Free online Instagram Story Requirements - Complete Size & Format Guide 2026 tool. No signup required.
Instagram stories have specific technical requirements for optimal display. Follow these specifications to ensure your stories look perfect on all devices and avoid quality loss from compression.
Recommended for photos. Max 30MB. Use RGB color space.
Supported for graphics with transparency. Max 30MB.
Recommended. H.264 codec, AAC audio. Max 4GB.
Supported. H.264 codec preferred. Max 4GB.
Photos display for 5 seconds by default. Viewers can tap to skip or hold to pause. Multiple photos create a slideshow effect.
Videos up to 15 seconds play as single segments. Videos 16-60 seconds automatically split into multiple 15-second segments that play consecutively.
Boomerangs loop for 3 seconds. Reels can be up to 90 seconds when shared to stories.
Keep important content in the center. Avoid placing text or key elements in the top 250px (profile area) or bottom 250px (CTA area).
Keep text and important visuals within the safe zone (1080 x 1420 px centered) to avoid overlap with UI elements.
Always use 9:16 aspect ratio. Other ratios will have black bars or be cropped.
Keep images under 8MB and videos under 1GB for faster uploads and better quality retention.
Export videos at 1080 x 1920, 30fps, H.264 codec, 3500 kbps bitrate for optimal quality.
| Specification | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Aspect Ratio | 9:16 |
| Video Length | Up to 60 seconds |
| Image Formats | JPG, PNG |
| Video Formats | MP4, MOV |
| Max File Size (Video) | 4 GB |
| Max File Size (Image) | 30 MB |
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Instagram stories have specific technical requirements that content must meet to display correctly and look professional. Using the wrong dimensions, file format, or resolution results in cropped, blurry, or distorted stories. This guide covers all the technical specifications you need to create stories that look great on every device.
Instagram stories can be up to 60 seconds long for videos. Stories longer than 15 seconds are automatically split into multiple segments. Photos display for 5 seconds by default. You can upload multiple 15-second clips that play consecutively.
Instagram stories support JPG and PNG for images, and MP4 and MOV for videos. Maximum file size is 4GB for videos. For best results, use H.264 codec for videos and save images as JPG with RGB color space.
Instagram story file size limits: Images up to 30MB, videos up to 4GB. However, Instagram compresses files during upload. For best quality, keep images under 8MB and videos under 1GB with bitrate around 3500 kbps.
Instagram story dimensions are 1080 x 1920 pixels with a 9:16 aspect ratio. This vertical format fills the entire mobile screen. Minimum resolution is 600 x 1067 pixels, but 1080 x 1920 is recommended for best quality.