Story safe zones
The full 1920-pixel height is visible, but the top and bottom are overlaid by Instagram's own interface — your profile row and progress bars at the top, the reply field and action buttons at the bottom.
Keep roughly the top 250 pixels and the bottom 250 pixels clear of anything that matters. That leaves about 1080 × 1420 of genuinely safe area in the middle. For Reels, also keep the right-hand edge clear, where the like, comment and share column sits.
| Region | Pixels | What covers it |
|---|---|---|
| Top margin | 0–250 | Profile name, close button, progress bars |
| Safe area | 250–1670 | Clear — put your content here |
| Bottom margin | 1670–1920 | Reply field, action buttons |
| Right edge (Reels) | last ~200px wide | Like / comment / share column |
Fitting a horizontal photo into a vertical frame
A landscape photo cropped to 9:16 loses most of its width, which usually destroys the composition. Two better options: crop to the subject and accept that you are making a different, tighter image; or place the photo at its natural ratio on a coloured or blurred background so the full frame is used without cropping.
The crop tool here handles the first approach. Set the aspect ratio to 9:16 and position the crop box over the part of the image that carries the subject.
Frequently asked questions
- What size is an Instagram story?
- 1080 × 1920 pixels, a 9:16 aspect ratio. Reels use the same dimensions.
- How much of a story is covered by the interface?
- Roughly 250 pixels at the top and 250 at the bottom. Keep text and key detail inside the middle 1080 × 1420 area.
- Can I post a horizontal photo to a story?
- Yes, but it will be letterboxed with a background fill unless you crop it to 9:16. Cropping gives you control over what is kept.