The best Instagram post size in 2026 is 1080×1350 pixels (4:5 portrait). Instagram also accepts 1080×1440 (3:4), 1080×1080 (1:1 square) and 1080×566 (1.91:1 landscape). The profile grid now previews posts as 3:4 tiles, carousels follow the first slide's shape, and Reels covers are 1080×1920 (9:16).
Instagram changed two things in 2025 that made most older size charts wrong: the profile grid switched from square tiles to taller 3:4 tiles, and the app started accepting 3:4 photos without cropping them to 4:5. So the question is no longer just "what size fits the feed" but "what size looks right in the feed and on my profile." This guide gives the exact pixel sizes, explains how each shape gets cropped, and shows free ways to resize a photo before you post.
- Default choice: 1080×1350 (4:5). It takes the most screen space in the feed.
- Grid-perfect choice: 1080×1440 (3:4). It matches the profile grid tile, so nothing is cropped there.
- Square (1080×1080) still works, but looks smaller in the feed and loses its sides on the grid.
- Always 1080 px wide. Instagram scales bigger images down to 1080 and stretches smaller ones up, which makes them soft.
- Carousels: up to 20 slides; every slide is shown at the first slide's ratio.
- Reels covers: 1080×1920, with the important part inside the central 3:4 area.
What is the Instagram post size in 2026?
Use 1080 pixels wide and choose a height for the shape you want: 1350 for 4:5, 1440 for 3:4, 1080 for square or 566 for landscape. Width is fixed at 1080 because that is the size Instagram stores and shows feed photos at. Height decides how much of the phone screen your post fills.
| Post type | Aspect ratio | Size in pixels | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | 4:5 | 1080×1350 | Most feed posts; biggest in the feed |
| Tall portrait | 3:4 | 1080×1440 | Matching the profile grid exactly |
| Square | 1:1 | 1080×1080 | Product shots, quotes, older templates |
| Landscape | 1.91:1 | 1080×566 | Wide scenes; rarely the best choice |
| Carousel | Set by slide 1 | 1080×1350 for every slide | Product angles, step-by-steps |
| Reels cover | 9:16 | 1080×1920 | Thumbnail for a Reel; grid shows a 3:4 crop |
| Profile photo | 1:1 | 320×320 or larger | Shown as a small circle |
Instagram's feed, carousel and Reels cover sizes were checked in October 2026. Marketplaces change their rules, so confirm the current requirements in your seller dashboard before you upload a large batch.
Instagram's help pages don't publish one master size chart, and the numbers above are the ones most widely tested since the 2025 grid change. Older guides that cap portrait posts at 4:5 predate the 3:4 update. If the app crops a 3:4 photo on your account, fall back to 4:5. To get a photo to one of these sizes, the free Instagram image resizer makes 4:5, square and 9:16 versions in your browser, padding or cropping as you choose.
Should Instagram posts be 4:5 or 3:4?
Choose 4:5 if most people see you in their feed, and 3:4 if your profile grid acts as a shop window. Both are portrait and both look good on a phone. The difference is small but visible:
- 4:5 (1080×1350) is the long-standing feed favourite. On the profile grid, Instagram trims about 34 pixels from each side to fit the 3:4 tile.
- 3:4 (1080×1440) fills the grid tile exactly and is slightly taller in the feed. Some third-party schedulers still convert it to 4:5, so check after posting.
- 1:1 (1080×1080) loses about 135 pixels from each side on the grid, which can cut off text placed near the edges of older square templates.
Whichever you pick, keep the main subject and any words inside the middle of the frame with about 10% empty space on every side. That one habit survives every crop Instagram applies.
How does the Instagram grid crop posts?
The grid shows a centered 3:4 crop of every post, and the full image opens when someone taps it. That means the grid can cut off edges even when the feed shows everything. Many post types let you adjust the grid thumbnail: open the post, tap the three dots, choose Edit, and look for the option to adjust the preview crop.
| You post | What the 3:4 grid tile hides |
|---|---|
| 1080×1440 (3:4) | Nothing |
| 1080×1350 (4:5) | A thin strip (about 34 px) from each side |
| 1080×1080 (1:1) | About an eighth of the width on each side |
| 1080×566 (1.91:1) | Most of both sides; only the center stays |
| Reel at 1080×1920 | The top and bottom of the cover |
If you want a multi-post picture that lines up across your profile, our free Instagram grid maker splits one photo into 3×1, 3×2 or 3×3 posts at 1080×1350 or 1080×1080, numbered in the order to publish.
What size are Instagram carousel posts?
Make every carousel slide 1080×1350 (or every slide 1080×1440). Instagram shows all slides at the ratio of the first one, so a square slide in a portrait carousel gets cropped or padded. A carousel can hold up to 20 photos and videos.
- Pick one ratio for the whole carousel before you design anything.
- Export every slide at the same pixel size.
- Put your strongest image first: it sets the shape and is the only slide shown on the grid.
