Updated on 9 November 2026 by Nicolas Finet, CEO of Sortlist. This guide has been rewritten for 2026: the profile grid now crops posts to 3:4, Reels are no longer capped at 90 seconds, carousels hold more slides and IGTV is gone.
Instagram's formats change faster than most brand templates. A file that looked right in 2023 can now lose its edges on your profile grid or sit under the interface in Stories. This guide gives you the sizes to use today, why they changed, and which format actually earns engagement.
Key takeaways
- Design feed posts at 1080 x 1350 px (4:5), but keep key elements in the centre: the profile grid previews posts in 3:4.
- Stories and Reels stay at 1080 x 1920 px (9:16), with about 250 px at the top and bottom kept free of text and logos.
- Carousels lead on engagement (0.50% against 0.33% for single images in Socialinsider's Q2-Q3 2026 data), so use them for anything that needs more than one idea.
Instagram sizes at a glance (2026)
| Format | Recommended size | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feed portrait | 1080 x 1350 px | 4:5 | Safest default: most screen space in the feed |
| Feed square | 1080 x 1080 px | 1:1 | Still supported; loses a strip on each side in the grid preview |
| Feed landscape | 1080 x 566 px | 1.91:1 | Widest accepted shape; small in a vertical feed |
| Carousel | 1080 x 1350 px | 4:5 (same for every slide) | Up to 20 slides; all slides follow the first one's ratio |
| Stories | 1080 x 1920 px | 9:16 | Keep roughly 250 px free at top and bottom |
| Reels | 1080 x 1920 px | 9:16 | Keep the bottom area clear for captions and buttons |
| Profile picture | 320 x 320 px minimum | 1:1 | Displayed in a circle at about 110 px |
Export JPEG or PNG in sRGB. Anything wider than 1080 px is scaled down, so uploading larger files adds file size without adding sharpness.
The profile grid is now 3:4
For years the profile grid was a wall of squares. Since early 2025 Instagram has moved to tall rectangles: the grid previews every post in a 3:4 portrait ratio, and in 2025 Instagram also began supporting 3:4 photos natively. Adam Mosseri said such a photo “it’ll now appear just exactly as you shot it”. This matters for every design you publish.
- A 1080 x 1350 (4:5) post is shown in full in the feed, but the grid crops a thin strip from each side.
- A 1080 x 1080 (1:1) post loses more: the grid preview is taller than it is wide, so the sides are trimmed.
- Keep titles, faces and logos inside the central area, roughly the middle 1000 px of a 1080 px-wide canvas.
A practical test: before publishing, crop your final image to 3:4 and check that the message still reads. If it does not, move the text inwards. The full image is always visible when someone opens the post.
“Your full-size post can still be 4:5, 1:1, or 1.91:1, but keep important visuals inside that 3:4 safe zone so nothing important gets cut off.”
Buffer, Instagram Post Size Guide 2026
Photos in the feed
Portrait (4:5)
At 1080 x 1350 px, portrait takes up the most vertical space as people scroll, which is why it is the default recommendation for brands. It suits people, products and any layout with a headline.
Square (1:1)
Instagram's original shape, 1080 x 1080 px, remains safe for logos, quotes and simple graphics. It uses less of the screen than portrait, so you give up some attention in return for a design that crops predictably.
Landscape (1.91:1)
Landscape, at 1080 x 566 px, is the widest ratio Instagram accepts. Use it only when the picture really is wide, such as a venue or a panoramic product shot. In a vertical feed it looks small, and it crops badly on the grid.
Carousels
A carousel combines several images or videos in one post. Instagram has raised the limit: several 2026 spec guides report up to 20 slides, with a minimum of two. If your app still shows 10, update it, because the increase rolled out gradually.
- Every slide takes the ratio of the first one. If your slides differ, Instagram crops them to match slide 1, so design them all at 1080 x 1350.
- Put the strongest slide first: it is the cover in the feed and decides the crop.
- Educational carousels tend to work best at 7 to 10 slides. More is possible, but each extra slide must earn its place.
Stories
Stories disappear after 24 hours and use the full phone screen: 1080 x 1920 px at 9:16. Instagram accepts other ratios, but 9:16 avoids bars and cropping.
- Safe zone: keep text and logos out of roughly the top and bottom 250 px, where the profile header, reply bar and sticker buttons sit.
- Video: Stories video is split into 15-second segments, so a 60-second clip becomes four.
