Instagram Story Dimensions: The Complete 2026 Guide

Getting Instagram story dimensions right is the difference between a crisp, professional post and one that looks stretched, cropped or pixelated. Instagram supports several formats with different aspect ratios, and uploading the wrong size means the platform crops or compresses your image for you — rarely in your favour.

Instagram Story dimensions

Instagram Stories use a 9:16 vertical aspect ratio. The recommended resolution is 1080 × 1920 pixels. Upload at exactly this size and Instagram displays it without cropping or re-scaling.

If you upload a square or landscape image to a Story, Instagram pillarboxes it with blank space or crops it. Always export Stories at 1080 × 1920.

Instagram Reels dimensions

Reels use the same 9:16 ratio — 1080 × 1920 pixels. The key difference from Stories is the safe zone: Reels overlay the caption, username, audio label and action buttons on top of your video. Keep important content away from the bottom ~250 pixels and the right ~120 pixels, or the UI will cover it.

Instagram feed Post dimensions

The feed supports three shapes:

• Square (1:1): 1080 × 1080 pixels — the classic, safe choice.
• Portrait (4:5): 1080 × 1350 pixels — takes up the most vertical space in the feed, which boosts visibility.
• Landscape (1.91:1): 1080 × 566 pixels — the smallest footprint; least recommended.

For maximum feed presence, the 4:5 portrait format is the smart default in 2026.

Carousel dimensions

Carousels follow the same options as single posts — 1:1, 4:5 or 1.91:1 — but every slide must use the same aspect ratio. Mixing a square slide with a portrait slide makes Instagram crop the odd ones out. Pick one ratio and resize every slide to it.

Safe zones explained

A "safe zone" is the area of your image guaranteed not to be hidden by Instagram's interface. For Stories and Reels:

• Keep text and faces within the central 1080 × 1420 area.
• Leave the top ~250 pixels clear of key content (profile bar).
• Leave the bottom ~340 pixels clear (caption, buttons, audio).

Designing inside the safe zone means your message survives no matter what UI Instagram layers on top.

Resolution and quality

Instagram compresses every upload. You cannot stop that — but you can make it gentler:

• Upload at the exact recommended pixel dimensions, never larger. Oversized images get re-compressed harder.
• Keep file size reasonable — under about 2 MB for photos.
• Use sRGB colour. Other colour profiles can shift on Instagram's servers.

How to resize photos for Instagram

If your photo is the wrong shape, resize it before uploading rather than letting Instagram crop blindly:

1. Decide the format — Story (1080×1920), feed (1080×1350), or square (1080×1080).
2. Resize the image to those exact dimensions.
3. Position the subject inside the safe zone.
4. Export as JPG in sRGB.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Instagram Story size? 1080 × 1920 pixels, a 9:16 vertical ratio. Upload at exactly this size for a perfect, un-cropped Story.

What size should an Instagram feed post be? 1080 × 1350 (4:5 portrait) gives the most feed real estate. 1080 × 1080 square is the safe alternative.

Why does Instagram crop my photos? Because the upload does not match a supported aspect ratio. Resize to a supported size first and cropping stops.

Can I post a landscape photo to a Story? You can, but Instagram adds blank bars above and below. Resize to 9:16 for a full-screen Story.

Does Instagram reduce image quality? Yes, Instagram compresses all uploads. Uploading at the exact recommended dimensions in sRGB minimises the visible loss.

Resize your images perfectly

Stop letting Instagram crop your work. The free Image Resizer has one-click presets for every Instagram format — Story, Reel, square and portrait — so you can resize any photo to the exact pixel dimensions in seconds, right in your browser.