Instagram Post Size 2026: Feed, Story, Reels

Post at 1080 x 1350 px (4:5) for the Instagram feed, or at 1080 x 1440 px (3:4) if you want your profile grid to show the whole image. Stories and Reels are 1080 x 1920 px (9:16). Those three sizes cover almost everything a business account posts.

If an older guide told you something different, it is probably out of date. Instagram reshaped its profile grid and added a new post shape in 2025, and plenty of size guides still describe the square grid of a few years ago. LayerProof already works from the 2026 sizes, so each Instagram post it lays out is ready to publish in about 5 minutes.

Key takeaways

• Default to 4:5. 1080 x 1350 px is the safest feed size and the one Meta uses for Instagram feed ads. Switch to 1080 x 1440 px (3:4) only when the profile grid matters more than ads.

• Design for the grid crop. Your profile shows a centered 3:4 slice of every post, so subjects and headlines belong in the middle.

• Slide one sets the carousel’s shape. Every other slide is cropped to match it, so build all slides on one canvas.

• A Reel appears in three shapes. Only the center 1080 x 1350 px is visible in the Reels tab, the feed, and the grid alike.

• Export at exactly 1080 px wide. Wider files are scaled down and compressed a second time.

What changed in Instagram sizes recently?

Three changes matter if you are reusing templates from before 2025:

• The profile grid is no longer square. Since January 2025, every post shows as a 3:4 rectangle on your profile, so square and 4:5 posts lose a strip from each side there.

• 3:4 posts upload without cropping. Instagram added native 3:4 support in 2025, matching the shape most phone cameras shoot in.

• Carousels hold up to 20 slides. The old limit was 10, so longer step-by-step and before-and-after carousels now fit in one post.

What size is an Instagram post in 2026?

An Instagram post is 1080 px wide and between 566 px and 1440 px tall, depending on its shape. The table lists the recommended upload size for every format. All sizes are width x height in pixels.

What is the best Instagram feed post size?

The best Instagram feed post size is 1080 x 1350 px (4:5). It takes up more of the phone screen than a square, so people spend longer on it as they scroll. It is also the portrait size Meta recommends for Instagram feed ads, so one design works for organic and paid posts.

Instagram accepts feed photos in any shape between 1.91:1 (wide) and 3:4 (tall). It keeps a photo at full quality when the width is between 320 px and 1080 px. Anything wider is scaled down to 1080 px, and anything outside the supported shapes is cropped.

Should I use 4:5 or 3:4 for Instagram posts?

Use 4:5 (1080 x 1350 px) when the same design also runs as an ad or goes to Facebook. Use 3:4 (1080 x 1440 px) for phone photos, which are shot at 3:4, and when your profile grid is part of your brand look. Instagram added native 3:4 posts in 2025, so they now upload without cropping.

How does the Instagram profile grid crop my posts?

The profile grid shows every post as a 3:4 rectangle, whatever size you uploaded. This changed in January 2025; the grid used to be square, and some older size guides still say it is.

Here is what each upload loses on the grid:

• 3:4 (1080 x 1440 px): Nothing. It matches the grid exactly.

• 4:5 (1080 x 1350 px): About 34 px from the left and right edges.

• 1:1 (1080 x 1080 px): A wide strip from each side, leaving an 810 x 1080 px center area.

• 1.91:1 (1080 x 566 px): Most of the width. Only the middle 40% or so shows.

Keep faces, products, and headlines in the center of the frame. The grid crop will then never cut anything important.

When should I use square or landscape posts?

Square posts (1080 x 1080 px) still work for product tiles and templates you already have. Landscape posts (1080 x 566 px) suit wide scenery but appear smallest in the feed and lose the most on the grid. For new designs, start at 4:5 or 3:4.

What size is an Instagram carousel?

An Instagram carousel uses the same sizes as a single feed post: 1080 x 1350 px (4:5) or 1080 x 1440 px (3:4). A carousel holds up to 20 photos or videos. Instagram crops every slide to the shape of the first one, so mixing sizes means some slides get trimmed.

Follow three rules when you design a carousel:

1. Pick one size for every slide. Set the canvas once at 1080 x 1350 px or 1080 x 1440 px and build every slide on it.

2. Keep repeated elements in the same place. Logos, page numbers, and swipe arrows should sit in identical positions on each slide.

3. Make slide one work on the grid. Only the first slide appears on your profile, cropped to 3:4. Put the hook in the center.

Can I make a seamless panorama carousel?

Yes. Design one wide image with 1080 px of width per slide, for example 3240 x 1350 px for three 4:5 slides, then split it into 1080 px wide pieces. Keep text away from the cut lines so no word is split across two slides.

What size is an Instagram Story?

An Instagram Story is 1080 x 1920 px (9:16). It fills the whole phone screen and disappears after 24 hours unless you save it to a Highlight. Instagram accepts Story images between 1.91:1 and 9:16, but anything shorter than 9:16 shows with colored bars above and below.

What is the Instagram Story safe zone?

The Instagram Story safe zone is the center area that your profile name, progress bar, and reply box never cover. On a 1080 x 1920 px canvas:

• Top 250 px: Your profile picture, account name, and the progress bar sit here.

