The best Instagram Reel size is 1080 x 1920 pixels, a vertical 9:16 frame. Meta recommends 9:16 “to avoid cropping or blank space” and accepts video up to 1,920 pixels wide, so 1080 x 1920 is the standard export. For Reels ads, Meta’s ads guide asks for 1440 x 2560. Meta’s ads guide says to keep text and logos out of the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% on each side, a cautious margin for any Reel.
Key Takeaways
- Size: export Reels at 1080 x 1920 pixels. The ratio that matters is 9:16; 1440 x 2560 is the same shape at a higher resolution and is what Meta’s ads guide lists for Reels ads.
- Ratio: Meta’s publishing documentation accepts aspect ratios from 0.01:1 to 10:1 but recommends 9:16 “to avoid cropping or blank space”.
- Safe zone: Meta’s ads guide says to leave at least 14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side free of text and logos. On a 1080 x 1920 Reel that leaves a central area about 950 x 979 pixels.
- File: MP4 or MOV, H.264 or HEVC, 23 to 60 frames per second, video bitrate up to 25 Mbps, AAC audio at 128 kbps. Through the publishing API a Reel can be up to 300 MB.
- Cover: when a Reel is shared to the feed, Meta uses the middle 1:1 square of the cover, so keep the subject in the centre.
Instagram Reel size and specs at a glance
The table collects the Reel specifications Meta states on its developer and ads pages, with the page each comes from (length is left out, as explained below). The organic figures are from Meta’s developer reference for publishing Reels, which is what scheduling tools must meet. The ad figures are from Meta’s ads guide for Instagram Reels ads.
| Spec | Organic Reel | Reels ad |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1920 px (9:16, within the 1,920 px width cap) | 1440 x 2560 px |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 recommended; 0.01:1 to 10:1 accepted | 9:16 |
| Maximum width | 1,920 px | Not stated |
| File type | MP4 or MOV, moov atom at the front | MP4 or MOV |
| Video codec | H.264 or HEVC, progressive scan, closed GOP, 4:2:0 | Not stated |
| Frame rate | 23 to 60 fps | Not stated |
| Video bitrate | VBR, 25 Mbps maximum | Not stated |
| Audio | AAC, up to 48 kHz, mono or stereo, 128 kbps | Not stated |
| Maximum file size | 300 MB through the publishing API | 4 GB |
| Safe zone | Not stated | 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% each side |
Two things stand out. The organic limits are generous, so a standard phone export already fits them. And the only safe-zone figure Meta publishes is in the ads guide, which is why the safe zone below uses those percentages for every Reel.
What size should an Instagram Reel be?
Make it 1080 pixels wide and 1920 pixels tall. That is the 9:16 ratio Meta recommends, at a width inside the 1,920-pixel cap in its publishing documentation, and it is the usual export size for vertical video. A higher resolution in the same ratio, such as 1440 x 2560, works too and is what Meta asks for in Reels ads.
The ratio matters more than the pixel count. A 9:16 video fills the screen whatever its resolution. A video in another shape is still accepted, because Meta’s documentation allows anything from 0.01:1 to 10:1, but Meta recommends 9:16 precisely “to avoid cropping or blank space” in the Reels viewer.
If you film on a phone, set the camera to vertical video and export without changing the frame. If you edit on a computer, create the project at 1080 x 1920 from the start: resizing a horizontal edit into a vertical frame afterwards is where most crops go wrong.
What is the Instagram Reels safe zone?
It is the part of the frame that Instagram’s interface does not cover. Meta’s ads guide says to keep at least 14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side free of text, logos and other key elements, so the profile photo and call-to-action button do not cover them. Organic Reels carry their own overlays at the bottom and side (caption, account name and buttons), so the same margins are a sensible default.
In pixels, that works out as follows. These are Meta’s percentages applied to the two standard sizes, rounded to whole pixels.
| 1080 x 1920 Reel | 1440 x 2560 Reel | |
|---|---|---|
| Keep clear at the top (14%) | 269 px | 358 px |
| Keep clear at the bottom (35%) | 672 px | 896 px |
| Keep clear on each side (6%) | 65 px | 86 px |
| Safe area left in the middle | about 950 x 979 px | about 1268 x 1306 px |
The safe area is close to a square in the upper middle of the frame. Put on-screen text, captions you burn into the video, logos and product shots there. Background and movement can fill the whole frame, because a button covering part of a background costs nothing.
Third-party guides publish their own pixel margins, and they disagree with each other. Meta’s ads guide is the only safe-zone figure we found from Meta itself, so we use it for organic Reels too, as a cautious default rather than an official organic rule.
What export settings should you use for Reels?
Export as MP4 with H.264 video at 1080 x 1920, 30 frames per second, and AAC audio at 128 kbps. Each of those sits inside the limits in Meta’s publishing documentation: H.264 or HEVC, 23 to 60 frames per second, a variable bitrate of up to 25 Mbps, and AAC audio up to 48 kHz. A file exported this way is accepted by Instagram and by scheduling tools alike.
A short checklist for your editor’s export screen:
- Resolution: 1080 x 1920 (or 1440 x 2560 for ads).
- Format: MP4. MOV also works if your editor puts the moov atom at the front of the file, which Meta’s documentation requires.
- Codec: H.264 is the safe choice. HEVC is accepted too.
