Feed postBest choice
3:4 portrait
Fills a profile tile exactly — nothing cropped in feed or grid. The format to use in 2026.
Cheat sheet · Updated October 2026
Instagram sizes
2026.
Every format on one page — the numbers, what the profile grid crops, and a checker that shows what your photo loses. Made by a photographer who got tired of googling it every week.
Deutsch →The short answer
Post photos at 3:4 · 1080 × 1440. It fills a profile tile without cropping and shows in full in the feed. Stories and Reels: 9:16 · 1080 × 1920.
Every format
Tap a number to copy it. Grey hatching = what the profile grid crops; in the feed and the opened post the whole image stays visible.
Feed post
4:5 portrait
Still fine in the feed. The grid trims about 34 px per side — keep faces and text away from the edges.
cropped in the profile gridFeed post
1:1 square
The old classic. In the 3:4 grid about 135 px per side disappear.
cropped in the profile gridFeed post
Landscape 1.91:1
Small in the feed, heavily cropped in the grid. Better: split it as a panorama carousel.
cropped in the profile gridCarousel
1 … 20
Up to 20 slides
One size for all slides — build every slide in the same ratio. 3:4 works best.
Story
9:16 full screen
Keep about 250 px top and bottom free of text — profile bar and reply field sit there.
covered by Instagram’s controlsReel
9:16 video
Keep about 270 px at the top, 670 px at the bottom and 65 px at the sides clear — captions and buttons cover them.
covered by Instagram’s controlsReel cover
9:16, grid shows 3:4
The grid shows only the centre 1080 × 1440 — 240 px are lost top and bottom.
cropped in the profile gridHighlight cover
9:16, icon is a circle
Only a centred circle shows on your profile — keep the motif in the middle.
Profile picture
1:1, shown as a circle
Shown small and round. Upload at least 320 × 320 — larger is fine, keep it centred.
Crop checker
Drop in a photo and see what each format keeps — and what it cuts. Nothing is uploaded; it all happens in your browser.
Example photo: Silvan Rapp, Crete
Keep it handy
Save the cheat sheet to your camera roll or put this page on your home screen — then the numbers are one tap away.
↓ Download cheat sheet (PNG)
1080 × 1920 — fits your phone screen
iPhone: tap the Share icon, then “Add to Home Screen”.
Android: tap ⋮ in Chrome, then “Add to Home screen”.
Desktop: press ⌘D / Ctrl+D to bookmark.
Stop resizing by hand
Postfolio exports every one of these sizes — automatically.
Choose the format once, drop in your photos, export. Panorama splits without a seam, profile-grid banners in the 3:4 crop, equal borders, editorial templates. No account, no subscription.
Free on iPhone & Android · Pro is a one-time €4.99, never a subscription
Questions, answered straight.
What is the best size for Instagram posts in 2026?
3:4 portrait at 1080 × 1440 px. It fills a profile-grid tile without cropping and shows in full in the feed.
What size is an Instagram Story?
1080 × 1920 px (9:16). Keep roughly 250 px at the top and bottom free of text, because the profile bar and the reply field cover them.
What size is an Instagram Reel and its cover?
Both 1080 × 1920 px (9:16). The profile grid shows only the centre 1080 × 1440 of the cover, so 240 px are cut at the top and bottom.
How many slides can an Instagram carousel have?
Up to 20 photos or videos. Use one ratio for all slides — 3:4 at 1080 × 1440 looks right in the feed and in the grid.
Does Instagram crop 4:5 and square posts in the grid?
Yes. The grid uses 3:4 tiles: a 4:5 post loses about 34 px per side, a square post about 135 px per side.
What size should my Instagram profile picture be?
Upload a square of at least 320 × 320 px. It is shown as a small circle, so keep your face or logo centred.
Sources & method: values checked against current guides (Oct 2026) and our own tests in the app; Instagram changes details from time to time — post one test before a big series.