Instagram square post size
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Size | 1080 x 1080 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 1:1 |
| Photo formats | JPG or PNG |
| Width that Instagram uses | 1080 pixels. Larger pictures are scaled down, and smaller ones are enlarged. |
When a square post works best
- Graphics, quotes, announcements and carousels of text, where a simple shape keeps the design clean.
- Product photos and logos that sit in the middle of the picture.
- Pictures with a centred subject, such as a portrait, a plate of food or a flat lay.
How the profile grid crops a square post
Recent versions of Instagram show the thumbnails in your profile grid in a 3:4 shape. A square post shows the middle 810 x 1080 pixels in the thumbnail, so 135 pixels are cut from the left and from the right, which is a quarter of the width in total. In the feed the whole square is shown. Keep the subject and the text of the post in the middle 810 pixels, so that the thumbnail still reads well. Turn on Show the profile grid crop in the tool above to see the cut.
Keep text inside a safe margin
Leave an empty margin of at least 60 to 80 pixels around the edge of a square design. Text close to the edge looks cramped in the feed and can be cut in the grid. This is a design rule of thumb, not an Instagram requirement.
How to make a square post from any photo
- Choose your photo.
- Choose Fill to crop it to a square, and drag the photo to choose the part that stays. Or choose a blurred background or solid bars to keep the whole photo.
- Check the grid crop.
- Download the 1080 x 1080 picture and upload it to Instagram.
Square or portrait?
A portrait post of 4:5 takes up more room in the feed than a square one, and it keeps more of a vertical photo. A square post is simpler for graphics. See the portrait post size.
Square carousels
For a carousel, use 1080 x 1080 for every slide. See carousel size for the rules and a tool that splits a wide photo across square slides.
Related pages
See all the Instagram post sizes, the landscape post size, the post resizer and the Instagram post size guide. For plain cropping, use crop to square or the 1:1 calculator.