Short answer: the best Instagram post size in 2026 is 1080 x 1350 pixels, a 4:5 portrait. Instagram also accepts 1080 x 1440 (3:4), 1080 x 1080 (1:1 square) and 1080 x 566 (1.91:1 landscape). Use 1080 x 1920 (9:16) for Reels and Stories. In a random sample of 12,000 Instagram posts published through FeedHive, square single images reached 3 to 11% fewer accounts than the same account's typical image post, while 4:5 portrait images reached 5 to 7% more. The clear winner was the 4:5 carousel: 16 to 20% more reach and 27 to 34% more interactions.
Every size guide on the first page of Google lists the same pixel numbers. Few of them say which size actually performs, and most get the new 3:4 format half right. Below you get every current dimension with its official source, what our data shows, how much of each size the profile grid cuts off, and the one catch with 3:4 that matters if you schedule your posts.
Instagram post sizes at a glance
| Format | Size in pixels | Aspect ratio | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait post (recommended) | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 | Default for photos, graphics and carousels |
| Tall portrait post | 1080 x 1440 | 3:4 | Posts made in the Instagram app that should fill the profile grid tile exactly |
| Square post | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 | Only when the design has to be square |
| Landscape post | 1080 x 566 | 1.91:1 | Wide photos you do not want to crop |
| Carousel | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 (every slide matches the first) | Up to 20 photos and videos per post |
| Reels | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 | Full-screen vertical video |
| Stories | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 | Full-screen photos and videos |
| Reel cover | 420 x 654 | 1:1.55 | Instagram's recommended cover size |
| Profile picture | 320 x 320 | 1:1 (shown as a circle) | Keep the subject in the center |
Sources: Instagram Help Center pages on photo resolution, Reel size and carousels, Meta's developer documentation, and Buffer for the profile picture size. All checked on October 30, 2026.
How Instagram sizes your photo
Instagram's own help page describes the rule. When you share a photo, Instagram stores it at a width of up to 1080 pixels. If the photo is between 320 and 1080 pixels wide and its aspect ratio is between 1.91:1 and 3:4, Instagram keeps it at its original resolution. That means a 1080-pixel-wide photo can be anywhere from 566 to 1440 pixels tall.
Three things happen when you step outside that range:
- Wrong shape: a photo taller than 3:4 or wider than 1.91:1 is cropped to the nearest supported ratio. A 9:16 phone photo posted to the feed loses its top and bottom.
- Too small: a photo narrower than 320 pixels is enlarged to 320 pixels wide, which makes it soft.
- Too big: a photo wider than 1080 pixels is scaled down to 1080. Nothing is lost, but there is no quality gain from uploading a 4000-pixel photo either.
So the width is always 1080 pixels and the height is what you choose. The question is which height to pick.
What size performs best: what our data shows
We took a random sample of 12,000 Instagram posts published through FeedHive between July 13 and October 26, 2026, kept the feed image posts (single images and carousels, no Reels, videos or Stories) and grouped them by the aspect ratio of the first image. Then we compared each post with the same account's typical image post. That way a large account cannot drown out a small one, and the result reflects what changes when the same account picks a different size.
What we found, with the range across two independent random samples:
- Square is the weakest size. Square single images reached 3 to 11% fewer accounts than the account's typical image post and earned 4 to 15% fewer interactions. They also got 14 to 19% fewer saves and shares.
- 4:5 portrait is a safe default. Single 4:5 images reached 5 to 7% more accounts than typical, with interactions about level.
- Landscape is not the reach killer it is made out to be. Landscape single images reached 9 to 11% more accounts than typical in both samples. Interactions were about level. Landscape is rare (fewer than one image post in ten), so treat this as "do not crop a great wide photo just to follow a rule" rather than "switch to landscape".
- Format beats size. 4:5 carousels did best of all: 16 to 20% more reach, 27 to 34% more interactions and 22 to 31% more saves and shares than the account's typical image post.
The size choices people make line up with this. About two in three feed images in our sample were 4:5, about one in five was square, and fewer than one in ten was landscape. 3:4 posts were too rare to measure on their own, which leads to the next point.
