Social Media Image Size Guide 2026 — All Platforms
Published April 2026 · 10 min read · Social Media
Every social media platform has its own image dimensions, aspect ratios, and file size limits — and they change regularly. This guide covers every major platform for 2026, with exact pixel dimensions and the fastest free way to resize your images without uploading them to a cloud service.
All resizing in this guide is done with myPixelVault's free Resize Image tool, which runs entirely in your browser. No uploads, no sign-up, no file size limits for individual images.
Instagram Image Sizes 2026
Instagram enforces strict aspect ratio limits. Images outside the supported ratios are automatically cropped, which frequently cuts off important parts of your photo. Use these dimensions to avoid unexpected crops.
| Format | Dimensions | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square post | 1080 × 1080 px | 1:1 | Safest for feed and profile grid |
| Portrait post | 1080 × 1350 px | 4:5 | Takes up most feed space — higher engagement |
| Landscape post | 1080 × 566 px | 1.91:1 | Least feed space; use for panoramic shots |
| Story | 1080 × 1920 px | 9:16 | Full-screen vertical — same as Reels |
| Reel (video) | 1080 × 1920 px | 9:16 | Video thumbnail at same dimensions |
| Profile photo | 320 × 320 px minimum | 1:1 | Displayed as circle; use 1000×1000 for quality |
| Carousel slide | 1080 × 1080 px | 1:1 | All slides should be same ratio |
Pro tip: The 4:5 portrait format (1080 × 1350 px) gives you 20% more vertical screen space than a square post. In a user's feed, taller posts stop the scroll longer. If you're choosing between square and portrait, portrait typically wins on engagement for most niches.
How to Resize for Instagram
Open the Crop Image tool and select your target ratio preset (1:1, 4:5, or 9:16). Centre the crop on the most important visual element, then download. For exact pixel dimensions, follow with the Resize Image tool and enter 1080 as the width.
Facebook Image Sizes 2026
| Format | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Post image | 1200 × 630 px | Best for link previews and shared posts |
| Cover photo (Page) | 1640 × 624 px | Display: 820×312 desktop / 640×360 mobile |
| Profile photo | 170 × 170 px displayed | Upload at minimum 400×400 px; shown as circle |
| Event cover | 1920 × 1005 px | Safe zone: centre 1440×400 px |
| Group cover | 1640 × 922 px | Mobile crops to centre 1640×622 px |
| Story | 1080 × 1920 px | Full-screen vertical — same as Instagram |
| Marketplace listing | 1200 × 900 px | 4:3 ratio recommended |
Facebook cover photo warning: The cover photo displays differently on desktop (820 × 312 px) and mobile (640 × 360 px, cropped). Upload at 1640 × 624 px for retina quality. Keep your logo or most important text in the central 60% of the image — mobile crops both sides. Use the Resize tool with custom dimensions to hit 1640 × 624 exactly.
Twitter / X Image Sizes 2026
| Format | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Post image (1 image) | 1200 × 675 px | 16:9 ratio; cropped to this in timeline |
| Post image (2 images) | 1200 × 600 px each | Side-by-side layout |
| Post image (4 images) | 1200 × 600 px each | 2×2 grid layout |
| Profile photo | 400 × 400 px minimum | Displayed as circle |
| Header / Banner | 1500 × 500 px | 3:1 ratio; sides may be cropped on mobile |
| Card image (URL preview) | 800 × 418 px | 1.91:1 ratio for summary_large_image |
Twitter/X previews images in-feed at 16:9 (cropped). Images in a very tall portrait ratio will be cropped to the centre. For consistent display, upload at 1200 × 675 px or use the 16:9 crop preset in the Crop tool before resizing.
