Instagram Reel Size
Instagram Guide
Instagram Reel Size & Dimensions Guide
Instagram Reels are full-screen vertical videos that need precise dimensions to look sharp. The wrong size leads to cropping, black bars, or blurry playback. Here are the complete Instagram Reel specs for 2026.
Last updated: February 2026
Tip: Skip the manual work — WaveGen automatically creates sized content for you →
Instagram Dimensions at a Glance
| Format | Width | Height | Aspect Ratio | Preview |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Reel video Full-screen vertical — the standard Reels format | 1080px | 1920px | 9:16 | 1080x1920 |
Minimum resolution Below this will appear noticeably blurry | 720px | 1280px | 9:16 | 720x1280 |
Cover thumbnail Cropped to 9:16 in Reels tab, 3:4 on profile grid | 1080px | 1920px | 9:16 | 1080x1920 |
Quick Reference
1080x1920
Reel video
1080 x 1920
9:16
720x1280
Minimum resolution
720 x 1280
9:16
1080x1920
Cover thumbnail
1080 x 1920
9:16
Safe Zone
Platform UI elements cover parts of your content. Keep important text and visuals inside the safe zone.
Username, audio (200px)
Caption, like, share (270px)
Safe zone
1080×1450
Tips & Best Practices
Always shoot and export Reels at 1080x1920 (9:16) for full-screen quality.
Keep text and key visuals within the center safe zone — Instagram's UI covers the top and bottom areas.
Your Reel cover thumbnail displays at 9:16 in the Reels tab but is cropped to 3:4 on your profile grid. Design covers with important elements centered vertically.
Use H.264 codec in MP4 format at 30fps for the best quality-to-file-size ratio.
Reels can be up to 90 seconds long. Videos between 15-30 seconds tend to get the highest completion rates.
Add captions — most users watch Reels with sound off while scrolling.
Stop fiddling with dimensions
WaveGen turns your text into carousels, captions, and slideshows — already the right size, ready to publish across Instagram and more.
Reels vs Stories Dimensions
Instagram Reels and Stories share the same 1080x1920 (9:16) canvas, but they're displayed differently. Reels live permanently on your profile's Reels tab and appear in the Explore feed, while Stories disappear after 24 hours. The safe zones differ slightly. Reels have a larger bottom overlay area because the caption, like/comment/share buttons, and audio information take up more space. Stories have a simpler bottom overlay (just the reply bar). For content you plan to use as both a Reel and a Story, design for the Reel's tighter safe zone — it will work on both. Reels also display a cover thumbnail on your profile grid, which is cropped to 3:4. Stories don't have cover images. If your content will live as a Reel, plan for the grid crop when designing your first frame or custom cover image.
Video Encoding Recommendations
For the best Reel quality, export your video with these settings: • Container: MP4 • Video codec: H.264 (High Profile) • Audio codec: AAC at 44.1 kHz • Resolution: 1080x1920 • Frame rate: 30fps (60fps supported for fast-motion content) • Bitrate: 5,000-8,000 kbps Instagram re-encodes every upload, so higher source quality leads to better final playback. Avoid uploading videos that have already been compressed by another platform — the double compression creates visible artifacts, especially in areas with motion or gradients. Keep file sizes under 250 MB. While Instagram accepts larger files, uploads over this threshold are more likely to fail or get aggressively compressed. For a 90-second 1080p Reel at 6,000 kbps, the file will be roughly 65-70 MB.
Cover Image and Thumbnail
Your Reel cover thumbnail is the static image that represents your Reel on your profile grid and in search results. You can either select a frame from your video or upload a custom cover image. Custom covers should be 1080x1920 (9:16) — matching the Reel dimensions. However, the cover displays differently in different contexts: full 9:16 in the Reels tab, but cropped to approximately 3:4 (1080x1440) on your profile grid. To ensure your cover looks great everywhere, keep the most important visual elements — title text, faces, product — in the center 60% vertically. Avoid placing critical content in the top or bottom 20% of the cover, as this area will be cropped on the profile grid. A well-designed cover increases tap-through rate significantly compared to a random video frame.
Paste an idea, get a week of Instagram content
WaveGen's AI turns one blog post, newsletter, or rough draft into carousels, captions, and slideshows — already sized for Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok. No design skills needed.
Try WaveGen free