• Bottom 340 px: The reply field, share button, and link stickers cover this band.

• Safe area: The middle 1080 x 1330 px is fully visible on every phone.

Put prices, offers, and calls to action in the safe area. Place link stickers just above the bottom band so people can tap them easily.

What size is an Instagram Highlight cover?

Design Highlight covers on a 1080 x 1920 px Story canvas. Instagram shows only a small circle from the center, so keep the icon inside the middle 400 x 400 px and skip small text.

What size is an Instagram Reel?

An Instagram Reel is 1080 x 1920 px (9:16), the same canvas as a Story. One Reel appears in three different shapes across the app, so plan the frame for all three:

The center 1080 x 1350 px is the only part visible in all three places. Keep the hook, faces, and on-screen text there.

What is the Instagram Reels safe zone?

Reels have more overlays than Stories. The caption, audio label, and account name stack up at the bottom, and the like, comment, and share buttons run down the right edge. On a 1080 x 1920 px frame, keep text out of roughly the top 220 px, the bottom 420 px, and the right 120 px.

What size is an Instagram Reel cover?

Upload Reel covers at 1080 x 1920 px. The profile grid shows the cover as a centered 1080 x 1440 px (3:4) crop, so put the title in the middle third of the image. A cover with a short, large title helps people find the Reel when they browse your profile.

Posting video instead of photos? Mylar turns a link, a script, or a rough idea into an AI motion graphic video at the 9:16 size Reels need.

What size is an Instagram profile picture?

Upload your Instagram profile picture at 320 x 320 px. Instagram displays it at 110 x 110 px on phones and crops it into a circle. Logos need a little padding on every side so the circle does not clip the corners.

What should I check before posting to Instagram?

Run through this five-point check on the final file. Each point catches a problem that shows up only after Instagram compresses and crops the image:

1. Is it exactly 1080 px wide? Instagram scales anything wider down to 1080 px, which means a second round of compression.

2. Is it saved as PNG if it has text? Instagram’s compression blurs small letters in JPG files. Keep JPG for photos without text.

3. Is the color profile sRGB? Other profiles shift when Instagram converts them, and brand colors come out flatter.

4. Does the center 3:4 area hold everything important? That is all the profile grid will show.

5. Have you looked at it on a phone? Preview the post at real size before you publish; small text that looks fine on a monitor often does not.

How do I plan one Instagram design for feed, grid, and Stories?

Start from the grid and work outward. The profile grid shows the smallest, most cropped version of your post, so if the idea works there, it will work everywhere else.

1. Sketch the 3:4 core. Place the subject, headline, and logo inside a 1080 x 1440 px frame.

2. Extend to 4:5 for the feed. Add a little background above and below the core; nothing important lives in the extra space.

3. Rebuild for 9:16. Move the headline into the upper middle and keep the bottom 340 px clear for the reply bar and stickers.

The third step is where most teams fall back on cropping and lose the headline. Matte handles it as a separate layout instead: you describe the post once, and it lays out the feed and Story versions on canvases set to Instagram’s exact sizes, plus Facebook and TikTok versions of the same idea. The Brand Kit carries your fonts, colors, and logo into each one. A first post takes about 5 minutes and costs about $0.3.

For product accounts, the photo is often the harder part. Vellum starts from one product shot and produces new backgrounds and angles, so a 3:4 grid tile and a 9:16 Story can each get a photo that fits. Get started today with Matte and plan your next carousel grid-first.

Frequently asked questions about Instagram post size

What is the Instagram post size in 2026?

The recommended Instagram post size in 2026 is 1080 x 1350 px (4:5). Instagram also supports 1080 x 1440 px (3:4), 1080 x 1080 px (1:1), and 1080 x 566 px (1.91:1). Stories and Reels use 1080 x 1920 px (9:16).

Is 1080 x 1080 still a good Instagram post size?

1080 x 1080 px still works, but it is no longer the best choice. Square posts take up less space in the feed than 4:5 posts, and the 3:4 profile grid trims their sides. Use square only for templates or product tiles you already have.

Why does Instagram crop my photo?

Instagram crops photos that fall outside its supported shapes, from 1.91:1 wide to 3:4 tall. Your profile grid also shows every post as a 3:4 rectangle. Upload at 4:5 or 3:4 and keep key details centered to avoid surprises.

What happens if I upload an image wider than 1080 px?

Instagram scales it down to 1080 px wide and compresses it. Images narrower than 320 px are scaled up and look blurry. Export at exactly 1080 px wide for the sharpest result.

Can carousel slides be different sizes?

No. Every slide is cropped to the shape of the first slide. Design all slides at the same size, either 1080 x 1350 px or 1080 x 1440 px.

Are Instagram Story and Reel sizes the same?

Yes. Both are 1080 x 1920 px (9:16). Reels have more on-screen buttons, though, so their safe zone is smaller, especially at the bottom and right edge.

References

• https://help.instagram.com/1631821640426723 · Image resolution of photos you share on Instagram · Instagram Help Center, accessed October 4, 2026 · Meta

• https://9to5mac.com/2025/05/29/instagram-changes-standard-photo-aspect-ratio/ · No more cropping: Instagram changes standard photo aspect ratio · May 29, 2025 · 9to5Mac