Image Sizes for Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube (and How to Resize)

By Thiago · Updated September 25, 2026 · 2 min read

Every app shows images in its own shapes, and when a photo doesn't match, the app crops it where it wants: heads cut off, text lost at the edges. Knowing the shape each place uses, and preparing the photo before you post, keeps the picture looking the way you meant.

Quick reference

Apps change their layouts from time to time. These sizes are the ones they recommend as of 2026; the shape matters more than the exact pixels, because apps scale images up or down anyway.

Step 1: crop to the right shape

Cropping decides what is in the picture, so do it yourself instead of letting the app guess. The photo editor that comes with your phone does this well:

• iPhone: open the photo in Photos, tap Edit, then the crop icon, then the ratio icon at the top, and pick Square, 4:5 or 9:16.
• Android: open the photo in Google Photos or your Gallery, tap Edit, then Crop, and pick the ratio.

Leave some space around faces and text. Stories and Reels cover the top and bottom of the screen with buttons and captions, so keep important things in the middle.

Step 2: resize to the recommended size

Phone photos are usually 3000 to 4000 pixels wide, far bigger than any app displays. Resizing before you upload makes the upload faster and means the app has less to change.

1. Open Resize image and add the cropped photo.
2. Choose "Exact size in pixels", type the width from the table (1080 for most posts, 1280 for a YouTube thumbnail) and leave "Keep proportions" on.
3. Download the result. Because the photo was already cropped to the right shape, the height comes out right on its own.

"Keep proportions" never stretches or crops the photo: it fits the image inside the size you type. That's why the cropping is done first.

Step 3 (if needed): make the file lighter

Some places limit the file size, not just the pixels: a YouTube thumbnail must be under 2 MB, and many website forms accept only 1 MB or less. The image compressor usually cuts a photo to a fraction of its size without a visible change.

Profile photos that look sharp

• Use a square photo with your face in the center. Apps show it as a circle, so the corners are hidden.
• A plain background makes a small profile picture much easier to recognize. The background remover can swap a busy background for a solid color or a soft blur.
• iPhone photos in HEIC format are sometimes refused by websites. Convert them with HEIC to JPG first.

Common questions

Why does Instagram make my photo look blurry?

Instagram compresses every upload. Photos that are already the right shape and about 1080 pixels wide are changed the least. Also check that your app isn't set to save data, which uploads lower-quality images.

Can I post a horizontal photo in a Story without cropping it?

Yes. The Story will show it with a colored or blurred area above and below. If you'd rather fill the screen, crop it to 9:16 first.