How to resize images for Instagram
Three sizes cover almost everything: 1080 × 1080, 1080 × 1350 and 1080 × 1920.
Updated September 1, 2026
Instagram accepts a range of aspect ratios and then re-encodes and crops whatever you give it. Hand it something at the wrong ratio and the app decides what to cut — which is how people end up with a post that trims the top of a head.
Sizing it yourself first means you choose the framing and Instagram has less work to do to the pixels.
Steps
- 1
Square post — 1080 × 1080
The classic 1:1 feed post. Safe, predictable, and the format most grid layouts assume.
- 2
Portrait post — 1080 × 1350
The 4:5 ratio, and the one that occupies the most vertical space in the feed. If you only remember one size, remember this one.
- 3
Story and reel — 1080 × 1920
9:16 full screen. Keep important content away from the top and bottom 250 pixels, where the interface overlays sit.
- 4
Profile picture — 320 × 320
Displayed as a small circle, so anything at the corners is cut. Centre the subject and keep it simple.
Export as JPEG
Instagram converts everything to JPEG anyway. Uploading a PNG just sends more data for the same result.
Do not upload the camera original
A 4000px photo gets aggressively re-encoded. A correctly sized 1080px export gives the encoder an easier job and usually looks better.