What's the best aspect ratio for the Instagram feed?

4:5 (1080×1350) takes the most screen space.

Should I upload 4K to Instagram?

No benefit; Instagram displays at 1080 wide. Upload a clean 1080p file.

Why is my Instagram video blurry?

Heavy re-compression. Upload 1080p at a high bitrate and enable Upload at highest quality.

What frame rate does Instagram use?

30 fps is recommended; 60 fps is accepted but often converted.

How long can a Reel be?

Up to 3 minutes recorded in the app.

Can I crop a landscape video to vertical?

Yes. Use Crop video with 9:16; the centre is kept.

Can I upload a 4:3 video to Instagram?

Yes, as a feed post it's shown close to its shape. For Reels, crop it to 9:16 so it fills the screen.

What's the maximum file size for Instagram?

Several GB from the app, but large files take longer and are compressed anyway.

Can I post a 16:9 video to Reels?

Yes, but it shows small with bars. Crop to 9:16 for full screen.

Does Instagram support 60 fps?

It accepts 60 fps uploads, but many are played back at 30 fps.

What size are Instagram Stories?

1080×1920, 9:16, the same as Reels.

Why does my Reel cover look cropped?

The profile grid crops covers to 3:4. Keep key content central.

Can I post a square video as a Reel?

Yes, but it shows with bars. 9:16 fills the screen.

Should I record vertical or crop later?

Record vertical when the video is mainly for Instagram. Crop later only when the same footage also needs a landscape version.

Guide

The best video size for Instagram (Reels, feed and Stories)

By Mohamed Laghbar · Updated 10 October 2026

For Instagram Reels and Stories, use 1080×1920 pixels (9:16 vertical). For feed videos, use 1080×1350 (4:5) to take up the most screen space, or 1080×1080 (1:1) for a square. Export MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio at 30 fps. Upload the highest-quality file you have, because Instagram re-compresses everything.

Video in the wrong shape? The crop video tool cuts it to 9:16, 4:5 or 1:1 in your browser, and the resize video tool scales it to 1080 pixels wide.

How to prepare a video for Instagram with Videozify

Decide where it's going: Reels or Stories (9:16), or a feed post (4:5 or 1:1).
Open Crop video, drop in your clip and choose the matching aspect ratio.
If the result is larger than 1080 pixels wide, open Resize video and choose 1080p to match Instagram's resolution.
If you want captions, generate them with Auto subtitles and burn them in with Burn subtitles.
Download the MP4 and upload it from the Instagram app, ideally over Wi-Fi.

Open the crop video tool →

Instagram video specs at a glance

Reels: 1080×1920 (9:16), up to 3 minutes when recorded in the app; uploads can be longer and are posted as Reels
Stories: 1080×1920 (9:16), each segment up to 60 seconds
Feed portrait: 1080×1350 (4:5), the tallest feed shape
Feed square: 1080×1080 (1:1)
Feed landscape: 1080×566 (1.91:1), the least screen space
Format: MP4 or MOV, H.264 video, AAC audio, 30 fps recommended
File size: up to several GB, but Instagram re-encodes everything

Why 9:16 matters for Reels

Reels fill the whole phone screen. A landscape 16:9 video uploaded as a Reel shows as a small strip with large blurred or black areas above and below, which looks unprofessional and gets scrolled past. Cropping landscape footage to 9:16 keeps the centre of the frame. Shooting vertically from the start is better still.

Instagram overlays the caption, username, audio label and buttons on the bottom and right of a Reel. Keep faces, text and key action in the central area, roughly the middle 1080×1420 pixels, so nothing important is hidden.

Feed posts: 4:5 beats square

In the main feed, a 4:5 portrait video takes about 25% more vertical space than a square one, which means more attention as people scroll. The profile grid now shows posts at 3:4, so key content should sit in the centre of a 4:5 frame to look good in both places.

Resolution and quality

Instagram displays video at up to 1080 pixels wide. Uploading 4K doesn't give viewers 4K. Instagram scales it down and compresses it heavily, sometimes with worse results than a clean 1080p upload, because its encoder has to do more work. Export at 1080 wide with a generous bitrate (8–15 Mbps for 1080×1920) and let Instagram compress from there.

