the profile grid?
The full post and its preview can appear in differently shaped spaces. A composition that works when opened may lose important details in a smaller preview.
Check the full post, its feed presentation, and its profile preview. Keep essential information in the caption as well as the artwork so readers do not have to rely on a particular crop.
Check these details before publishing
- Confirm the intended format: photo, carousel, Story, or Reel.
- Check dimensions and aspect ratio.
- Inspect the actual export for blur, stretched images, and clipped text.
- Review every carousel slide and the Reel cover separately.
- Add accurate alternative text where the destination supports it.
- Verify that the caption, media, account, and publishing time belong together.
- Check the requirements of the publishing method you are using.
For Influence’s supported account and publishing workflow, read Instagram scheduling and publishing. You can also follow the review and scheduling process or explore planning content as a creator.
Specifications checked against Instagram’s Help Center on October 15, 2026. Platform requirements can change.