- For a seamless panorama that flows as people swipe, split one wide image into equal slides (the grid maker above does carousels of 2 to 10 slides too).
What size is an Instagram Reels cover?
A Reels cover is 1080×1920 (9:16), the same as the Reel itself. In the feed and Reels tab it shows full screen; on your profile grid it shows a centered 3:4 crop, roughly the middle 1080×1440. Put the product and any title text in that middle band. For full Reel and Story specs, including the parts the buttons cover, see our Instagram story size guide and the TikTok video dimensions guide, which uses the same 9:16 frame.
The usual cause is an image narrower than 1080 px, which Instagram stretches, or a ratio outside 1.91:1 to 3:4, which it crops and recompresses. Upload a 1080-wide JPEG in sRGB at the right ratio and turn on high-quality uploads in the app's media quality settings. If your only copy is small, enlarge it first with an AI image upscaler (3 credits).
How to resize a photo for Instagram for free
You can resize without any paid app. Pick the method by what you're willing to lose: cropping cuts part of the photo, padding adds borders, and AI extension adds new background.
Crop to 4:5 or 3:4
On iPhone, open the photo in Photos, tap Edit, then the crop icon, and choose 4:5 or 3:4 from the ratio presets. On Android, Google Photos has the same options under Crop. On a computer, our free image cropper locks the crop box to 1:1, 4:5 or 9:16 and shows the output size in pixels as you drag.
Pad to square or portrait without cropping
If the whole photo must stay, add borders instead. Our free square image maker pads a photo to 1080×1080 with white, any color or a blurred copy of the photo, and the free marketplace image resizer has an Instagram post preset at 1080×1350 that pads or crops. Both run in your browser without sign-up. Our guide to resizing for Instagram without cropping walks through every padding method.
Extend the background with AI
Borders look like borders. If you want a wide product photo to become a 4:5 post that looks like it was shot that way, an AI extender generates more of the scene around the subject. That is the one method here that isn't free.
Turn one product photo into a 1080×1350 Instagram post and a 1080×1920 Story, with AI filling the extra space instead of cropping your product.
Extend a photo7 days free · 50 credits · No credit cardInstagram post size checklist
- 1080 px wide; 1350 tall for 4:5 or 1440 tall for 3:4.
- JPEG in sRGB color, ideally under about 8 MB (PNG works but is converted).
- Subject and text centered, with about 10% margin on every side.
- Every carousel slide uses the same ratio as the first.
- Reels covers keep the title inside the central 3:4 band.
- Nothing important in the outer edges of a square or landscape post.
- After posting, check your profile grid on a phone and adjust the thumbnail if needed.
Making Instagram post sizes from product photos with AiArter
If you sell products, the hard part isn't knowing the size; it's getting a photo shot square or landscape into a 4:5 frame without cutting the product or adding obvious borders. AiArter does that from the photo you already have:
- Channel sizes (8 credits each). Instagram post at 1080×1350 (4:5) and Story or Reel at 1080×1920 (9:16). The AI fills the new space instead of stretching or cropping.
- Lifestyle scenes (8 credits). Your product is cut out and kept as it is; only the background is generated, from presets such as Marble counter, Wooden table and Pastel color, or a scene you describe.
- Batches. Up to 50 photos at once, one ZIP download, and failed photos aren't charged.
For shop catalog images (which use a different, square size), see our Instagram Shop product image size guide. AiArter doesn't post to Instagram for you; you download the files and upload them in the app or your scheduler.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Instagram post size in 2026?
1080×1350 pixels (4:5) is the best all-round Instagram post size because it fills the most of the feed. If your profile grid matters more, use 1080×1440 (3:4), which matches the grid tile exactly.
Does Instagram still crop posts to square on the profile?
No. Since 2025 the profile grid shows 3:4 tiles instead of squares. A 4:5 post loses a thin strip (about 34 px) from each side on the grid, and a square post loses about an eighth of its width on each side.
What size should Instagram carousel images be?
Use the same size for every slide, usually 1080×1350. Instagram displays all slides at the first slide's ratio, and a carousel can hold up to 20 photos and videos.
What happens if my image is bigger than 1080 pixels?
Instagram scales it down to 1080 pixels wide, so there's no quality gain from uploading a 4000-pixel file. Images narrower than 1080 get stretched and can look soft.
What is the Instagram Reels cover size?
1080×1920 pixels (9:16). The profile grid shows a centered 3:4 crop of it, so keep the title and product in the middle of the frame.
How do I post a full photo on Instagram without cropping?
Pad it onto a 1080×1350 or 1080×1080 canvas with a border or blurred background, then upload that. Free browser tools such as a square image maker or resizer do this in a few seconds.
Upload a product photo and get a 4:5 feed post and a 9:16 Story with the extra space filled by AI, and your product left exactly as you shot it.
Start free trialSee pricing7 days free · 50 credits · No credit card. Trial images carry a small “Made with aiarter” mark; paid plans export clean files you can use commercially.
