At a glance
- Use vertical 9:16. Instagram’s Help Center accepts ratios from 1.91:1 to 9:16, and Instagram’s API documentation recommends 9:16 to avoid cropping or blank space.
- 1080 x 1920 pixels is the standard 9:16 size. The Help Center sets minimums of 720 pixels and 30 FPS, and we found no Instagram page that names 1080 x 1920.
- The Help Center lists the Reel cover at 420 x 654 pixels (1:1.55), and the cover is what your profile grid shows.
- Third-party guides put the profile grid at 3:4. We found no Instagram page that confirms the ratio.
What are the Instagram Reel dimensions?
A Reel that fills a phone screen is 9:16, which is 1080 pixels wide and 1920 pixels tall at the usual export size. Instagram’s Help Center article on Reel size says you can upload anything from 1.91:1 (wide) to 9:16 (tall). It lists a minimum of 720 pixels and 30 frames per second.
| Spec | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio, accepted | 1.91:1 to 9:16 | Help Center, Reel size article |
| Aspect ratio, recommended | 9:16 | Instagram API documentation |
| Minimum resolution | 720 pixels | Help Center |
| Minimum frame rate | 30 FPS | Help Center |
| Cover image | 420 x 654 pixels (1:1.55) | Help Center |
| Camera and export in Edits | Up to 4K and 60 fps; export at 2K, HDR and 60 fps is recommended | @creators blog |
Instagram’s Help Center articles load only with JavaScript, so we read the Reel size figures through a search listing. Check the live article before you rely on them.
What is the Instagram Reels aspect ratio: 9:16 or 4:5?
Reels are built for 9:16. Some guides say a Reel shown in the main feed is cropped to 4:5, and Planoly lists that view as 1080 x 1350 pixels. We found no Instagram page that states a feed crop, so keep faces and text away from the top and bottom edges as a precaution.
What size should a Reel cover be?
The Help Center lists 420 x 654 pixels, a 1:1.55 ratio. For API publishing, Instagram’s documentation recommends a 9:16 cover to avoid cropping or blank space and accepts JPEG covers up to 8 MB. In the app, you pick a frame from the Reel or upload an image on the share screen, and Instagram’s guide says that image is what shows on your profile grid.
How are Reels cropped on the profile grid?
Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, said in an Instagram Story that the company was testing a vertical profile grid, according to Engadget (August 17, 2024). We found no Instagram page that gives the grid’s current ratio.
Third-party guides agree on 3:4. Planoly lists grid thumbnails at 1013 x 1350 pixels, and says a 1080 x 1920 cover appears at that size. If that is right and the crop is centered, a 9:16 cover loses about 12.5% of its height at the top and 12.5% at the bottom, or 240 pixels each at 1920 tall. That figure is our arithmetic, not an Instagram number.
Keep the face, title text and logo inside the middle 75% of the cover’s height. That survives a 3:4 crop and costs nothing if the grid turns out to be different.
What safe zone should you leave on a Reel?
Instagram gives no safe zone for organic Reels on the pages we could read. Meta’s Ads Guide does for Reels ads, and it is a sensible starting point.
| Edge | Ads Guide margin | At 1080 x 1920 pixels |
|---|---|---|
| Top | 14% | About 269 pixels |
| Bottom | 35% | About 672 pixels |
| Each side | 6% | About 65 pixels |
Meta words this as a recommendation. The pixel values are our arithmetic, and they leave a clear area of roughly 950 x 979 pixels.
What resolution and file settings work for Reels?
The right settings depend on how you publish, and the figures differ.
| Where you publish | Video settings from Instagram or Meta |
|---|---|
| Instagram app upload | Help Center minimums of 720 pixels and 30 FPS; Instagram’s creator blog recommends 2K, HDR and 60 fps when exporting from Edits |
| Instagram API publishing | MP4 or MOV, H.264 or HEVC, 23 to 60 FPS, up to 1920 pixels across, 300 MB maximum, AAC audio |
| Reels ads | 9:16, 1440 x 2560 pixels, MP4 or MOV, 4 GB maximum, minimum width 250 pixels under 30 seconds and 500 pixels at 30 seconds or longer |
Instagram says sharing straight from Edits gives priority processing, and that it optimizes playback for each viewer’s device and connection. The app’s own file limits for uploads are not on any page we could read, so do not treat the API numbers as app limits.
What other guides get wrong. Some tables list a “1080 x 1920 thumbnail” at 3:4, which cannot be both. Some give a “safe zone” such as 1010 x 1440 with no source, and some still plan covers for a square grid. Instagram’s documented ratio range is 1.91:1 to 9:16, and its Help Center lists the cover at 420 x 654.
Generating clips with AI? Check that a tool exports vertical 9:16 before you commit to it.
See the best AI shorts generatorsHow do Reels sizes compare with other platforms?
The figures above are for Instagram only. For the other short video platforms, see our YouTube Shorts size guide and TikTok video size guide. For maximum length, see how long Instagram Reels can be, or return to the Instagram Reels hub.
FAQ
Is the Instagram Reel 4:5 or 9:16?
9:16 is the recommended Reel shape, and Instagram accepts ratios from 1.91:1 to 9:16. A 4:5 crop in the main feed appears in third-party guides, but we found no Instagram page that confirms it.
Is the Instagram Reel 1080×1920?
1080 x 1920 is the standard 9:16 size and works well. Instagram’s Help Center lists minimums of 720 pixels and 30 FPS rather than a required size, and we found no Instagram page that names 1080 x 1920.
What are the recommended sizes for Instagram Reels in 2026?
Use vertical 9:16, with 1080 x 1920 as its standard size, and keep at least 30 FPS. In Edits, Instagram recommends exporting at 2K, HDR and 60 fps. The cover is listed at 420 x 654 pixels.
Is 4:3 or 16:9 better for Instagram?
For Reels, neither. Both fall inside the accepted 1.91:1 to 9:16 range, but Instagram’s API documentation recommends 9:16 to avoid cropping or blank space.
What size is the Instagram Reel cover?
The Help Center lists 420 x 654 pixels, a 1:1.55 ratio. You choose a frame from the Reel or upload an image on the share screen, and that cover shows on your profile grid.
Does Instagram crop Reels on the profile grid?
Third-party guides say grid thumbnails are 3:4, which crops a 9:16 cover. We found no Instagram page that confirms the ratio, so keep key elements in the middle of the cover.
What resolution does Instagram need for Reels?
The Help Center lists a minimum of 720 pixels and 30 FPS. Instagram’s creator blog recommends 2K, HDR and 60 fps when you export from Edits.
Sources
- Instagram Help Center: Reel size & aspect ratios on Instagram, via search listing, checked October 27, 2026
- Meta for Developers: Instagram User Media reference, checked October 27, 2026
- Meta Ads Guide: Awareness Video Ad Specs on Instagram Reels, checked October 27, 2026
- Instagram @creators: Best Camera & Export Settings for High-Quality Instagram Reels (listed April 9, 2026), checked October 27, 2026
- Instagram: How to make Instagram Reels, the complete 2026 guide, checked October 27, 2026
- Engadget: Instagram’s experimental profile grid has rectangular images instead of squares (August 17, 2024), checked October 27, 2026
- Planoly: A Complete Guide to Instagram’s New Vertical Grid (updated October 31, 2025), third-party, checked October 27, 2026