- Frame rate: keep the rate you filmed at, between 23 and 60 fps. 30 fps is the common default.
- Bitrate: variable, at or below 25 Mbps, which is Meta’s cap.
- Audio: AAC, 48 kHz or lower, 128 kbps, mono or stereo.
Length is the one limit this guide does not print. Meta’s publishing documentation lists a duration range for Reels uploaded through its API, but the limit for Reels made in the Instagram app is a separate figure that we could not read from Instagram’s own help pages, so check it in the app before you plan a long Reel.
How do Reels compare with Stories and ads?
All three use the same vertical 9:16 frame, so one 1080 x 1920 export can serve them all. The differences are in the details: Story images published through Meta’s API must be JPEG files of 8 MB or less, Reels ads ask for a higher 1440 x 2560 resolution, and the ads guide is where the safe-zone percentages come from.
| Reel | Story image | Reels ad | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ratio | 9:16 recommended | 9:16 recommended | 9:16 |
| Size to export | 1080 x 1920 | 1080 x 1920 | 1440 x 2560 |
| File | MP4 or MOV video | JPEG, 8 MB maximum | MP4 or MOV, 4 GB maximum |
| Overlays to plan around | Caption, buttons, audio line | Profile name, reply bar, stickers | Profile, call-to-action button |
If one Reel will also run as a Story or an ad, design for the strictest case: keep the important parts inside the ads safe zone, the most conservative margins Meta publishes. Stories have their own interface at the top and bottom, and our guide to adding a link to an Instagram story covers placing a Link sticker where nothing covers it.
What size is the Reel cover image?
The cover is a frame of the Reel, or an image you upload, and Meta recommends 9:16 for it. Two crops apply. A cover image in another shape is cropped to its middle 9:16 rectangle. And if the Reel is shared to your feed, Meta uses “the middle most 1:1 square as the cover photo for your feed post.” Keep the subject and any title text inside that central square.
The profile grid has also been changing: Engadget reported on 17 August 2024 that Instagram was testing taller, rectangular grid thumbnails instead of squares. The reliable check is visual: after the Reel publishes, look at your profile grid and see what the thumbnail shows. If a title is cut off, move it towards the centre on your next cover.
How does PostNext handle Reel uploads?
PostNext publishes Reels to Instagram through the official API at the time you schedule. It waits for Instagram to finish processing each video and tells you if a Reel is rejected for length, format or aspect ratio, so a failed Reel does not silently leave a gap in your week. You can set a cover image for each Reel so the grid shows the frame you chose.
The PostNext Reels planner needs an Instagram professional account (Business or Creator), which is Instagram’s requirement for API publishing. It does not edit video: export the finished 1080 x 1920 file from your editor and upload it. Trending audio cannot be attached through Instagram’s API by any scheduling tool, so add a track in the Instagram app if the Reel needs one. The AI drafts captions from your brand profile, and nothing publishes without your review. For the script itself, the free Instagram Reel script generator gives you a starting draft.
For what to film, our list of 30 Instagram Reel ideas has formats you can shoot this week, and our Instagram carousel ideas give slide-by-slide outlines for the feed. To plan Stories alongside your Reels, see our guide to scheduling Instagram Stories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best size for an Instagram Reel?
1080 x 1920 pixels, a 9:16 vertical frame. Meta recommends 9:16 to avoid cropping or blank space and accepts video up to 1,920 pixels wide. For Reels ads, Meta’s ads guide lists 1440 x 2560.
What aspect ratio are Instagram Reels?
9:16. Meta’s publishing documentation accepts ratios from 0.01:1 to 10:1, but recommends 9:16 to avoid cropping or blank space in the Reels viewer.
What is the safe zone for Instagram Reels?
Meta’s ads guide says to keep at least 14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side free of text and logos. On a 1080 x 1920 Reel, that leaves a central area of about 950 x 979 pixels.
Is 1080 x 1350 OK for Reels?
It is accepted, but it is a 4:5 frame, not 9:16, so it does not fill the Reels screen and risks the cropping or blank space Meta’s 9:16 recommendation avoids. Export at 1080 x 1920 for a Reel that fills the screen.
Can I upload a 4K Reel to Instagram?
For publishing through Meta’s API, which is what scheduling tools use, the documentation caps width at 1,920 pixels, and a vertical 4K frame is 2160 pixels wide, so it is over that limit. Export at 1080 x 1920, or 1440 x 2560 for ads.
What frame rate should Instagram Reels be?
Between 23 and 60 frames per second, according to Meta’s publishing documentation. Keep the frame rate you filmed at; 30 fps is a common default.
Related reading
- 30 Instagram Reel Ideas You Can Film This Week
- How to Add a Link to an Instagram Story in 2026
- 25 Instagram Carousel Ideas With Slide-by-Slide Outlines
- How to Schedule Instagram Stories for Maximum Engagement
Sources
- Meta for Developers, Instagram API: IG User Media reference, Reels and Story specifications (October 2026)
- Meta, Ads Guide: Instagram Reels video ads, resolution, file size and safe zone (October 2026)
- Engadget, Instagram’s experimental profile grid has rectangular images instead of squares, Mariella Moon, 17 August 2024 (read October 2026)
- PostNext, postnext.io/reels-planner (October 2026)
