Social media image sizes: the complete cheat sheet
Every social app shows images in its own shape. When your photo doesn't match that shape, the app crops it, squeezes it or shrinks it until it looks blurry. The fix is simple: make the image the right size before you post it. Here are the sizes we recommend for each platform, and what to watch out for.
Quick reference
| Where it goes | Size (pixels) | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube thumbnail | 1280 × 720 | 16:9, wide |
| Instagram post (square) | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 |
| Instagram post (portrait) | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5, tall |
| Instagram Story and Reel | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16, full screen |
| TikTok | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16, full screen |
| Facebook cover | 1640 × 624 | wide banner |
| WhatsApp profile picture | 640 × 640 | 1:1 |
| X (Twitter) post | 1600 × 900 | 16:9 |
| LinkedIn banner | 1584 × 396 | 4:1, very wide |
YouTube thumbnails
Use 1280 × 720 pixels. YouTube shows thumbnails in many places, from big TV screens to tiny phone lists, so a sharp 16:9 image matters. Keep the file small enough to upload (YouTube sets a size limit for custom thumbnails), and keep faces and text large, because most people see the thumbnail at a small size.
Instagram: square, portrait or Story?
A square post (1080 × 1080) is the classic choice. A portrait post (1080 × 1350) takes up more of the screen as people scroll, so it often gets more attention. Stories and Reels fill the whole phone screen at 1080 × 1920. If your photo is wide, don't let Instagram cut off the sides: use a blurred or solid background to fit the whole photo inside the frame.
TikTok
TikTok is built for vertical, full-screen content, so 1080 × 1920 is the size to use for photo posts and covers. Keep important text away from the very top and bottom, where buttons and captions sit on top of your image.
Facebook cover photos
Covers are wide and are cropped differently on computers and phones. A 1640 × 624 image gives you a sharp result, but keep your main subject and any text in the middle of the image, because the edges can be hidden on phones.
WhatsApp, X and LinkedIn
WhatsApp profile pictures are shown as a circle inside a square, so center your face and leave a little space around it. On X, a 1600 × 900 image shows in full in the feed. LinkedIn banners are very wide (1584 × 396) and your profile photo covers the lower left corner, so place text toward the right.
How to get the right size without cropping
- Open the Postora Resize tool and choose your photo.
- Pick the platform. The exact size is set for you.
- Choose how the photo should fit: Show all keeps the whole photo and fills empty space with a blurred copy, Fill frame fills the frame (the edges may be cut), and Add border uses a plain color.
- Download the result and post it.
Everything happens in your browser, so your photos are never uploaded anywhere.
Platforms change their layouts from time to time. If something looks different on an app, check its help pages for the latest recommendation.