What changed
In January 2025 Instagram changed the profile grid from squares to 3:4 rectangles. A square photo in the grid loses its sides, and a 4:5 portrait loses a thin strip at the top and bottom. If the look of your profile matters, plan 4:5 or 3:4 frames and keep the important part in the centre.
Stories and Reels sizes have not changed (1080 x 1920), but the interface covers the top and bottom, which is why the preview shows safe zones.
How we check the sizes
Every size has a source. When a platform publishes a specification (YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, X, the Facebook link preview), we use it. When it does not (most Instagram and Facebook formats), we take the value on which at least two current guides agree and mark it in the table.
Frequently asked questions
What size should an Instagram post photo be?
The safest size is 1080 x 1350 px (4:5). It works in the app and in schedulers. Since 2025 the app also accepts 1080 x 1440 px (3:4), but schedulers and the Meta API may reject it.
What size are Stories?
1080 x 1920 px (9:16). Keep important elements away from the top 14% and bottom 35% of the frame, because the app interface sits there. The preview in the tool shows these zones.
What size is a Facebook cover photo?
851 x 315 px. A phone shows only the centre, about 640 x 360, and the profile photo covers the bottom left corner, so keep the important part in the middle.
Why does Instagram crop my photo in the profile grid?
Since January 2025 grid thumbnails are 3:4 and are cropped to the centre. A square loses its sides, and a 4:5 photo loses a thin strip at the top and bottom. Frame in 4:5 or 3:4 and keep the important things in the middle.
Does cropping here reduce photo quality?
The file is saved as a JPEG at 92% quality and is exactly the size of the format, so the platform does not have to rescale it. The photo is not uploaded, everything happens in your browser. If the original has fewer pixels than the format, the tool warns you that the result will be soft.