In the app, Settings > Account > Data usage and media quality > Upload at highest quality makes Instagram keep more detail on upload, especially on mobile data.

Native ways to resize for Instagram

Instagram's own editor lets you zoom and reposition a clip inside a 9:16 or 4:5 frame when posting. It's quick, but the crop re-compresses and you can't preview the exact result before upload.

iPhone: Photos > Edit > Crop offers aspect presets including 9:16 and 4:5 for video. Android: Google Photos' crop tool offers free-form and preset ratios for video. Windows: Clipchamp can switch a project to 9:16 and reposition clips. Mac: iMovie is stuck at 16:9 projects, so use a converter or Final Cut Pro for vertical.

Covers and thumbnails

Reels show a cover image in your profile grid, cropped to 3:4. Choose a frame where the subject is centred, or upload a custom cover at 1080×1920 with key content in the middle 1080×1440 area. Text on covers should be large and central, since the grid view shows it small.

Feed videos show the first frame or a chosen cover. Avoid starting with a black frame or a fade-in, which looks blank in the feed.

Audio and music

Instagram's music library is licensed for use in posts. If your video already contains copyrighted music, it may be muted or blocked in some regions. Removing the original audio and adding a track from Instagram's library inside the app avoids that, and the mute video tool helps prepare a clean file.

Carousels with video

A carousel can mix photos and videos, but every item takes the ratio of the first one. If the first item is 4:5, later items are cropped to 4:5. Prepare all videos in the same ratio before posting to control the crop yourself.

Uploading from a computer

Instagram on the web supports posting Reels and feed videos from a computer. It's convenient when your edited master lives on a laptop, and it avoids the extra compression some phones apply when sharing between apps. Keep the file at 1080 pixels wide, H.264, 30 fps, and check the preview crop before publishing. Meta Business Suite also lets you schedule Instagram posts from a desktop.

Checklist before posting

9:16 for Reels and Stories, 4:5 for feed
1080 pixels wide, H.264, 30 fps
Key content central, away from overlays
Captions burned in for sound-off viewers
Upload at highest quality enabled

Captions and sound

Many people watch Reels with the sound off, at least at first. Burned-in captions keep them watching. Instagram's own captions sticker works for Stories and Reels but can't be exported. Generating an SRT and burning it in gives captions you can reuse on TikTok, YouTube Shorts and LinkedIn too.

Frequently asked questions

What resolution should Instagram Reels be?: 1080×1920 pixels, 9:16.
What's the best aspect ratio for the Instagram feed?: 4:5 (1080×1350) takes the most screen space.
Should I upload 4K to Instagram?: No benefit; Instagram displays at 1080 wide. Upload a clean 1080p file.
Why is my Instagram video blurry?: Heavy re-compression. Upload 1080p at a high bitrate and enable Upload at highest quality.
What frame rate does Instagram use?: 30 fps is recommended; 60 fps is accepted but often converted.
How long can a Reel be?: Up to 3 minutes recorded in the app.
Can I crop a landscape video to vertical?: Yes. Use Crop video with 9:16; the centre is kept.
Can I upload a 4:3 video to Instagram?: Yes, as a feed post it's shown close to its shape. For Reels, crop it to 9:16 so it fills the screen.
What's the maximum file size for Instagram?: Several GB from the app, but large files take longer and are compressed anyway.
Can I post a 16:9 video to Reels?: Yes, but it shows small with bars. Crop to 9:16 for full screen.
Does Instagram support 60 fps?: It accepts 60 fps uploads, but many are played back at 30 fps.
What size are Instagram Stories?: 1080×1920, 9:16, the same as Reels.
Why does my Reel cover look cropped?: The profile grid crops covers to 3:4. Keep key content central.
Can I post a square video as a Reel?: Yes, but it shows with bars. 9:16 fills the screen.
Should I record vertical or crop later?: Record vertical when the video is mainly for Instagram. Crop later only when the same footage also needs a landscape version.