Instagram Story Size: 1080 × 1920 Pixels at 9:16

Updated September 2026 · By Joseph Pugliese, founder of Linklay

Last verified: September 7, 2026

Use a 1080 × 1920 pixel vertical canvas at 9:16 for Instagram Stories. That format matches the full-screen mobile presentation and is the standard production size used across current creator and Meta placement guidance.

Quick answer

The standard Instagram Story size is 1080 × 1920 px at a 9:16 aspect ratio. Keep important text and logos away from the very top and bottom because Instagram overlays interface elements on the Story.

At a glance

Spec	Value
Recommended dimensions	1080 × 1920 px
Aspect ratio	9:16
Orientation	Vertical
Design caution	Leave room for Instagram interface overlays
Source status	Production recommendation supported by current Meta 9:16 full-screen guidance

What should you use?

A Story is designed for a vertical phone screen. Building at 1080 × 1920 avoids the empty space or awkward cropping that can happen when a landscape or square asset is reused without adaptation.

How Instagram handles this

The entire frame is not equally safe for text. Account information, controls, reply areas and other UI can sit over the top and bottom of the Story. Keep the headline, product name and call to action closer to the center instead of treating the outer edges as guaranteed visible space.

Practical guidance

This page should avoid inventing a universal “safe-zone pixel” number for organic Stories unless Instagram publishes one. Meta publishes placement-specific safe-zone guidance for ads, but organic interface spacing can change by device and app version. Use a conservative centered composition and tell users to preview before posting.

Sources and verification

Verified against Meta for Business and Hootsuite on September 7, 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size is an Instagram Story?

1080 × 1920 pixels at 9:16 is the standard production size.

What aspect ratio should Instagram Stories use?

9:16.

Can I upload a square image to Stories?

Instagram can display other shapes, but a 9:16 vertical asset fills the Story viewer cleanly.

Where should I put text in an Instagram Story?

Keep important text away from the extreme top and bottom where interface elements can overlap it.

Sources

Meta for Business, Reels ads and 9:16 full-screen creative guidance https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/facebook-instagram-reels-ads
Hootsuite, Social media image sizes, September 2026 https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-image-sizes-guide/