Instagram Story Size
Instagram Guide
Instagram Story Size & Dimensions Guide
Instagram Stories fill the entire phone screen, so the dimensions need to be exact. Using the wrong size leads to cropping, blurriness, or misaligned elements. Here is the complete story size guide for 2026.
Last updated: February 2026
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Instagram Dimensions at a Glance
| Format | Width | Height | Aspect Ratio | Preview |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Story / Reel Full-screen vertical format for stories and reels | 1080px | 1920px | 9:16 | 1080x1920 |
Minimum resolution Below this will appear blurry | 720px | 1280px | 9:16 | 720x1280 |
Safe zone (text) Keep text within center ~250px from top/bottom to avoid UI overlap | 1080px | 1420px | — | 1080x1420 |
Quick Reference
1080x1920
Story / Reel
1080 x 1920
9:16
720x1280
Minimum resolution
720 x 1280
9:16
1080x1420
Safe zone (text)
1080 x 1420
—
Safe Zone
Platform UI elements cover parts of your content. Keep important text and visuals inside the safe zone.
Username, story bar (250px)
Reply bar, swipe up (250px)
Safe zone
1080×1420
Tips & Best Practices
Always design at 1080x1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio) for the best quality.
Keep text and tap targets in the center safe zone — Instagram's UI covers the top ~250px and bottom ~250px.
The same 9:16 dimensions work for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
Use high-contrast text and keep font size above 24px for readability on smaller screens.
For video stories, use H.264 codec in MP4 format at 30fps for the best compression-to-quality ratio.
Stories auto-advance after 15 seconds for images. Place your key message early and prominently.
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Understanding the Safe Zone
Instagram's Story interface overlays UI elements on your content. The top ~250 pixels are covered by the username, profile picture, and close button. The bottom ~250 pixels are occupied by the reply bar, send button, and navigation gestures. This leaves a safe zone of roughly 1080x1420 pixels in the center of the screen. All critical content — text, CTAs, product details, faces — should be placed within this zone. Background imagery and decorative elements can extend to the full 1080x1920 canvas, but anything important near the edges will be hidden behind the Instagram UI.
Video and File Specifications
For video stories, Instagram accepts MP4 and MOV formats. The recommended encoding is H.264 video codec with AAC audio at 44.1 kHz. Target a bitrate of 3,500 kbps for 1080p content — this balances quality and file size. Maximum video duration per story segment is 60 seconds (previously 15 seconds). Longer videos are automatically split into segments. Maximum file size is 250 MB for video and 30 MB for images. Instagram will re-encode your video on upload, so starting with a high-quality source minimizes generational quality loss.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
The 1080x1920 (9:16) format is shared across all major short-form video platforms: Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook Stories, Snapchat, and Pinterest Idea Pins. Content designed at this size can be repurposed across platforms without resizing. However, safe zones differ slightly between platforms. TikTok covers more of the bottom area for its engagement buttons, while YouTube Shorts has a smaller top overlay. If you plan to repurpose content across platforms, keep your text within the center 60% of the screen vertically to be safe everywhere.
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