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Do You Know What the Ideal Instagram Photo Size Currently Is?
If you answered no to that question, then you’re not the only one. It appears that the team behind the social media giant is constantly changing up the rules and algorithms that govern Instagram, forever looking for the best way to cater to their massive 500 million daily users.
While this commitment to the cause means that your Instagram is getting better and better, it also means that companies and influencers find it difficult to keep up with all the regulations, including which photo size is the best.
Whether you’re creating photo or video content for your Instagram account, you’ll need to know precisely what the dimensions and aspect ratio should be so that you aren’t uploading pixelated, blurry content.
So, what’s the good news? This article includes everything you need to know about the right photo size for uploading to Instagram.
Profile Pictures: The Right Instagram Photo Size
Your profile picture is one of the most critical parts of your Instagram account.
With the best profile picture, you can immediately garner the attention of the audience you’re targeting, and instantly let them know that they have found themselves at the right account.
However, if you haven’t changed up your profile picture in a little while, then it’s probably a good idea that you update this for 2021.
While Instagram does make it so that people are only going to see a small circle of the much bigger image, it’s essential to upload the image much bigger than it needs to be, otherwise, it could end up being pixelated and blurry. Using an ai headshot generator can help ensure your images maintain quality even after resizing.
It’s important not to have less than 320 x 320 pixels.
Why Is This?
Selecting a slightly bigger picture for your Instagram ensures that the quality is high. Just make sure that you don’t cut out anything meaningful from the circular frame.
Your Content Strategy: Instagram Photo Size
After many years of only letting Instagrammers use square images and videos, Instagram finally updated its regulations so that you could upload landscape and portrait orientations as well.
While posting images that are varied in this way may not seem like a big deal, it is when it comes to your follower count and overall profile look, which we’ll talk about below.
1. Square Videos and Photos
We think that the most popular image shape option on Instagram is the square shape. Interestingly, square-shaped videos also get a lot of attention as well.
Square videos and photos are uploaded at a typical 600 x600 pixels. This photo size has been the most typical size on Instagram since the social media giant first launched back in the day.
However, as we’ve mentioned with your profile pics, it does pay to make the image a bit larger than it needs to be.
Instagram will reduce the size of your photo automatically, and Instagram itself recommends that you don’t upload any photos and are smaller than 1080 x 1080 when you want to achieve the square look.
However, we also recommend that you try and keep your pictures at a maximum resolution, which is approximately 2048 x 2048.
The higher you go with your video and photo sizes, the better you’ll be able to guarantee a successful Instagram strategy. Because smartphones are getting smarter, every pixel in that image is essential.
2. Landscape Videos and Photos
Landscape pictures are another option to implement into your content strategy. However, they’re not something that a lot of prominent Instagrammers use too much.
This is primarily because when you choose to publish images that are landscape, you’re taking up less space on the screen and in your followers’ feeds.
This means that your audience is way more likely to scroll by you – even if you’re using the best hashtags for your niche.
Think about the alternative – vertical or portrait. They take up the full length of an Instagrammer’s phone screen when they’re scrolling through their feed.
This means that you’ll make an instant, full impact on them and they’ll have a hard time just scrolling past.
If you do decide to go this route and change up your square shaped images every now and then, we recommend keeping the dimensions around 1080 x 566.
With landscape videos, you’ll want to have the maximum size of the display that comes in at 600 x 336.5, which will have a similar effect to looking at it in HD on your TV.
3. Portrait Photos and Vertical Videos
Interestingly, vertical is becoming one of the biggest trends on Instagram.
Instagram is all about people experiencing amazing things while they’re on the go. The latest feature that Instagram has on offer is their vertical video feature.
Ultimately, if you want to become successful on Instagram and have a large following, then you need to embrace the idea of vertical images and videos.
Interestingly, the width of a vertical and landscape image needs to be the same on Instagram. This means that your horizontal images will always be 960 x 1200.
Remember, though, that Instagram can store pictures at a maximum of 1080 x 1350 – so it’s important to think about this when you’re making your video. Vertical videos are slightly more complicated than this.
If you go onto the Instagram help page, you’ll find that vertical videos need to be between fifteen seconds and ten minutes long, and they must be uploaded in MP4 format.
Your videos have to have a minimum resolution count of 720 pixels, and they also need to have an aspect ratio of 9:16.
If you’re thinking about your IGTV cover photo, it needs to be approximately 420 x 654.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to edit this until it’s been uploaded at this stage in the game – although this regulation could change in the future.
Instagram Stores: The Right Instagram Photo Size
When it comes to Instagram features, Instagram Stories is pretty popular. In fact, it’s one of the most popular features currently on the app. Believe it or not, 400 million stories are added to Instagram every single day.
While you may want to use your Instagram Stories to do better than the competition, you’ve got to get your sizes correct.
Instagram dimensions for stories are roughly 1080 x 1920 pixels. This results in an aspect ratio of approximately 9:16.
Remember, Instagram is a stickler for dimensions and size – especially when it comes to your Instagram Stories.
If you don’t get the photo size correct, then there is a chance that Instagram will crop it itself and then zoom in on your content, which could end up removing important material.
When it comes to choosing a cover image for your story, we recommend sticking with 1080 x1920 as well.
When you go to edit your cover, you’ll be able to zoom right in and choose the part of the picture that you want to be featured in the circle. Then these circles will be on display in your highlights section below your bio.
Ads: Instagram Photo Sizes
If you’re paying for advertising on Instagram and you’re worried about getting the sizes right, we’re here to set the record straight.
When it comes to creating ads through Instagram, all you need to do is find the right rules for the content you’re uploading, because they do vary.
Let’s take a look:
- Vertical ads should always be 960 x 1200 pixels
- Landscape ads should always be 1080 x 566 minimum
- Square ads need to be 1080 x 1080 minimum
It’s important that you pay attention to your text that you include in your ads as well. Instagram will only let you add text if it’s less than 20% of the overall image.
The last thing you need is for Instagram to crop out the important stuff, especially because you’re paying for it.
Size: Does it Matter on Instagram?
Whether you want to hear it or not, size does matter when it comes to posting popular content on Instagram.
If you get the size of your Instagram photo wrong, then you could be displaying pixelated images to your audience, and that’s unappealing.
In fact, it’s a big no-no when it comes to Instagram because at the end of the day it’s all about attractive content.
Don’t worry, though – the good news is that with this guide you’ll be able to approach uploading your videos and photos to Instagram with a lot more confidence.
Top Tools for Instagram Growth & Engagement
| Rank | Tool | Type | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seek Socially | Growth Service | Visit |
| 2 | Nitreo | Growth Service | Visit |
