PDFConvertersOnline.comHow to resize a photo for Instagram
- Choose your photo. The 1080×1080 square is already selected.
- Switch to portrait (1080×1350), landscape or story if you prefer, then drag the preview to frame the subject, or pick a background to show the whole photo.
- Resize and save, then post the new file from your phone or computer.
Instagram's sizes at a glance
Instagram's help center recommends uploading photos 1080 pixels wide, with feed posts between a 1.91:1 landscape and a 4:5 portrait aspect ratio. Taller or wider pictures are cropped to fit. Stories and Reels fill a phone screen, which is 9:16.
| Format | Aspect ratio | Size in this tool |
|---|---|---|
| Square post | 1:1 | 1080×1080 |
| Portrait post | 4:5 | 1080×1350 |
| Landscape post | 1.91:1 | 1080×566 |
| Story or Reel cover | 9:16 | 1080×1920 |
Portrait is worth a look: at 4:5 your photo takes up more of the screen in the feed than a square or landscape one does.
Take control of the crop
If you upload a photo that doesn't match an allowed shape, the app decides the crop for you, and heads, product labels or text at the edge can disappear. Resizing here first lets you choose. With Crop to fill, the preview darkens what will be cut off and you can drag the frame over the part you want to keep. With Fit with background the whole photo stays visible, framed by bars in any color, which is a popular look for wide landscape shots posted as squares or for artwork that must not be trimmed.
Stories: leave room at the top and bottom
In Stories your profile name sits over the top of the picture and the reply bar over the bottom. Keep faces and text toward the middle of a 9:16 image so they aren't hidden. When you convert a landscape photo into a story with Fit with background, a color taken from the photo usually looks more natural than plain white.
Why 1080 px and not bigger?
Instagram displays images at a width of up to 1080 pixels, so anything wider is scaled down on upload anyway. Doing that resize yourself, with high-quality smoothing, gives you a predictable result and a smaller file to send from your phone. For a carousel, use the same preset for every photo so they line up. To trim a photo by hand first, try Crop Image; to put a caption on it, Add Text to Image.
Photos from an iPhone
iPhones often save pictures as HEIC. You can add those directly: they are opened in the browser and saved as JPG at the new size, which Instagram accepts on every device. Choosing JPG under Format and leaving quality at about 90% gives a file that is light to upload but still has plenty of detail for Instagram's own compression to work with.
More ways to use this tool
Frequently asked questions
What is the best size for an Instagram post?
1080 px wide. For the most space in the feed, use the 4:5 portrait size, 1080×1350.
How do I post a full landscape photo without cropping?
Choose the square or portrait preset and select Fit with background. The whole photo is kept, with bars above and below in the color you choose.
What size are Instagram Stories and Reels?
9:16, which is 1080×1920 pixels. Keep important parts away from the very top and bottom.
Will the photo lose quality on Instagram?
Instagram re-compresses every upload. Starting from a clean 1080 px JPG at high quality gives it the best material to work with.
Is my photo uploaded to this site?
No. The resizing is done in your browser, and the file only goes to Instagram when you post it yourself.
Can I resize several photos for a carousel?
This page handles one photo at a time so you can frame each one. For many photos at once with the same settings, use Resize Image and pick an Instagram preset.