Instagram Image Sizes Guide

Instagram Image Sizes at a Glance

Instagram supports several image formats, and using the right dimensions ensures your content looks professional and isn't auto-cropped or compressed by the app.

Instagram Post Images (4:5 Ratio)

The optimal size for Instagram feed posts is 1080 × 1350 pixels (4:5 aspect ratio). This format takes up more vertical space in the feed than a square post, which tends to increase visibility. A classic 1:1 square (1080 × 1080) still works fine if you prefer it.

Instagram Story and Reels Size (9:16 Ratio)

Stories and Reels both use 1080 × 1920 pixels (9:16), full-screen on mobile. Keep important content — text, logos, faces — away from the very top and bottom of the frame; roughly the top and bottom 250px are often covered by Instagram's own UI (username, caption, like/comment buttons), so content placed there can get hidden.

Instagram Carousel Size

For multi-image carousel posts, use the same size for every slide — mixing 1:1 and 4:5 images in one carousel causes Instagram to crop later slides to match the first one. Pick one ratio before you upload the whole set.

Instagram Profile Picture Size

Profile pictures are square (1:1) at a minimum of 320 × 320 pixels, but Instagram displays them in a circular crop — so keep the subject centered and leave margin around the edges to avoid corners being cut off.

Common Mistakes When Resizing for Instagram

• Uploading a landscape photo directly to a Story format, which stretches or heavily crops it
• Uploading low-resolution images that get compressed further and look blurry
• Mixing aspect ratios within one carousel, causing Instagram to crop later slides
• Placing text near the edges of a Story, where it gets hidden by app UI

This tool avoids the stretching problem by adding a white board background instead of cropping or distorting your original photo — the full image stays visible inside the correct canvas size.