The Complete Guide to Instagram Image Sizes
Instagram supports three aspect ratios for feed posts: square (1:1), portrait (4:5), and landscape (1.91:1). Of these, portrait at 10801350 pixels takes up the most screen real estate in the feed, which generally leads to higher engagement. Square posts at 10801080 remain the most versatile choice and work well for most content types.
Why Size Matters on Instagram
When you upload an image that doesn't match Instagram's recommended dimensions, the platform resizes it automatically — and adds compression on top. This double processing (resize + compress) results in noticeably lower quality. By uploading at the exact recommended size, you skip the resize step and only get compressed once, preserving significantly more detail.
Stories and Reels Dimensions
Instagram Stories and Reels use a 9:16 vertical format at 10801920 pixels. This fills the entire screen on most smartphones. For Reels cover photos, use the same 10801920 dimensions to ensure your thumbnail looks sharp when displayed in the Reels tab and Explore page.