PaperFlight

INSTAGRAM · SIZES AND SPECS

Instagram post sizes,
checked for 2026.

Feed photos from 1.91:1 to 4:5 — and 3:4 since May 2025 — every carousel slide the shape of the first, Reels at 9:16, and five hashtags at most.

Let PaperFlight size every post — 7 days free No card. Or use the tables below.

THE SHORT ANSWER

Upload Instagram feed photos 1,080 px wide: 1080 × 1350 (4:5) is the classic tall post, and since May 2025 Instagram also shows 3:4 (1080 × 1440) uncropped. Every carousel slide takes the first slide's shape, so make them all the same size. Reels are 9:16 (1080 × 1920). A caption holds 2,200 characters and, since December 2025, at most 5 hashtags.

Feed photos

Width
Shown up to 1,080 pxWider images are sized down, narrower than 320 px enlarged.
Shapes
1.91:1 to 4:51080 × 566 to 1080 × 1350. Other shapes are cropped.
3:4
1080 × 1440Supported for single photos and carousels since late May 2025 (announced by Adam Mosseri).
Through the API
JPEG only · up to 8 MBWhat a scheduling tool is held to; 4:5 to 1.91:1.

Carousels

Shape
All slides take the first slide's shapeWidely reported: a slide of another shape is cropped to it.
Items through the API
Up to 10Images, videos or a mix. Guides disagree on the app's own limit (10 or 20), so we don't state one.

Reels

Shape
9:16 recommendedUploads from 1.91:1 to 9:16 are accepted; at least 720 px.
Size we recommend
1080 × 1920
Through the API
MP4 or MOV · 3 s to 15 min · up to 300 MB

Text

Caption
2,200 charactersAbout 125 show before “more”.
Hashtags
Up to 5Since December 2025 (it was 30).

What works on Instagram.

  • Make every carousel slide the same size — 4:5 is safe for all of them.
  • Keep the words on a Reel away from the top and bottom, where the app's buttons and caption sit.
  • Pick your five hashtags; more no longer go through.
  • Put the hook in the first line — only about 125 characters show.

WITH PAPERFLIGHT

Instagram posts and Reels, sized and captioned for it.

  • PaperFlight draws feed posts at 1080 × 1350 (4:5) and full-screen video at 1080 × 1920 (9:16).
  • Every slide of a carousel is drawn at the same size, and the post's video goes out as a Reel — at 4:5, or full-screen 9:16 if you choose it.
  • The caption is written for Instagram, inside 2,200 characters with your sign-off.
  • Your AI CMO plans the week, the team writes and designs each post, and you approve — or let it publish on its own.
Start your 7-day free trial No card. Founding price $199 a month while seats last.

Questions people ask.

What is the best size for an Instagram post?
1080 × 1350 (4:5), or 1080 × 1440 (3:4) since May 2025. Instagram shows photos up to 1,080 px wide and accepts 1.91:1 to 4:5 plus 3:4.
Do Instagram carousel slides have to be the same size?
They all take the first slide's shape, so a different-shaped slide gets cropped. Make them all the same.
What size is an Instagram Reel?
9:16 — 1080 × 1920 is the usual size. Instagram accepts 1.91:1 to 9:16 and at least 720 px.
How many hashtags can I use on Instagram?
Five per post or Reel since December 2025.

Hire the team. Keep your mornings.

PaperFlight is an AI CMO with its own team: it plans the week, writes and designs every post in your brand — at the right size for Instagram and seven other channels — publishes it and learns from the results. 7 days free, no card.

Start your free trial See pricing

Last checked 6 October 2026. Platforms change their specs often and some numbers come from their developer docs rather than the app — check the help pages before you rely on one.

  1. 1. Instagram Help — Photo resolution and aspect ratios
  2. 2. PetaPixel — Instagram adds support for 3:4 photos (29 May 2025)
  3. 3. Instagram Help — Reels aspect ratios and resolution
  4. 4. Meta for Developers — Instagram content publishing
  5. 5. Social Media Today — Instagram limits hashtags to five per post (Dec 2025)