Instagram Story Size
1080 × 1920 pixels, 9:16 — and the safe zones that keep your text from hiding under Instagram's interface.
Story canvas (9:16)
1080 × 1920 px
Full-screen vertical for photos and videos. Keep essential content out of the top ~250 px (profile header) and bottom ~300 px (reply bar) — the central area is always visible.
| Placement | Size (px) | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story (photo & video) | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 | The standard full-screen canvas |
| Top UI zone | 1080 × ~250 | — | Profile picture, username, close button |
| Bottom UI zone | 1080 × ~300 | — | Reply bar, link stickers, CTAs |
| Content safe area | 1080 × ~1420 | — | Where text and stickers belong |
| Video length | 60 s / card | — | Longer videos split into multiple cards |
One vertical master for every platform
1080 × 1920 is the universal vertical format: Instagram Stories and Reels, Facebook Stories, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and WhatsApp Status all use it. Produce one master file with generous safe margins — nothing critical in the top or bottom 300 px, nothing tappable at the right edge — and the same asset ships everywhere without re-editing.
Story design rules that survive the UI
- Put hooks and headlines in the vertical center third — always visible, never covered.
- Link stickers get more taps in the lower-middle area, above the reply bar, not on it.
- Use 1080 px-wide exports; Instagram compresses smaller uploads aggressively.
- For photos shot in 4:5 or 1:1, place them on a designed 9:16 background instead of letting Instagram zoom-crop.
Frequently asked questions
What size is an Instagram Story?+
1080 × 1920 pixels at a 9:16 aspect ratio. That's the full-screen vertical format for Stories (and Reels). Images and videos both use the same canvas.
What are the Story safe zones?+
Instagram overlays UI on your Story: roughly the top 250 px hold your profile picture and username, and the bottom 250-300 px hold the reply bar and CTAs. Keep text, stickers, and anything tappable inside the central area — about 1080 × 1420 — so the interface never covers it.
Why does my Story look cropped or zoomed?+
Uploads that aren't 9:16 get scaled to fill the frame, cropping the edges. A 4:5 feed photo posted to Stories will be zoomed until it fills 9:16 — either add a background canvas at 1080 × 1920 or accept the crop.
What are the video specs for Stories?+
Same 1080 × 1920 canvas, MP4 or MOV, up to 60 seconds per Story card (longer videos are split automatically). Keep files reasonable (under ~30 MB per card) for fast uploads.
Is the Story size the same as Reels?+
Yes — both are 1080 × 1920 (9:16). The difference is the UI overlay: Reels adds the action rail on the right side, so Reels-first content should also keep the right edge clear.
Do these sizes apply to Facebook Stories too?+
Yes. Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp Status, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts all use 1080 × 1920 (9:16) — one vertical master export works across all of them, as long as you respect each app's UI safe zones.
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