How to Resize an Image for Instagram
Resize a photo to Instagram exact dimensions so it stays sharp in the feed. Follow the steps in your browser.
The exact recipe for Instagram ready photos: square for the feed, portrait for stories, resized in your browser without an upload.
How it works
The short answer
Resize your photo to 1080 x 1080 for a feed post or 1080 x 1920 for a story, then upload. Hitting the exact size stops Instagram from downscaling and soft cropping your image, and the resizer runs in your browser.
Why exact dimensions matter
Instagram compresses images, and oversized uploads get downscaled, which can soften them. Uploading at the recommended size means the platform stores your image at its best, so what you designed is what followers see.
Feed posts
The recommended feed size is 1080 x 1080 pixels. Square works for most content, and a larger original does not look better once Instagram compresses it, so resize instead of uploading a giant file.
Stories and reels
Stories fill the 1080 x 1920 portrait screen. Resize to that ratio so your image covers the frame without blurry upscaling or awkward cropping, keeping faces and text in the safe area.
Cover vs fit
When your image does not match the ratio, choose cover to crop and fill the frame, or fit to keep the whole image with letterbox bars. Pick based on whether cropping the edges is acceptable.
Keep it sharp
Shrinking a large photo to these sizes looks sharp because the platform no longer has to compress a huge original. The resizer here runs entirely in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.
Format comparison
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Browser support | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPG.jpg | Lossy (discards some detail) | No | All browsers and devices | Photographs and images with smooth color gradients |
| PNG.png | Lossless (keeps every pixel) | Yes | All browsers and devices | Screenshots, logos, illustrations with sharp edges and transparency |
Frequently asked questions
What size should an Instagram post be?
1080 x 1080 pixels is the recommended feed size. Larger images get compressed by Instagram anyway.
What resolution is an Instagram story?
1080 x 1920 pixels, the full screen portrait ratio of modern phones.
How do I resize a photo for Instagram?
Open the Instagram resizer here, upload your photo, and download the 1080 x 1080 result.
Why does my Instagram photo look soft?
You likely uploaded a file much larger than 1080 pixels, and Instagram downscaled it. Resize to the exact size to keep it sharp.