Free Instagram tool
Instagram Video and Image Size Checker
Reels run up to 20 minutes in the app and 15 minutes through the publishing API, Stories stop at 60 seconds, and a feed image has to fit inside 8 MB. Drop a file in and see which of those it clears.
Last updated: 2026-07-31
Instagram runs four different sets of rules under one app. A Reel wants 1080 x 1920 at 9:16 and runs up to 20 minutes in the app, while the publishing API that scheduling tools use stops at 15 minutes. A Story card holds 60 seconds. A feed image has to come in under 8 MB. A carousel crops every slide to match the first one.
The rejections people actually run into are rarely about file size. A clip shorter than 3 seconds is refused outright. A 16:9 video uploaded as a Reel is either letterboxed or cropped into something unwatchable. A 4:5 photo squeezed into 1.91:1 loses the top and the bottom of the frame.
This checker measures your file on your device and runs it against every Instagram format at once, so you can tell whether it belongs in the feed, in a Reel or on a Story before it goes into the schedule.
Your file never leaves your browser. The dimensions are read on your device and nothing is uploaded to us.
Pick a file and every Instagram format is checked against it at once.
The full spec sheet is below, so you can read the numbers without uploading anything.
Instagram video and image specs
Every Instagram surface with its own limits, in one place. These are the platform ceilings, so an upload that clears them still has to clear whatever your publishing tool allows.
Instagram Feed image
| Max file size | 8 MB |
|---|---|
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1350 |
| Minimum size | 320 pixels wide |
| Aspect ratio | 4:5 recommended, 1:1.25 to 1.91:1 accepted |
| File types | JPG, PNG |
- Portrait 4:5 takes the most vertical space in the feed, which is why it beats square for reach on the same image.
- Instagram re-compresses every upload to 1080 pixels wide, so exporting at 4K only makes the upload slower.
- The Instagram app itself now accepts portraits up to 3:4 (1080 x 1440). The publishing API that scheduling tools use still stops at 4:5.
Instagram Reel
| Max file size | 300 MB |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 seconds to 20 minutes |
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1920 |
| Minimum size | 720 pixels wide |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 recommended, 1:1.78 to 1.91:1 accepted |
| Bitrate | Up to 25 Mbps |
| File types | MP4, MOV |
- A Reel can run up to 20 minutes in the app, but Instagram only recommends Reels of 3 minutes or less to new audiences. The publishing API that scheduling tools use stops at 15 minutes.
- 300 MB is the file ceiling in the publishing API that scheduling tools use, so compress anything heavier before you queue it.
- Meta's ads guidance keeps text and logos out of the top 14 percent, the bottom 35 percent and 6 percent of each side, because the interface covers those areas.
Instagram Story
| Max file size | 100 MB |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 seconds to 60 seconds |
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1920 |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 recommended, 1:10 to 10:1 accepted |
| Bitrate | Up to 25 Mbps |
| File types | MP4, MOV, JPG, PNG |
- The app splits a longer clip into 60 second cards for you. Scheduled uploads are rejected instead, so cut them first.
- A still image posted to a Story is displayed for 5 seconds and does not need to be a video.
Instagram Carousel
| Max file size | 300 MB |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 seconds to 60 seconds |
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1350 |
| Aspect ratio | 4:5 recommended, 1:1.25 to 1.91:1 accepted |
| File types | JPG, PNG, MP4, MOV |
- Between 2 and 20 slides per carousel, and images and video can be mixed freely.
- Images inside a carousel still follow the 8 MB feed image cap. The larger ceiling applies to the video slides.
- Every slide is cropped to the aspect ratio of the first one, so export the whole set at the same size.
Specs verified 2026-07-31. Networks adjust these without announcing them, so re-check anything you are about to build a whole shoot around.
Instagram export tips
- Export Reels at exactly 1080 x 1920. Instagram re-encodes anything larger down to that width, so a 4K master only makes the upload slower.
- Keep text and faces out of the top 14 percent and the bottom 35 percent of a Reel. That is Meta's ads guidance for the areas the interface covers, and the app itself can differ by device.
- Choose 4:5 over 1:1 for feed images. Portrait takes more vertical space in the feed for exactly the same photo.
- Cut Story videos into 60 second segments yourself. The app splits longer clips for you, but a scheduled upload is rejected instead.
- Instagram compresses hard. A clean 1080p H.264 export at around 10 Mbps survives that better than a heavy file the encoder has to fight.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum video size on Instagram?
The Instagram help center publishes no file size for Reels. The only official number is 300 MB, the ceiling in the publishing API that scheduling tools use, and a Story card takes up to 100 MB. Compress anything heavier before you queue it.
How long can an Instagram Reel be?
Up to 20 minutes in the app and 15 minutes when it is published through the API that scheduling tools use. Instagram recommends 3 minutes or less for reaching new audiences, and the minimum is 3 seconds either way.
What aspect ratio should Instagram videos use?
9:16 for Reels and Stories, which means 1080 x 1920. The feed accepts anything between 4:5 and 1.91:1, so a square or portrait clip works there, but only vertical fills the screen on a Reel.
What size should an Instagram photo be?
1080 x 1350 at 4:5, under the 8 MB file cap. Instagram scales everything to 1080 pixels wide on the way in, so a larger export gains you nothing at all.
Why does Instagram keep rejecting my video?
Three causes cover most of it: a clip under 3 seconds, an aspect ratio outside the range for that surface, and a file over the size cap for the format. Codec is fourth, so export H.264 in an MP4 rather than HEVC.
How many items can an Instagram carousel hold?
Between 2 and 20, and images and video can be mixed freely. Every slide is cropped to the aspect ratio of the first one, so export the whole set at the same dimensions.
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