The short version
- The Instagram square post size is 1080×1080 pixels, an aspect ratio of 1:1.
- A square post is 80 percent of the height of a 1080×1350 portrait post, so it takes less of the screen in the feed.
- The profile grid shows posts as 3:4 tiles, which crops about 135 pixels from each side of a square post.
- Square still makes sense when one design must also serve Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads or other square formats, or when the subject is naturally square.
- In a carousel, every slide takes the shape of the first, so a square opener makes the whole carousel square.
On this page
The Instagram square post size is 1080×1080 pixels, a 1:1 frame. Is it still worth using? Sometimes. For a post made only for Instagram, portrait at 1080×1350 is usually better: it is taller in the feed and loses less in the profile grid. Square wins when the same design has to work on other square platforms, when the subject is square by nature, like a logo, an album cover or a product on a plain ground, or when a carousel needs a calmer, more compact shape.
Instagram square size and what changed
For years the profile grid was made of squares, so a square post was the one shape that looked the same everywhere. Instagram has since moved the grid to taller 3:4 tiles. A square post now gets trimmed in the grid: scaled to fill a 3:4 tile, it keeps the middle 810 pixels of its width and loses about 135 pixels on the left and on the right.
Square post 1:1
1080 × 1080
Grid tile 3:4
810 × 1080
Portrait post 4:5
1080 × 1350
None of that affects the feed itself, where square posts show in full. It only matters on your profile, which is where people decide whether to follow. The way each shape is cut is laid out in Instagram grid crop.
Square versus portrait on Instagram
Square 1080×1080
- 80% of portrait's height in the feed
- Loses about 135 px each side in the grid
- Reuses directly on several other platforms
- Suits logos, covers and centred objects
- Compact, calm, easy to lay out
Portrait 1080×1350
- The tallest feed shape
- Loses only a thin strip in the grid
- Instagram, Threads, Facebook and LinkedIn portrait
- Suits type, faces and anything with a story
- More room for a headline and a detail line
If you only post to Instagram and your posts are designed, portrait is the stronger default. Instagram post size covers why in more detail. The rest of this article is about the cases where square is the better tool.
When 1080×1080 is still the right size
The strongest argument for square is reuse. A great many platforms recommend a square image, and one square master covers them with no relayout at all, or only a change of export size.
Square size (px)
Square size (px)
Square size (px)
Square size (px)
Square size (px)
Square size (px)
Square size (px)
- Logos, badges and seals: they are designed round or square, and a tall frame just adds empty space.
- Album, playlist and podcast artwork: the shape people already know. See album cover design.
- Product shots on a plain ground: a bottle or a bowl centred in a square looks like a catalogue page.
- Quote cards with a short line: a few words centred in a square feel composed rather than lost. Quote post design has layouts.
- Posts shared to Facebook and LinkedIn as well: one square avoids making three versions.
Designing a square post for the 3:4 grid
Because the grid trims the sides, a square needs a safe area: the middle 810×1080. Anything outside it shows in the feed and nowhere on your profile.
- 1
Set up 1080×1080 with side guides
Draw vertical guides 135 pixels in from the left and right edges. Words and logos stay between them.
- 2
Centre the composition
Square loves symmetry. Put the subject or the headline on the vertical centre line and let the background breathe around it.
- 3
Keep the headline narrow
Break long lines so each fits inside 810 pixels with a margin. "Open late, every Friday" sits better on two lines than one.
- 4
Leave the corners to the background
The corners are the first thing the grid removes. A gradient or texture there costs nothing when it is cut.
A square quote card with the words held inside the middle 810 pixels.
The same card as a portrait post: more height, more presence in the feed.
Square posts in carousels
Every slide in a carousel takes the shape of the first. A square carousel is shorter than a portrait one, so each slide shows a little less, but it has two real strengths. It is easier to make a carousel where one image runs across every slide, because square panels join into a tidy strip. And it is the safest shape if the carousel will be reposted as separate square images elsewhere.
For tips carousels with several lines of text per slide, portrait gives you the extra height you need. Decide the shape before you design slide one; changing it later means relaying out every slide. Instagram carousel size goes through the options.
Questions people ask
What is the Instagram square post size?
1080×1080 pixels, an aspect ratio of 1:1.
Is square or 4:5 better on Instagram?
For posts made only for Instagram, 4:5 portrait at 1080×1350 is usually better because it is taller in the feed. Square is better when the design must also work on other square formats or the subject is naturally square.
Does Instagram crop square posts on the profile grid?
Yes. The grid uses 3:4 tiles, so a square post loses roughly 135 pixels from each side. Keep words inside the middle 810 pixels.
Can a carousel be square?
Yes. If the first slide is square, the whole carousel is square, and every other slide is cropped to match.
Should I upload square posts at 1200×1200?
Instagram displays posts at up to 1080 wide, so 1080×1080 is enough. Use 1200×1200 for Facebook and LinkedIn, which recommend it.
Written by Gradiently
The team behind Gradiently, a design tool built around Marks: living gradients that make everything you design look like yours.
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