How to crop photos for Instagram: sizes and ratios
Updated · 2 min read
Short answer
Make feed photos 1080 pixels wide. Use 1080 x 1080 for a square or 1080 x 1350 for a 4:5 portrait. Instagram has changed the range of supported shapes, so check the current rules in the app before you rely on a ratio.
We could not open Instagram's Help Center to check these figures, and sources disagree about the supported range. The sizes below come from third-party guides and press reports. Test with one post before you crop a whole batch.
Sizes at 1080 pixels wide
1:1 square
- Size
- 1080 x 1080 px
- Note
- Safe everywhere.
4:5 portrait
- Size
- 1080 x 1350 px
- Note
- Takes the most space in the feed. Often recommended.
3:4 portrait
- Size
- 1080 x 1440 px
- Note
- Reported as supported since 2025. The shape most phone cameras shoot.
1.91:1 landscape
- Size
- 1080 x 566 px
- Note
- The widest shape reported as supported.
| Shape | Size | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1 square | 1080 x 1080 px | Safe everywhere. |
| 4:5 portrait | 1080 x 1350 px | Takes the most space in the feed. Often recommended. |
| 3:4 portrait | 1080 x 1440 px | Reported as supported since 2025. The shape most phone cameras shoot. |
| 1.91:1 landscape | 1080 x 566 px | The widest shape reported as supported. |
How to crop a photo for Instagram
- 01Decide on one shape for the post. Portrait uses the most space on screen.
- 02Crop to that shape. A phone photo is 4:3 in landscape, so a 4:5 portrait crop needs a portrait photo, or it cuts the width a lot.
- 03Scale to 1080 pixels wide.
- 04Keep the subject near the middle. The profile grid shows a preview that may trim the edges of a taller photo.
On a phone, the crop tools in the Photos app can set most of these shapes. See how to crop a photo on iPhone and on Android. For a square, see how to crop a photo to a square.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best size for Instagram photos?
- 1080 pixels wide. A 4:5 portrait at 1080 x 1350 is often recommended because it fills more of the screen.
- Does Instagram crop photos automatically?
- Reports say photos outside the supported shape range are cropped to fit. Crop them yourself so you choose what stays.
- Does Instagram compress photos?
- Guides say it scales down anything wider than 1080 pixels. Uploading at 1080 wide avoids an extra resize.
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SizeSpec crops and resizes a batch of product photos to the size each marketplace asks for and gives you one ZIP. It crops from the centre or pads the image on white, and it works in your browser, so your files are never uploaded. It does not offer free-hand cropping of a single picture.
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