The Instagram Reels size to use is 1,440 × 2,560 px, which is a 9:16 vertical frame. Accepted file types are MP4, MOV. Keep important text inside the safe area of 1,267.2 × 1,305.6 px so buttons and captions do not cover it.
What size are Instagram Reels?
If you have been asking what size are Instagram Reels, what size is IG Reels, or what is the size of Instagram Reels, the answer is the same: a tall vertical frame at 9:16. The size for Instagram Reels that Meta states is 1,440 × 2,560 px.
That figure comes from Meta’s Ads Guide, and it is the only size given. Other vertical sizes with the same ratio are widely used, but they are not stated officially, so this page sticks to the Meta figure. Instagram’s Help Center also gives no organic Reels resolution or file-size limit, so the resolution values here come from the ads documentation.
Which size to use when
Reels are built for vertical video. Here is how to think about the choices.
Vertical 9:16: the default
Shoot and export at 1,440 × 2,560 px. It fills the whole phone screen, which is what Reels are designed for. If you are unsure about the reels size on Instagram, this is the one to pick.
Square and landscape clips
You can bring in a square or wide clip, but it will not fill the screen. Expect empty space above and below it unless you crop or scale it up. For most Reels, it is better to reframe the footage vertically in your editor before you export.
Reels versus other formats
Stories use the same canvas, 1,440 × 2,560 px. See the Instagram Story size page for story limits. Photo posts use a different range, from 1.91:1 to 3:4, covered on the Instagram post size page. Carousel videos are not treated as Reels, so a clip in a carousel follows the carousel rules instead. More on that at Instagram carousel size.
Limits for video files
These are the figures to know before you export:
- File types: MP4, MOV
- Minimum width: 250 px
- Organic length: 20 minutes. Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences.
- Ad file size: 4 GB
- Ad minimum width: 250 px for ads under 30 seconds; 500 px for ads of 30 seconds or longer
- Ad duration: 0 seconds to 15 minutes
For ads, Meta lists these video settings: H.264, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan, stereo AAC audio at 128 kbps or higher. They are a handy target for organic uploads too, but the Help Center does not require them for organic Reels.
How Instagram crops and displays Reels
The data here covers the canvas and the safe area, not exact crops in the profile grid or on desktop. Meta does not publish a cover size or ratio in the pages checked. Instagram Help explains that you can choose a cover from the clip or from your computer, but it gives no dimensions. Because of that, we cannot give an official cover size.
A practical approach: pick a cover frame where the subject sits near the center, so it survives any crop the app applies to it in other views. Check how it looks in the app before you publish.
Safe zone: where to keep text
The interface sits on top of your video. Buttons, the caption, and the account name cover parts of the frame. Meta gives a safe area inside the 1,440 × 2,560 px canvas of 1,267.2 × 1,305.6 px.
To stay clear of the interface:
- Keep 358.4 px free at the top.
- Keep 896 px free at the bottom.
The bottom margin is the larger one, because the caption and controls take up the most room there. Put titles, subtitles, and calls to action in the middle area. Background visuals can still run to the edge.
How to resize an image to Reels size with the tool on this page
Use the free resizer on this page to turn a still image, such as a title card or a background, into a Reels-sized frame. Menus and labels can differ by version, but the flow is usually the same.
- Open the resizer on this page.
- Add your image from your device.
- Choose the Instagram Reels preset, or enter 1,440 × 2,560 px as a custom size.
- Pick how to fit the image: fill the frame and crop, or fit it inside with a background color.
- Move the image so the main subject sits in the safe area.
- Download the result and drop it into your video editor as a clip or background.
If you need several platforms at once, try the Social Media Image Resizer. Planning a profile grid from one image? The Image Splitter can help.
Common mistakes
- Exporting horizontally. A wide video leaves large empty bars. Reframe to 9:16 first.
- Putting text too low. The bottom 896 px is where the caption and buttons sit.
- Ignoring the top. Leave 358.4 px free so the top controls do not cover your title.
- Assuming a cover size. No official cover dimensions are published, so check the preview in the app.
- Using the wrong file type. Stick to MP4, MOV.
- Making Reels too long. Reels over 3 minutes won’t be recommended to new audiences, even though the organic maximum is 20 minutes. Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences..
- Mixing up ad and organic rules. Ad limits such as 4 GB come from the Ads Guide.
Making vertical video for another platform? Compare with the TikTok video size page.