Instagram Story Size Guide 2026: Dimensions, Safe Zones, and Tips
The exact Instagram Story dimensions, aspect ratio, safe zones for text and UI, and how to resize any image to Story format instantly.
Instagram Stories display full-screen on mobile — meaning every pixel matters. Using the wrong dimensions leads to stretched content, critical elements hidden behind Instagram's UI, or poor quality thumbnails. Here are the exact specs.
Instagram Story Dimensions
- Recommended size: 1080×1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio)
- Minimum resolution: 600×1067 pixels
- Maximum file size: 30MB for video, 8MB for images
- Format: JPG or PNG for images
- Duration: Stories display for up to 7 seconds (images)
- Resize any image to Story format by entering 1080×1920 as your target dimensions.
Safe Zone: Where to Place Important Content
Instagram's UI (profile picture, username, time, reply bar) covers the top 250px and bottom 250px of the screen. Place all important text, faces, and calls-to-action between 250px from the top and 250px from the bottom. Practically: use the middle 1080×1420px area for content you do not want covered by Instagram's interface.
Instagram Feed vs Story: Size Differences
| Format | Dimensions | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Feed square | 1080×1080px | 1:1 |
| Feed portrait | 1080×1350px | 4:5 |
| Feed landscape | 1080×566px | 1.91:1 |
| Story / Reel | 1080×1920px | 9:16 |
| Profile photo | 320×320px | 1:1 |
How to Resize a Landscape Photo for Stories
Landscape photos (16:9) do not fill a Story frame naturally — Instagram either adds blurred edges or crops the sides. For best results: 1. Use Image Resizer to resize to 1080×1920 2. Accept that the photo will be cropped — centre your subject in the frame before resizing 3. Alternatively, add a blurred or coloured background border: design the Story canvas at 1080×1920 and place your 16:9 photo in the centre For a clean transparent background on logos or product shots, remove the background first.
Story File Size Tips
Instagram re-compresses story images on upload. Start with a high-quality source (at least 1080×1920) and compress to under 1MB before uploading. This prevents Instagram's aggressive recompression from destroying quality.
Try It Free — No Registration Needed
Resize, compress, and convert images instantly in your browser.