Instagram Post, Story and Reel Sizes for 2026
Instagram allows photos from 1.91:1 to 3:4 and Reels from 1.91:1 to 9:16. Every size in pixels, the 3:4 grid, and which guides still say 4:5.
For an Instagram post, you'll want 1080 x 1350 pixels (4:5) or the taller 1080 x 1440 (3:4). Instagram's Help Center says to upload photos "with a width of at least 1080 pixels with an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 3:4" for best results. Stories and Reels use 1080 x 1920 (9:16). A profile photo is 320 x 320, shown as a circle. Some big guides still say 4:5 is the tallest you can go. That's out of date, since Instagram's own page allows 3:4.
We read Instagram's Help Center as Google shows it, and the Buffer, Hootsuite and Metricool guides, on October 23, 2026. We didn't upload test files.
What size is each Instagram format?
| Format | Size in pixels | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Square post | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 |
| Portrait post | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 |
| Tall post | 1080 x 1440 | 3:4 |
| Landscape post | 1080 x 566 | 1.91:1 |
| Story | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 |
| Reel | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 |
| Profile photo | 320 x 320 | 1:1 |
Instagram Help Center, as Google showed it on October 23, 2026, and Buffer's guide for the pixel sizes.
About 246,000 people a month search for the Instagram post size, and 60,500 for the story size.
What does Instagram itself allow?
- Photos: a ratio "between 1.91:1 and 3:4" and a width of at least 1080 pixels. A photo between 320 and 1080 pixels wide keeps its own resolution when its ratio fits.
- Reels: "an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16," with "a minimum frame rate of 30 FPS" and "a minimum resolution of 720 pixels" for each one.
- Stories: the Help Center's upload trouble page names a ratio that's "not 9:16 or between 4:5 and 1.91:1" as a cause.
Sprout Social lists Reels at up to 20 minutes, and 3 minutes for reach to new audiences.
Which guides are out of date?
| Question | Instagram says | Guides say |
|---|---|---|
| Tallest photo | 3:4 | 4:5 (Hootsuite) |
| Tallest upload | 1080 x 1440 | 1080 x 1350 (Metricool) |
| Grid preview | 3:4 | 3:4 |
Instagram Help Center as Google showed it, Hootsuite's guide of October 1, 2026, Metricool's of January 21, 2026, read October 23, 2026.
Hootsuite's October guide gives the feed range as "Anywhere between 1.91:1 and 4:5" today. Metricool says "Instagram still limits uploads to a maximum of 1080 px wide and 1350 px tall" for feed posts. The Help Center's 3:4 limit means a 1080 x 1440 photo fits. Buffer's guide, updated this month, lists 3:4 as well.
Why does my Instagram grid crop my posts?
Instagram's profile grid shows tall rectangles now. In January 2025, Adam Mosseri announced in his Story, as Instagram posts about it show, "a new rectangular grid to replace the square grid" for profiles. Guides now give the grid preview as 3:4. A square post shows with its sides cut off there, so it's best to keep the subject in the middle.
How do you make a picture fit on Instagram?
- Pick the ratio first. 4:5 or 3:4 for feed photos, 9:16 for Stories and Reels.
- Export at 1080 pixels wide. It's the width Instagram asks for. It keeps photos between 320 and 1080 pixels wide at their resolution when the ratio fits.
- Keep text away from the edges. The grid crops the sides of square posts, and Stories put buttons at the top and bottom.
- Use 30 FPS or more for video. Reels below 720 pixels or 30 FPS don't meet Instagram's minimum.
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Frequently asked questions
What size is an Instagram post?
1080 x 1350 pixels (4:5) or 1080 x 1440 (3:4) for a portrait post. Square posts are 1080 x 1080, and landscape posts are 1080 x 566.
What size is an Instagram story?
1080 x 1920 pixels, a 9:16 ratio.
What size is an Instagram Reel?
1080 x 1920 pixels at 9:16. Instagram's minimum is 720 pixels and 30 FPS.
What size is an Instagram profile picture?
320 x 320 pixels. Instagram shows it as a circle, so you'll want your face in the middle.
Can you post a 3:4 photo on Instagram?
Yes, it's within Instagram's limit. The Help Center allows photos between 1.91:1 and 3:4, so 1080 x 1440 fits.
Sources
- Instagram Help Center pages on photo resolution, Reel sizes and story upload trouble, as Google showed them on October 23, 2026
- Buffer, "Instagram Image Size Guide 2026," read October 23, 2026
- Hootsuite, "Social media image sizes for all networks [October 2026]," October 1, 2026, read October 23, 2026
- Metricool, "Best Instagram Post Sizes Guide 2026," January 21, 2026, read October 23, 2026
- Posts on Adam Mosseri's grid announcement, January 17 and 18, 2025, as Google showed them on October 23, 2026
- Sprout Social, "Social media video specs guide," read October 22, 2026
- Google results for "instagram post size," US, October 23, 2026 (our read)
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