How to Resize an Image for an Instagram Post or Story
Use Instagram’s documented width and aspect-ratio limits, then resize the file in your browser before you upload.
Updated 14 November 2026. Platform sizes can change; check the official help page we link to if you are publishing today.
This guide uses the free Image Resizer. The file or text stays in your browser.
1. Start from Instagram’s own limits
On 14 November 2026, Instagram’s help article Image resolution of photos you share on Instagram said:
- Photos are uploaded at the best quality available, up to a width of 1080 pixels.
- If the photo is between 320 and 1080 pixels wide, and its aspect ratio is between 1.91:1 and 3:4, Instagram keeps that resolution.
- At 1080 pixels wide, that range is a height between 566 and 1440 pixels.
- A photo outside the supported ratio is cropped to a supported one. A wider photo is reduced to 1080 pixels wide. A narrower photo is enlarged to 320 pixels wide.
Those are the feed-photo rules. For Stories and Reels, Instagram recommends a 9:16 aspect ratio so the image fills the screen without blank bars or extra cropping.
2. Pick a target size
| Use | Size (pixels) | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Square feed post | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 |
| Tall feed post (common) | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5, inside the official range |
| Tallest official feed ratio | 1080 × 1440 | 3:4 |
| Wide feed post | 1080 × 566 | 1.91:1 |
| Story or reel still | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
If your photo is already 1080 pixels wide and inside the aspect-ratio range, resizing is optional. If it is much larger, shrink it to 1080 pixels wide first so Instagram is not the one doing a surprise crop.
3. Resize it in the ToolVerse resizer
- Open the Image Resizer and choose your photo. The file is not uploaded to ToolVerse.
- Click a preset that matches the table, or type the width and height yourself.
- Leave “Keep original aspect ratio” on if you want one side to follow the other. Turn it off only when you need an exact frame and are willing to crop or stretch.
- JPG is usually fine for photos. Use PNG if the image has sharp text, a logo, or transparency you need to keep.
4. Check the file before you post
Open the download on your phone. For a story, keep important text and faces away from the very top and bottom, where Instagram draws the profile name and buttons. For a feed post, remember that the profile grid preview may show a tighter crop than the post itself.
Instagram can still compress a photo after you upload it. This tool only sets the pixels and file you start with.