4:5 or 3:4: the catch most size guides skip
In 2025 Instagram switched the profile grid from square tiles to taller 3:4 tiles, and the Instagram app now accepts photos up to 3:4 (1080 x 1440). Some guides now say 3:4 is the new standard. Others, like Metricool, say uploads still stop at 1080 x 1350. Both are partly right, and the difference is how you publish.
- In the Instagram app, 3:4 is supported. Instagram's help page lists 1.91:1 to 3:4 as the range it keeps at full resolution.
- Through the Instagram API, which scheduling tools use to auto-publish, Meta's developer documentation still lists the feed image range as 4:5 to 1.91:1. A 3:4 image is outside it.
That is why Your Social Team found 1080 x 1440 support partial or missing across the schedulers it tested. It is not a bug in one tool. It is the limit of the API they auto-publish through.
Our recommendation: make 4:5 (1080 x 1350) your default. It fills almost the whole 3:4 grid tile, works in the app and through the API, and in our data it performed well. Use 3:4 only for posts you publish by hand in the app, such as a grid banner that has to fill the tile exactly.
How much of each size the profile grid hides
Your profile grid shows every post as a 3:4 tile. Your followers' feeds show the full post, but anyone who lands on your profile sees the tile first. Here is how much of each size falls outside a centered 3:4 tile:
| Post size | Visible in the grid tile | Hidden on each side | Share of width hidden |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080 x 1440 (3:4) | The whole image | 0 px | 0% |
| 1080 x 1350 (4:5) | 1013 x 1350 | about 34 px | 6% |
| 1080 x 1080 (1:1) | 810 x 1080 | 135 px | 25% |
| 1080 x 566 (1.91:1) | 425 x 566 | about 328 px | 61% |
A 4:5 post loses a thin strip on each side. A square post loses a quarter of its width, which is enough to cut off text that runs close to the edges. A landscape post shows less than half of itself. You can adjust the grid preview of a post in the Instagram app, but the simplest fix is to keep headlines, faces and logos inside the middle 75% of the width whenever you post square or landscape.
Instagram carousel size
Use 1080 x 1350 (4:5) for every slide. Two rules from Instagram matter here:
- The first slide sets the shape. Instagram's help page says the orientation you choose applies to every photo and video in the post, and Meta's developer documentation says carousel images are cropped based on the first image. A landscape slide in a portrait carousel gets cropped to portrait.
- Up to 20 slides. The Instagram app allows up to 20 photos and videos in one carousel.
Design all slides at the same size and keep the edges free of text, and nothing gets cropped. FeedHive checks that every image in an Instagram carousel has the same proportions before you schedule it, so a stray landscape slide is caught early. FeedHive currently publishes carousels of up to 10 slides.
Carousels are also where our data saw the biggest gains. If you have several strong images for one idea, a 4:5 carousel is a better bet than splitting them into separate posts.
Instagram Reels and Stories sizes
Reels: 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16). Instagram's Reels help page says Reels should have an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16, a minimum resolution of 720 pixels and a minimum frame rate of 30 frames per second. The recommended cover size is 420 x 654 pixels. On your profile grid the Reel shows as a 3:4 tile, so keep the subject and any cover text in the middle of the frame.
Stories: 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16). Meta's developer documentation recommends 9:16 for Story images and videos to avoid cropping or blank space. Keep text away from the very top and bottom, where your profile name and the reply bar sit.
File size and format
- Width: 1080 pixels is the target. Instagram stores photos at up to 1080 pixels wide in the app, and Meta's API accepts widths from 320 to 1440 pixels.
- Format: JPEG is the safe choice. Meta's API accepts only JPEG for feed images and Stories.
- File size: 8 MB maximum per image through the API.
- Color: sRGB. Images in other color spaces are converted, which can shift colors, so export in sRGB.
How to resize a photo for Instagram without cropping
- Pick the size first. For a feed post, set your canvas to 1080 x 1350 pixels before you design anything.
