Video size
Instagram Reels video size
Reels is the only Instagram surface that fills the screen at 9:16. Upload anything wider and Instagram either letterboxes it or crops it for you, usually badly.
- Resolution
- 1080x1920
- Aspect ratio
- 9:16
- Also accepted
- 1:1 · 4:5 · 16:9
File: MP4 or MOV, H.264 video, AAC audio, 30fps.
Length: Instagram has raised the Reels cap repeatedly. Short still travels further, so treat anything past three minutes as a deliberate choice.
Dimensions and ratios are stable. Length and file caps change often, these were checked in July 2026. Platform docs.
Crop calculator
Put in the size of the footage you have. You get the largest 9:16 crop that fits inside it, where to place it, and what to export.
- Crop box
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- Offset from top left
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- Trimmed away
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- Export at
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Shaded bands are where the Instagram interface sits. Keep text and faces out of them.
Do the crop on your phone
Cropzen crops, trims and resizes video to these ratios on Android. No watermark, no sign-up, exports up to 4K.
What to watch out for on Instagram
- The caption, username and audio strip sit along the bottom. Keep any burned-in text above that band.
- The right rail of like, comment and share icons eats the right edge on every vertical platform, not just this one.
- A 4:5 upload still plays in Reels but shows bars, which reads as recycled feed content.
Questions people ask
What size should a Instagram Reels video be?
1080 by 1920 pixels, an aspect ratio of 9:16. Reels is the only Instagram surface that fills the screen at 9:16. Upload anything wider and Instagram either letterboxes it or crops it for you, usually badly.
Which aspect ratio does Instagram accept besides 9:16?
1:1, 4:5, 16:9 all upload, but they show bars or get cropped. 9:16 is the one that fills the frame.
Where does the Instagram interface cover the video?
Roughly the top 120 pixels, the bottom 320 pixels and the right 180 pixels at 1080x1920. Keep text and faces out of those bands.
How do I crop a video I already shot to this size?
Use the calculator on this page to get the exact crop box, then apply it in any editor. On Android, Cropzen does it in a few taps with no watermark and no sign-up.