Social Media Image Sizes in 2026: The Complete Cheat Sheet

Posting the wrong image size on social media leads to awkward cropping, blurry previews, and a less professional appearance. Each platform has its own recommended dimensions, and they change frequently. This guide covers every major platform's current image requirements as of 2026.

Instagram

• Square post — 1080 x 1080 px (1:1)
• Portrait post — 1080 x 1350 px (4:5)
• Landscape post — 1080 x 566 px (1.91:1)
• Story / Reel cover — 1080 x 1920 px (9:16)
• Profile picture — 320 x 320 px (1:1)

Instagram favors portrait orientation (4:5) in the feed because it takes up more screen space, increasing engagement. For carousel posts, use a consistent aspect ratio across all slides.

Twitter / X

• In-stream image (single) — 1600 x 900 px (16:9)
• In-stream image (two) — 700 x 800 px (7:8) each
• Header / banner — 1500 x 500 px (3:1)
• Profile picture — 400 x 400 px (1:1)

Twitter/X crops images to 16:9 in the timeline. To control what viewers see, compose your image at exactly 1600 x 900 so no important content is cut off.

Facebook

• Feed post image — 1200 x 630 px (1.91:1)
• Cover photo — 820 x 312 px (desktop) / 640 x 360 px (mobile)
• Event cover — 1920 x 1005 px
• Profile picture — 170 x 170 px (1:1)

Facebook cover photos display differently on mobile and desktop. Keep essential text and visual elements centered to avoid cropping on either device. For shared links, the 1200 x 630 Open Graph image size applies.

LinkedIn

• Feed post image — 1200 x 627 px (1.91:1)
• Profile banner — 1584 x 396 px (4:1)
• Company page cover — 1128 x 191 px
• Profile picture — 400 x 400 px (1:1)

LinkedIn heavily favors professional, clean imagery. Square images (1080 x 1080) also work well in the feed and take up more vertical space on mobile, similar to Instagram.

YouTube

• Video thumbnail — 1280 x 720 px (16:9)
• Channel banner — 2560 x 1440 px (safe area: 1546 x 423 px center)
• Profile picture — 800 x 800 px (1:1)

YouTube thumbnails are arguably the most important image on the platform — they directly affect click-through rates. Use bold text, high contrast, and expressive faces when applicable. Keep the minimum resolution at 1280 x 720 for sharp display on all devices.

TikTok

• Video / cover image — 1080 x 1920 px (9:16)
• Profile picture — 200 x 200 px (1:1)

TikTok is a vertical-first platform. All visual content should be designed in 9:16 portrait orientation. Keep important elements away from the bottom 15% of the frame where the UI overlays.

Pinterest

• Standard pin — 1000 x 1500 px (2:3)
• Long pin — 1000 x 2100 px (1:2.1)
• Square pin — 1000 x 1000 px (1:1)
• Profile picture — 165 x 165 px (1:1)

Pinterest favors tall, vertical images because they take up more space in the feed grid. The 2:3 aspect ratio is the sweet spot — taller pins may be truncated in the feed.

Quick Reference Table

General Tips

• Always use the recommended dimensions. Platforms will resize and crop your images if they don't match. Control the result by providing the exact size.
• Save as JPG for photos, PNG for graphics with text. This keeps file sizes reasonable while maintaining quality where it counts.
• Preview on mobile. Most social media consumption happens on phones. Always check how your image looks on a small screen.
• Batch resize for efficiency. If you post across multiple platforms, resize your image to all needed dimensions at once rather than editing individually each time.