- Fit, do not fill. If the photo has a different shape, place it on the 1080 x 1350 canvas at full width and fill the gap with a background color or a blurred copy of the photo. Canva and Adobe Express both offer Instagram size presets.
- Keep a safe zone. Keep text and faces inside the middle 75% of the width so the grid tile shows them, even if you later change the size.
- Export at 1080 pixels wide as a JPEG in sRGB, under 8 MB.
- Check the preview before you post, including how the post will look as a 3:4 tile on your profile grid.
Schedule Instagram posts in the right size
Most size problems show up at the last minute: a landscape slide in a portrait carousel, a 3:4 image a scheduler cannot publish, or a crop that cuts off the headline. FeedHive's Instagram scheduler lets you plan posts, carousels, Reels and Stories in one calendar and see a preview before anything goes live. It flags a feed image outside Instagram's 4:5 to 1.91:1 range when you create the post, not when publishing fails.
Once your posts are out, FeedHive analytics shows reach and engagement per post, so you can check whether 4:5 beats square on your own account. Pair the right size with the right slot from our best time to post on Instagram study and line everything up with recurring posting slots. Plans are on the pricing page.
How we measured this
We drew a random sample of 12,000 Instagram posts published through FeedHive with publish dates from July 13 to October 26, 2026, and used each post's latest analytics snapshot taken at least three days after publishing. We kept feed image posts (single images and carousels) and excluded Reels, videos and Stories. Each post was grouped by the aspect ratio of its first image; posts without a stored aspect ratio were left out of the size comparison.
For every account we took its median reach, interactions (likes, comments, shares and saves) and saves plus shares across its image posts in the sample, and measured each post against those medians. Results are averaged per account first, so every account counts equally. We excluded accounts with fewer than six qualifying posts in the sample or a median reach under 30, and groups with too few accounts or posts. We repeated the analysis on a second, independent random sample and report the range across the two. Figures are relative to each account's own typical post, not absolute reach. No customer content or account details were used or shown.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best size for an Instagram post?
1080 x 1350 pixels (4:5 portrait). It takes up the most room in the feed that every publishing method supports, loses only a thin strip in the profile grid, and in our data 4:5 images reached more accounts than square ones.
Is the new Instagram post size 4:5 or 3:4?
Both are supported in the Instagram app. The profile grid shows 3:4 tiles, and the app accepts photos up to 3:4 (1080 x 1440). The Instagram API that scheduling tools use still stops at 4:5, so 1080 x 1350 is the size that works everywhere.
What is the Instagram post size in pixels?
1080 pixels wide, and 566 to 1440 pixels tall depending on the shape: 1080 x 1350 for portrait, 1080 x 1440 for tall portrait, 1080 x 1080 for square and 1080 x 566 for landscape.
What is the Instagram post size in inches?
Instagram works in pixels, so a post has no fixed size in inches. If your design tool asks for inches, 1080 x 1350 pixels is 15 x 18.75 inches at 72 pixels per inch, or 3.6 x 4.5 inches at 300 pixels per inch. Either gives you the same 1080 x 1350 export.
Should I still post square images on Instagram?
Only when the design has to be square. In our data, square single images reached 3 to 11% fewer accounts and got 14 to 19% fewer saves and shares than the same account's typical image post, and the 3:4 grid hides a quarter of their width.
Can I post a landscape photo on Instagram without cropping?
Yes, as long as it is no wider than 1.91:1 (1080 x 566). Wider photos are cropped. Landscape posts held their reach in our data, but the profile grid shows less than half of them, so keep the subject in the center.
What happens if my photo is the wrong size?
Instagram crops a photo that is taller than 3:4 or wider than 1.91:1, enlarges a photo narrower than 320 pixels and shrinks a photo wider than 1080 pixels. Through a scheduler, an image outside 4:5 to 1.91:1 can be rejected instead.
What size should Instagram carousel posts be?
1080 x 1350 pixels for every slide. All slides take the shape of the first one, so mixing sizes leads to cropping. The app allows up to 20 slides per carousel.