- Use: behind-the-scenes, polls, countdowns and time-limited offers. Content that should last belongs in the feed or in Highlights.
Reels
Reels use the same 1080 x 1920 px, 9:16 canvas as Stories. Two things have changed since the previous edition of this guide.
- Length: in January 2025 Instagram's head Adam Mosseri announced that Reels could run to three minutes, up from 90 seconds, in response to "feedback that this is just too short" (The Verge). Some 2026 spec sheets report limits of up to 20 minutes, but they also note that Reels beyond three minutes are not recommended to new audiences. Check the limit in your own app, and keep reach-focused Reels short.
- Safe zone: captions, the account name and the action buttons overlay the bottom of a Reel, so leave roughly the bottom 400 px clear.
Aim for at least 720 px resolution and 30 frames per second, and export as MP4 or MOV. If a video looks blurry after posting, the cause is almost always bitrate: re-export at 5,000 kbps or more.
Feed video and the end of IGTV
IGTV, launched in 2018 for long-form video, was discontinued: the separate app and the IGTV tab are gone. Video you post today is treated as a Reel when it is shorter than 15 minutes, so the practical difference between a feed video and a Reel has largely disappeared. For videos you want to be found, export vertically at 9:16.
Instagram ads
Ad creative follows the same logic as organic posts. For feed ads, 1080 x 1080 (1:1) and 1080 x 1350 (4:5) are the standard choices, with the supported range running from 1.91:1 to 4:5. For Stories and Reels placements, use 9:16 at 1080 x 1920 and a minimum of 720p. Ads inherit the same safe zones, so a call to action placed in the bottom 250 px of a Story can be covered by the interface. To plan spend, read our guide to Instagram ads vs TikTok ads and the Meta advertising index.
Profile picture
Your profile picture is stored at 320 x 320 px and displayed at about 110 x 110 px, in a circle. That makes it one of the smallest visual assets you control. Centre the logo or face, avoid fine text, and upload at least 320 x 320 px (a 1080 x 1080 file stays sharp on high-resolution screens).
Which format performs best?
Format choice is partly about specs and partly about what you want the post to do. Socialinsider's 2026 benchmarks, which measure engagement against followers, put carousels first: about 0.50% in Q2-Q3 2026, ahead of Reels at 0.48% and single images at 0.33%. Carousels also generate the highest save rate, which suits tutorials, checklists and comparisons. Reels remain the main route to new audiences. The formats do different jobs, so a balanced mix beats choosing one.
Instagram is also a large channel in the UK: Statista reports around 38 million users in the country in August 2026, most of them under 45. For a UK brand, that makes consistent formatting a basic part of looking credible. Build the mix around your goals with our social media strategy guide, and see how reach is decided in how social media algorithms change.
Instagram format checklist
- Design the master file at 1080 x 1350 px, then check the 3:4 grid crop.
- Use the same ratio on every carousel slide.
- Keep Story and Reel text out of the top 250 px and the bottom 250-400 px.
- Export at 1080 px wide; for video, 30 fps and a high bitrate.
- Test each template on a real phone before you roll it out.
For ideas that suit these formats, see 9 Instagram photo ideas to drive sales.
Frequently asked questions about Instagram formats
What is the best size for an Instagram post in 2026?
1080 x 1350 px (4:5 portrait) is the safest default. It fills more of the feed than a square, and you can keep the key elements central so the 3:4 grid preview does not cut anything important.
Why does my post look cropped on my profile?
The profile grid previews posts in a 3:4 ratio. The post is shown in full when opened, but the grid trims the edges, so a centred layout is safest.
How many slides can an Instagram carousel have?
Recent 2026 guides report up to 20 slides, with a minimum of two. If your app still shows 10, update it. Every slide must match the ratio of the first.
How long can a Reel be?
Instagram announced three minutes in January 2025. Some 2026 sources report up to 20 minutes, but Instagram does not recommend Reels over three minutes to new audiences, so shorter Reels travel further.
What size should a Story be?
1080 x 1920 px at 9:16, with about 250 px kept free at the top and bottom.
Is IGTV still available?
No. The separate IGTV app and tab were discontinued, and long video is now published as a Reel or a feed video.
Need a consistent look across every format? Post your project on Sortlist and compare UK social media agencies for free.
Sources: The Verge (January 2025), Buffer, Instagram Post Size Guide 2026, Socialinsider, Instagram benchmarks 2026, Statista, Instagram users in the UK.
