What size should a video be for an Instagram Reel?

Instagram's help page gives a range, not one size: an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16, at least 720 pixels and at least 30 FPS. This tool's Reel preset makes 9:16 at 1080 × 1920. That size is the tool's own recommendation, not a figure Instagram states on that page.

Is there a size or length for Instagram Stories?

Instagram's help pages we read give no size and no maximum length for an organic Story. The Stories page only says a video longer than 60 seconds can be edited with a trimmer, currently on iOS. The 9:16 preset here is this tool's own choice for a full-screen vertical video, not a stated rule.

How do I resize a landscape video for Instagram without cropping?

Choose the shape you want and keep the blurred background or the black bars. Both fit the whole picture inside the new shape and fill the leftover space, so nothing is cut off. The picture is scaled to fit the new shape, down if it is larger and up if it is smaller, and it is never stretched or squashed.

What are the safe zones, and are they Instagram's rules?

They are not Instagram's organic rules. The figures (14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side) come from Meta's ad guide for Reels ads, where the profile icon and call-to-action button cover part of the picture. They are a rule of thumb for keeping text and logos clear.

What if my video is below 30 frames per second?

Instagram's Reels page gives 30 FPS as the minimum. The tool reads your frame rate and warns you. You can leave it, or repeat frames to reach 30 fps, which adds no new picture and does not smooth the motion. The tool cannot tell you whether Instagram will accept either file.

Is there a maximum file size for Instagram Reels?

The Instagram help pages this tool is based on do not state one, so the tool does not check a file size. It saves at a fixed quality setting, so a long or busy video can still be large. The size is shown next to the download button.

How long can an Instagram Reel be?

Instagram's page on recording reels says up to 20 minutes, and that reels over 3 minutes will not be recommended to new audiences. The page here compares the length of your video with both figures, with a note when it is over 3 minutes and a warning when it is over 20. It does not cut the video for you.

Is my video uploaded, and is it free?

Your file is not uploaded. The resizing runs in your browser using a WebAssembly build of FFmpeg, and only the engine itself is downloaded, once, when you choose a video. It is free, with no watermark and no account. This site is not affiliated with Instagram or Meta.

Resize Video for Instagram: Reels, Stories, Feed

Resize a video for Instagram Reels, Stories, feed or square: crop, blurred background or bars, with ad-guide safe zones and Reels checks. Free, no upload.

Last updated: 15 October 2026

Drop a file here or click to browseMP4, MOV, WebM, MKV, AVI — any video your browser can read🔒 Processed on your device — never uploaded

Where is it going?

The sizes are common practice. Instagram's help pages do not state a size for stories or feed videos.

How to fit the picture

Output width

A smaller width also finishes faster.

Show the safe zones on the 9:16 preview

From Meta's ad guide, not an organic rule. Only drawn on the 9:16 shape.

Was this tool useful?

Use the tool above and you can rate it here.

Fit your video to Instagram's shapes and see how it measures up

A landscape video does not fill a vertical, portrait or square frame, so it has to be cropped or placed on a background. This tool puts your video into the shape you choose (1080 × 1920 for a Reel or Story, 1080 × 1350 for a portrait feed post, 1080 × 1080 for a square), checks the result against the numbers Instagram's own help pages give for Reels, and draws the areas that Meta's ad guide suggests keeping clear of text and logos. It runs in your browser: your video is not uploaded, and the video engine is downloaded once, when you choose a video, and saved on your device. This site is not made by, affiliated with or endorsed by Instagram or Meta.

What Instagram's own pages say (read 15 October 2026)

Instagram's help page on reel size says a reel can have an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16, a minimum frame rate of 30 FPS and a minimum resolution of 720 pixels. The page does not say which side of the picture the 720 pixels refers to, so the tool compares it with the smaller side. Its page on recording reels says you can record and edit videos up to 20 minutes, and that reels over 3 minutes will not be recommended to new audiences. The tool checks your result against these figures (shape, frame rate, size and length) and shows the date the pages were read; Instagram changes its help pages, so check them if it matters.

What Instagram does not say

Neither of those pages gives a maximum file size for a reel, so this tool does not check one. The Stories help page we read also gives no length limit for an organic Story: it only says that if you share a video longer than 60 seconds you can edit it with a video trimmer, which it says is currently only available on iOS devices. None of the page sizes in this tool (1080 × 1920, 1080 × 1350, 1080 × 1080) is stated on the Instagram pages we read, so the tool offers them as its own recommendation and not as Instagram rules. If you need a smaller file, use the Instagram video compressor afterwards.

