Guide
Social Media Image Sizes: Resize Photos for Every Platform
6 min read
For most social platforms, the safest approach is to match the platform's aspect ratio first and the exact pixel size second: 1080 × 1080 (1:1) or 1080 × 1350 (4:5) for Instagram posts, 1080 × 1920 (9:16) for Stories, and about 1200 × 630 for Facebook and LinkedIn link-style images. You can resize to any of these with the Resize Image tool, which runs in your browser, so your photo is never uploaded.
The sizes below are commonly recommended at the time of writing. Platforms change their layouts and specs from time to time, so treat them as sensible defaults and check the platform's own help page if something looks off.
Commonly recommended sizes
| Where | Use | Size (px) | Aspect ratio | Preset in our tool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square post | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 | Instagram Square | |
| Portrait post | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 | Instagram Portrait | |
| Story or Reel cover | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 | Instagram Story | |
| Landscape post | 1080 × 566 | about 1.91:1 | Custom size | |
| Shared image or link preview | 1200 × 630 | about 1.91:1 | Facebook Post | |
| X (Twitter) | Single image in a post | 1200 × 675 | 16:9 | Twitter Post |
| X (Twitter) | Profile header | 1500 × 500 | 3:1 | Custom size |
| Shared image | 1200 × 627 | about 1.91:1 | LinkedIn Post | |
| Profile banner | 1584 × 396 | 4:1 | Custom size | |
| YouTube | Video thumbnail | 1280 × 720 | 16:9 | HD (720p) |
The tool has built-in presets for Instagram Square, Portrait and Story, Facebook Post, Twitter Post (the 16:9 X size above) and LinkedIn Post. For YouTube thumbnails, the HD (720p) preset is exactly 1280 × 720. Headers and banners aren't presets, so type the width and height into the custom size fields.
Why aspect ratio matters more than exact pixels
Platforms display your image inside a fixed frame. If your picture has a different shape from that frame, the platform crops it, adds bars, or both, and the crop usually lands in the middle, which is where you don't want it to cut off a face or a headline.
When the ratio matches, nothing is cropped and the exact pixel count becomes a smaller issue. Platforms also resize and recompress what you upload, so being a few pixels off won't ruin anything. A few practical consequences:
- Match the ratio first. A 2160 × 2700 image and a 1080 × 1350 image are both 4:5 and will frame identically.
- Don't go smaller than the recommendation. Low-resolution images look soft on large or high-density screens.
- Going far above it rarely helps. The platform will shrink it anyway, and the larger file may upload slower.
- Keep key content away from the edges. Profile grids, previews and different devices can crop edges differently.
Tip: Instagram has changed how it crops previews on profile grids in the past. Keep faces, text and logos near the centre so they survive any preview shape.
How to resize an image for a platform
- Open the Resize Image tool and drop in your picture, or tap to choose one from your phone.
- Choose a size: tap a preset such as Instagram Portrait, or type your own width and height.
- A selection box appears over the image, locked to that shape. Drag it, or zoom the image, to frame the part you want to keep. The panel shows the selection and the output size.
- Tap Apply Crop.
- Save the result. The file keeps its original format, so a JPG stays a JPG.
Crop vs resize: what the tool actually does
Resizing here never stretches your picture. When you pick a target size, the selection locks to that aspect ratio, and the area you choose is scaled to the exact pixel size. If the shapes differ, the parts outside the selection are cropped away. That is the right behaviour for social media, where the frame is fixed.
If you only want to trim the picture without forcing a size, use Crop Image, which starts from freehand cropping and can lock common ratios.
One honest limitation: the tool does not add borders or padding. If you want the whole photo to appear inside a square with no cropping, you would need an editor that can add a background around it. For most posts, cropping to the frame is the simpler route.
The tool also can't add detail that isn't there. Enlarging a small image makes it bigger, not sharper, so start from the biggest original you have.
File size and quality tips
- Photos: JPG is the usual choice. If your source is another format and you need JPG, convert it first with the image converter.
- Graphics with text or logos: PNG keeps edges sharp but files are larger.
- If the file is too heavy: after resizing, run it through Compress Image to reach a target size. Most platforms recompress anyway, so very high quality settings rarely show up in the end result.
- Phone photos: many are 4000 pixels wide or more. Resizing to 1080 wide makes the file far smaller with no visible loss on a phone screen.
- Check your result: open the saved file and confirm the dimensions before uploading.
FAQ
What size should I resize photos to for Instagram?
Commonly recommended sizes are 1080 × 1080 for square posts, 1080 × 1350 for portrait posts and 1080 × 1920 for Stories. Portrait takes up the most space in the feed. Platforms can change this, so check Instagram's help if you want to be sure.
Will resizing distort my image?
Not in this tool. The selection locks to the target ratio and the chosen area is scaled evenly, so nothing is squashed or stretched. The trade-off is that anything outside the selection is cropped away.
Why does my picture look blurry after posting?
Usually the original was small, or the platform recompressed it. Start from the largest original, match the recommended size and keep the file size reasonable. Avoid screenshots of photos, which lose detail.
Is my photo uploaded when I resize it?
No. The resizing happens in your browser, so the picture stays on your device. There is no account and no watermark.
