Upload vertical or landscape
Upload a vertical or landscape source — landscape works only if the subject sits centered, since 9:16 cuts a lot.
Instagram Story Resize
Instagram Stories (1080×1920px, 9:16) deliver Instagram’s most immersive format — full mobile screen — but they are also the highest-operations-cost slot on the platform. They disappear after 24 hours so new content has to ship daily, and the top ~250px (profile/timer) plus bottom ~380px (reply bar, reactions) are always covered by system UI, leaving the real safe area at just the center ~1080×1290px (~67% of the canvas). The 9:16 ratio shares spec with Facebook Stories, Reels, Shorts, and TikTok, so one master can ship to five platforms — easily the most efficient video/image ratio for cross-platform distribution. Designs with dense text fight the half-second tap-through pace of stories; simple visuals with short copy land best. This tool crops landscape or square photos to 9:16 while previewing the top and bottom system-UI bands, exporting 1080×1920px JPG to lower the daily-content operations cost.
How to use
Align inside the 1290px band
Align key copy and CTAs to the center ~1290px safe area; the top 250px and bottom 380px are always covered by system UI.
Keep template and export
Keep your template (fonts, logo placement) and export as 1080×1920px JPG — biggest time saver when shipping daily.
When to use this tool
Stories disappear in 24 hours, but the 9:16 master template you build here also powers Facebook Stories, Reels, Shorts, and TikTok — the fastest way to lower the per-post cost of daily content ops.
Cropping a landscape product photo to 9:16 without cutting key elements into the reply or reaction bars
Locking a daily-story campaign to a single 9:16 template to lower per-post production cost
Building one 9:16 master that ships to Instagram Stories, Facebook Stories, Reels, Shorts, and TikTok at once
Instagram Story Spec Guide
Recommended sizes as of 2025. Stories are displayed full-screen, so the 9:16 ratio works best.
| 1080 × 1920px |
| Aspect ratio 9:16 |
| File format: JPG, PNG |
| Stories disappear after 24 hours unless saved to Highlights. |
| UI elements may overlay the top and bottom, so keep key content in the center. |
| Maximum file size is 30MB. |
| Username and timestamp overlay the top ~10%. |
| Reply bar and reaction buttons cover the bottom ~15%. |
| Safe area is roughly the center 75% (within 1080×1440px). |
| Maximum file size: 30MB (photos) |
| Supported formats: JPG, PNG |
| Recommended resolution: 1080px width or above |
FAQ
What is the recommended Instagram Story image size?
1080×1920px (9:16 ratio) is recommended. This size fills the entire screen for an immersive experience.
What happens if I upload a square image to Stories?
Instagram adds a colored background above and below to fill the screen. For a full-bleed look, resize to 9:16 beforehand.
What is the safe area for Story content?
The top 10% and bottom 15% are covered by UI elements. Keep key content within the center 75% — roughly 1080×1440px.
What is the maximum file size for a Story image?
Photos can be up to 30MB. JPG and PNG are supported, with a recommended minimum width of 1080px.
Does saving a Story to Highlights affect image quality?
Instagram recompresses Highlights, so slight quality loss is possible. Uploading the original at 1080×1920px helps maintain sharpness after recompression.