The three shapes and the three ways to fit

Reel or Story is 9:16, the tallest shape the Reels page range allows. Feed post is 4:5 portrait, and square is 1:1; both are inside the Reels range of 1.91:1 to 9:16. Output width is 1080 pixels by default or 720 pixels, the minimum on the Reels page, which gives 720 × 1280, 720 × 900 and 720 × 720, usually with a smaller file and a faster finish. A blurred background keeps the whole picture and fills the leftover space with a blurred, enlarged copy of the video. Black bars keep the whole picture and fill the space with black. Crop cuts the picture to the shape: a box locked to that shape appears over your video and you drag it to the part you want to keep. A picture smaller than the output is enlarged to fill it, which adds no detail, and the page tells you how much.

Safe zones: where the figures come from

On the 9:16 shape the preview dims the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% on each side. These come from Meta's ad guide for Instagram Reels, which suggests leaving at least that much of an asset free of text and logos so the profile icon and call-to-action button do not cover them. They are guidance for ads, not a rule for organic reels or stories, and Instagram's help pages give no safe zone for those. They are a sensible rule of thumb for captions and logos, nothing more. The tick box hides them, and no zones are drawn on 4:5 or 1:1 because the figures do not describe those.

If your video is below 30 frames per second

The tool reads the frame rate from the file. If it is below 30, it says so and does not change the rate unless you ask. You can keep the frame rate as it is, or repeat frames to reach 30 fps. Repeating frames makes the file report 30 fps by showing some frames twice. It adds no new picture, it does not make motion smoother, and it can look slightly uneven: raising 24 fps to 30, for instance, shows some frames twice and others once. Nothing on this page can tell you whether Instagram will accept either version. A video that is already at 30 fps or faster is left at its own rate, and a reading within 0.1 fps of 30, such as 29.97, counts as meeting it.

What the tool does and does not do

The result is an MP4 with H.264 video and AAC sound, saved at a fixed quality setting; it does not aim for a file size. It does not cut your video to length (use the video trimmer), does not change the shape to anything beyond these three (the aspect ratio changer has more shapes, and the video cropper crops freely), and does not make a cover image or add captions. The video is re-encoded inside your browser, which can take a while for a long video; the smaller output width finishes faster.

Sources and checks

Instagram Help Center: reel size and format: the page for the aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16, the 30 FPS minimum and the 720-pixel minimum.
Instagram Help Center: recording and editing reels: the page for the 20-minute reel length and the note that reels over 3 minutes are not recommended to new audiences.
Instagram Help Center: Stories: the page that mentions the video trimmer for Stories over 60 seconds and gives no maximum Story length.
Meta Ads Guide: video ad specs on Instagram Reels: the source of the 14%, 35% and 6% safe zone figures, which are guidance for ads and not an organic rule.

Frequently asked questions

What size should a video be for an Instagram Reel?: Instagram's help page gives a range, not one size: an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16, at least 720 pixels and at least 30 FPS. This tool's Reel preset makes 9:16 at 1080 × 1920. That size is the tool's own recommendation, not a figure Instagram states on that page.
Is there a size or length for Instagram Stories?: Instagram's help pages we read give no size and no maximum length for an organic Story. The Stories page only says a video longer than 60 seconds can be edited with a trimmer, currently on iOS. The 9:16 preset here is this tool's own choice for a full-screen vertical video, not a stated rule.
How do I resize a landscape video for Instagram without cropping?: Choose the shape you want and keep the blurred background or the black bars. Both fit the whole picture inside the new shape and fill the leftover space, so nothing is cut off. The picture is scaled to fit the new shape, down if it is larger and up if it is smaller, and it is never stretched or squashed.
What are the safe zones, and are they Instagram's rules?: They are not Instagram's organic rules. The figures (14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side) come from Meta's ad guide for Reels ads, where the profile icon and call-to-action button cover part of the picture. They are a rule of thumb for keeping text and logos clear.
What if my video is below 30 frames per second?: Instagram's Reels page gives 30 FPS as the minimum. The tool reads your frame rate and warns you. You can leave it, or repeat frames to reach 30 fps, which adds no new picture and does not smooth the motion. The tool cannot tell you whether Instagram will accept either file.
Is there a maximum file size for Instagram Reels?: The Instagram help pages this tool is based on do not state one, so the tool does not check a file size. It saves at a fixed quality setting, so a long or busy video can still be large. The size is shown next to the download button.
How long can an Instagram Reel be?: Instagram's page on recording reels says up to 20 minutes, and that reels over 3 minutes will not be recommended to new audiences. The page here compares the length of your video with both figures, with a note when it is over 3 minutes and a warning when it is over 20. It does not cut the video for you.
Is my video uploaded, and is it free?: Your file is not uploaded. The resizing runs in your browser using a WebAssembly build of FFmpeg, and only the engine itself is downloaded, once, when you choose a video. It is free, with no watermark and no account. This site is not affiliated with Instagram or Meta.