LinkedIn Image Sizes 2026
| Format | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Post image | 1200 × 628 px | Best for feed display |
| Profile photo | 400 × 400 px minimum | Use 1000×1000 px for crisp display |
| Banner / Cover | 1584 × 396 px | 4:1 ratio; narrow strip at profile top |
| Company Page cover | 1128 × 191 px | Very wide, very short |
| Article header image | 1280 × 720 px | 16:9 ratio recommended |
| Shared link preview | 1200 × 628 px | Pulled from og:image meta tag |
| Document / Carousel slide | 1080 × 1080 px | Square; up to 300 slides |
LinkedIn's banner is an unusually extreme aspect ratio (4:1). At 1584 × 396 px, it's very wide and very short. Design your banner with the key content horizontally centred — the banner is cropped differently on mobile vs desktop. Use the Crop tool with a custom 4:1 ratio, then resize to 1584 × 396.
TikTok Image & Video Sizes 2026
| Format | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Video (portrait) | 1080 × 1920 px | 9:16; full-screen vertical — primary format |
| Video (landscape) | 1920 × 1080 px | 16:9; less common, used for repurposed content |
| Video (square) | 1080 × 1080 px | 1:1; works but leaves black bars |
| Profile photo | 200 × 200 px minimum | Displayed as circle; upload at 400×400 |
| Photo post | 1080 × 1920 px | 9:16; TikTok's photo carousel feature |
TikTok's safe zone for text and UI elements is the central 9:16 area, excluding the bottom 15% (where username and caption appear) and the left edge (where action buttons appear). If you're adding text to video thumbnails or photo posts, keep it in the upper-centre area.
Pinterest Image Sizes 2026
| Format | Dimensions | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard pin | 1000 × 1500 px | 2:3 | Pinterest's recommended ratio |
| Square pin | 1000 × 1000 px | 1:1 | Works well for product photos |
| Long pin / infographic | 1000 × 2100 px | 1:2.1 | Maximum before truncation in feed |
| Story pin | 1080 × 1920 px | 9:16 | Full-screen vertical format |
| Profile photo | 165 × 165 px displayed | 1:1 | Upload at 400×400 for quality |
Pinterest truncates very tall pins in the feed at approximately 1:2.1 (1000 × 2100 px). Pins taller than this still work but show a "See more" collapse. For infographics, stay under 2100 px height to display in full without collapsing.
Use the 2:3 crop preset (1000 × 1500 px) from the Crop tool for standard pins. Pinterest favours vertical images — a 2:3 pin takes up 50% more screen space than a square, increasing the chance of it being seen and saved.
YouTube Image Sizes 2026
| Format | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Video thumbnail | 1280 × 720 px | 16:9; minimum 640×360 px |
| Channel art / Banner | 2560 × 1440 px | Safe zone for all devices: 1546×423 px centre |
| Channel icon / Logo | 800 × 800 px | Displayed as circle at various sizes |
| End screen image | 1280 × 720 px | Same as thumbnail |
YouTube thumbnails are the most impactful image in a channel's growth. Best practices: use 1280 × 720 px, keep text large (readable at 120 × 68 px thumbnail size), and use the 16:9 crop preset. Compress to under 2 MB for fast loading in YouTube search results.
YouTube channel banner art is the most complex to size correctly — at 2560 × 1440 px, it displays across TV, desktop, tablet, and mobile, each showing different portions. The central "safe zone" of 1546 × 423 px is visible on all devices. Keep your logo and essential text within this area.
File Size Best Practices for Social Media
Social media platforms compress images on upload. If you upload an already-optimised image at the right dimensions, the platform's compression produces much better results than if you upload a huge raw file and let the platform compress aggressively. Target these file sizes before uploading:
| Platform | Recommended File Size | Maximum Accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 MB | 8 MB (photos), 4 GB (videos) | |
| Under 1 MB | 4 MB (photos) | |
| Twitter / X | Under 1 MB | 5 MB (photos) |
| Under 1 MB | 5 MB (photos) | |
| TikTok | Under 500 KB (thumbnails) | 72 MB (videos) |
| Under 1 MB | 20 MB | |
| YouTube | Under 2 MB (thumbnails) | 2 MB (thumbnails) |
Use the Compress to Target Size tool to hit these targets exactly. Set your target in KB — e.g., 900 KB for Instagram — and the tool finds the optimal JPEG quality setting automatically.
