Instagram Image Dimensions for 2025

Let’s talk about something that might seem tediously technical but can make or break your Instagram presence: image dimensions.

If you’ve ever posted the perfect photo only to have Instagram crop someone’s head off, or uploaded a gorgeous carousel that suddenly has weird white borders—I feel your pain. Last month I spent an hour creating what I thought was a stunning quote graphic, only to have Instagram turn it into what looked like abstract art. Not the vibe I was going for.

Why This Actually Matters

Here’s the thing: no matter how brilliant your content strategy is or how gorgeous your brand photography looks, if your images aren’t formatted correctly, they’ll look unprofessional. And nothing screams “amateur” like awkwardly cropped photos or pixelated graphics.

Instagram has (finally) released their official 2025 guide to image dimensions, and I’ve broken it down into actually useful information below.

The Essential Dimensions for 2025

Feed & Carousel Posts

• Portrait/Vertical: 1080 x 1350 pixels (4:5 ratio)

Instagram Stories

• 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 ratio)
• 1080 x 1610 pixels (safe area) – remember, the top and bottom 250 pixels may be covered by your profile info or the swipe-up feature
• Keep important elements centred and away from edges

Reels

• 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 ratio)
• 1080 x 1440 pixels (grid view) – keep in mind when designing as this is what you’ll see on the grid
• Similar to Stories but text needs to avoid the right side where buttons appear
• Keep key content centred in the frame

My Actual Real-Life Tips

Beyond the official dimensions, here are some things I’ve learned the hard way:

1. Always leave a buffer zone Even if you follow these dimensions exactly, Instagram can still crop unexpectedly depending on device. I always keep important elements (especially faces and text) well away from the edges.
2. Check your work on multiple devices What looks perfect on your laptop might look completely different on an iPhone 15 Pro Max. Before an important launch, I send test posts to my phone, Ian’s phone, and sometimes my iPad just to be sure.
3. Use templates! Save yourself hours of frustration by creating templates in your preferred design tool with the correct dimensions. I’ve got templates for every format saved in Canva & Adobe Express, and it’s a genuine time-saver.
4. When in doubt, go square If you’re creating content that will be repurposed across multiple formats, 1080 x 1080 square images are the most versatile and least likely to be awkwardly cropped.

Save This for Later

Bookmark this article for the next time you’re creating content. Your audience will appreciate the professional look, and you’ll save yourself from the special kind of frustration that comes from redoing work because of technical specifications.

If you found this breakdown helpful, I’d love to know! Hit reply and let me know if these dimension guides have saved you from Instagram formatting disasters.