Instagram 3:4 photos and Reel cover size: what Instagram has said

Two questions come up again and again. Can I post a photo exactly as my phone shot it? And what size should a Reel cover be? Instagram has answered both in part.

This post only uses what Instagram has said. A lot of grid advice online comes from third parties, so where we found no primary source we say that plainly.

What did Instagram say about 3:4 photos?

The @creators account on Threads posted: "Instagram now supports 3:4 aspect ratio photos – the native format for most phone cameras. Going forward when you upload a 3:4 image it'll now appear exactly as you shot it."

The same post says it works with single-photo posts and carousels, and that 1.91:1, 1:1 and 4:5 can still be shared. The post we read shows no date, so we do not give one.

What is the recommended Reel cover size?

Instagram's Help Centre says: "The recommended size for cover photos is 420px by 654px (or 1:1.55 ratio). Right now, you can't edit your cover photo after you've uploaded it."

So the cover is part of what you prepare before you upload, not something you fix afterwards.

What could we not confirm?

• Whether older square or 4:5 posts are cropped differently on the profile grid. We could not confirm it from an Instagram page.
• A safe zone for text on a Reel cover. We found no Instagram page that defines one.
• How the Reel cover shows in the grid. We could not confirm the grid crop.

Third-party sites have described how the grid crops posts. We did not use them, because we could not open an Instagram statement with those details.

How to prepare your images

Use the sizes Instagram names. Shoot or export photos in 3:4 if you want them to appear as shot. Prepare Reel covers at 420px by 654px, or the 1:1.55 ratio.

The Reel video itself has its own limits. The Help Centre says you can upload a reel with an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16.

Questions people ask