Adding Watermarks to Social Media Content
For creators and brands, watermarking social media images protects your content and builds brand recognition. The Add Watermark tool lets you add text overlays with configurable position, opacity, font size, and colour — without uploads.
Best practices for social media watermarks:
- Position: Bottom-right corner is standard; avoid centre placement which obscures the image
- Opacity: 30–50% for subtle branding; 60–80% for stronger protection on proof images
- Font size: Large enough to read at thumbnail size — test at 120 px wide
- Content: Website URL or handle (@yourhandle) is more useful than just a name — it directs viewers back to your account
Converting Images to WebP for Better Performance
WebP format produces 25–34% smaller files than JPEG at equivalent visual quality. While social media platforms don't allow you to choose format (they convert internally), WebP is highly valuable for website and blog images. If you're repurposing social media content for your website, use the Convert Format tool to export WebP versions.
Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all support WebP natively. For maximum compatibility, keep a JPEG version as fallback.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Instagram post image size in 2026?
Instagram supports three aspect ratios for posts: 1:1 square (1080 × 1080 px), 4:5 portrait (1080 × 1350 px — takes up the most feed space), and 1.91:1 landscape (1080 × 566 px). Stories and Reels use 9:16 (1080 × 1920 px). Portrait posts (4:5) typically get higher engagement because they take up more screen space in the feed.
What size should a Facebook cover photo be?
Facebook cover photos display at 820 × 312 px on desktop and 640 × 360 px on mobile. Upload at 1640 × 624 px for retina quality. Keep essential content in the central 60% of the image — mobile crops both sides of the cover photo. The top and bottom are not cropped. Use the Resize tool to hit exactly 1640 × 624 px.
What is the LinkedIn post image size?
LinkedIn post images display best at 1200 × 628 px in the feed. LinkedIn banner photos are an unusual 1584 × 396 px (4:1 ratio). Article header images should be 1280 × 720 px (16:9). Document/carousel slides work best at 1080 × 1080 px (square). Profile photos should be uploaded at 1000 × 1000 px minimum for sharp display.
What are the Twitter/X image dimensions?
Single Twitter/X post images display at 1200 × 675 px (16:9 ratio). Profile photos are 400 × 400 px minimum. Header images are 1500 × 500 px (3:1 ratio). URL card preview images (for websites) use 800 × 418 px. Images significantly taller than 16:9 get centre-cropped in the feed preview.
What size are TikTok images?
TikTok's primary video and photo format is 9:16 vertical at 1080 × 1920 px — the same as Instagram Stories and Reels. Landscape (16:9) and square (1:1) also work, but vertical performs better because it fills the full screen. Profile photos display at 200 × 200 px minimum; upload at 400 × 400 px for quality.
What is the Pinterest pin size?
Pinterest recommends 2:3 ratio at 1000 × 1500 px for standard pins. Infographic/long-form pins can go up to 1:2.1 (1000 × 2100 px) before feed truncation. Square pins (1000 × 1000 px) also work well for product photos. Wider pins get cropped — Pinterest is a vertical-first platform, and taller pins get more visibility than square or wide ones.
How do I resize images for social media without losing quality?
Use the Resize Image tool. Enter the exact pixel dimensions for your target platform, lock the aspect ratio, and download. The tool uses HTML5 Canvas with imageSmoothingQuality: 'high' — no perceptible quality loss when resizing down. Start from the highest-resolution source image you have, crop to ratio first, then resize to exact dimensions.
Should I use JPEG or PNG for social media images?
Use JPEG for photos and anything with gradients or complex colours — it compresses photographic content efficiently. Use PNG for graphics, logos, or images with flat colours and text (PNG preserves sharp edges better). Most social platforms convert all uploads to JPEG or WebP internally anyway, so JPEG is the safest choice for consistent output.