We should have called this post “The Roll Deal”because it has all the details you need to properly format your Instagram reels. This is the only cheat sheet you need for Instagram Reel sizes and specifications.
Below you’ll find specs, ratios, formatting tips, and more—everything you need to make your Instagram videos look great without (sigh) clever wordplay.
(Psst: If you need a refresher on Instagram’s newest content format before diving into the numbers, brush up on our Instagram Reels beginner’s guide here or our Instagram Reels editing guide here.)
Why does Instagram video size matter?
If you’re going to take the time to create an Instagram video, it can look the best it can, right?
You’ve spent weeks researching the company’s mascot in the intricacies of the latest Doja Cat dance program and choosing the best Instagram Reels hashtags. Don’t ruin this marketing ploy with a stupid little formatting mistake!
If you upload images or videos with the wrong proportions or dimensions, you risk a lot of unflattering results. If it is the wrong shape, it can stretch and deform. Too big? You may experience an awkward harvest. Upload some low resolution media and you risk end product that is pixelated and ugly when expanded to full screen.
Of course, none of them is the end of the world. But they certainly won’t leave a good impression on your brand (unless the impression you want to get is “unprofessional slob”).
Even if Reel’s content is an Oscar-worthy performance (like your Doja-Cat mascot dance, I guess), the strangely stretched shot is going to take the viewer away from the moment… and probably to the next video (which I assume is a video of the dancing mascot your competitor).
And here’s another good reason to care about Instagram Reels sizes: The Instagram Reels algorithm prefers videos with quality visuals. So using the right Instagram video sizes when editing and uploading your videos will give you the best chance of getting your masterpiece out there.
Instagram video sizes 2022
These are Instagram video sizes for 2022, but be sure to bookmark this page and check back regularly for the most up-to-date information…because like all other social media sizes, Instagram video sizes are not set forever.
As Instagram updates, these sizes and dimensions may change to fit new app layouts, so keep your eyes peeled (or keep an eye on this post, whichever works).
Instagram Reel cover size: 1080 x 1920 pixels.
Aspect Ratio: 9:16
Recommended download size: 1080 x 1920 pixels.
There are few things in this world that we can control. Luckily, your Instagram video cover is one of them.
Here’s how to choose an Instagram Reel cover:
- Create an Instagram video, click next.
- You are now in the sharing settings. Click on the preview image (the one that says “cover”)
- Add a frame from your video or click “Add from Camera Roll”to go to your photo album.
- Want to crop an image? Tap Crop Profile Picture on the Share settings screen, and then reposition or zoom in or out.
Instagram Reel thumbnail size: 1080 x 1080 pixels.
Aspect Ratio: 1:1
Display Size: 1080px x 1080px
Recommended download size: 1080 x 1920 pixels.
Once you’ve chosen the perfect Instagram Reels cover image (see tip above!), you can crop it into a grid-worthy thumbnail for your main feed.
While the cover has a 9:16 aspect ratio, the thumbnail that appears in your feed will be cropped to a 1:1 square.
So, for best results, choose an image that is 1080 x 1920 pixels, but with a 1080 x 1080 pixel area that you can easily crop the image to.
Instagram video size: 1080 x 1920 pixels.
Full Screen Aspect Ratio: 9:16
Instagram Feed Aspect Ratio: 4:5
Recommended download size: 1080 x 1920 pixels.
When you shoot or edit your Instagram Reel, one thing to keep in mind is that the aspect ratio changes depending on where your viewer is viewing it.
When viewed in full screen, it’s 9:16, but if they catch your video in their news feed, it will be cropped to 4:5… which means about a third of the frame is cropped.
If you want every viewer to enjoy (and you do, don’t you?!), make sure that the most important elements of your video are in the center of the frame, and nothing important is hidden at the edges. where they can get lost.
In addition, when viewed in full screen mode, the title and comments are displayed at the bottom of the video, so this is another good reason to avoid displaying important content at the edges of the screen.
Another good tip: videos are the same size as Instagram Stories if that’s good to know for branded content… or with these cool free Instagram Stories design templates.
Instagram reel compression size
Instagram will scale down anything that is over 1080px wide to 1080px.
Conversely, images and videos must be at least 320px wide: if you upload something smaller, it will be automatically resized to 320px.
Any image between 320 and 1080 pixels wide will remain at its original resolution “if the aspect ratio of the photo is between 1.91:1 and 4:5 “. (Other ratios will be automatically trimmed to match the supported ratio.)
Size of Instagram videos in pixels: 1080 x 1920 pixels.
Instagram videos are viewed in portrait orientation, so videos and photos must be 1080px wide by 1920px high (9:16 aspect ratio).
Instagram video aspect ratio: 9:16
Viewing Instagram Reels in full screen mode, the frame has an aspect ratio of 9:16.
At the same time: if someone watches your video in their main feed, the video is cropped to a 4:5 ratio. That’s two-thirds the size of a full-screen view, so keep important images and information out of the frame.
Instagram Reel frame size: 1080 x 1920 pixels.
Want to make sure your Instagram Reel is properly proportioned so it doesn’t get stretched or cropped? Upload images and photos that are 1080 pixels wide and 1920 pixels high.
Note that the frame size will change for Instagram users viewing your videos in their News Feed: Instagram will crop your video to a 4:5 ratio.
Another important piece of information: your comments and captions are at the bottom of the video, so it’s best to avoid placing any important visual information at the bottom of the screen.
Instagram video length: up to 60 seconds.
Instagram videos can now be up to 60 seconds long. It can be either one long continuous video or a combination of clips and images up to 60 seconds in total.
However, shorter videos tend to get more attention, so keep them short and sweet if you can!
Instagram Reels title length: 2200 characters.
You can enter a title of up to 2200 characters (including spaces and emojis) to describe your Instagram video.
Don’t forget to save some of these characters for your Instagram Reels hashtags!
Okay, it’s from us! You have all the Instagram Reels measurements you need to make your content look its best. Follow these guidelines recommended by Instagram itself! and your videos will instantly skyrocket to the top of the Explore page.