Instagram Reel Sizes Explained: Ideal Formats for Videos, Feed, and Covers

The making effective and engaging reels starts with understanding the characteristics, but success here goes far beyond understanding the basic specifications of Instagram reels.

People will watch your video in one format at a certain ratio in their feed, another in the reels view and yet another on your Instagram feed. In this guide, we present the exact specifications of Instagram reels for all formats.

This will enable you to make superb, high-quality, high-performance videos. The idea is to enable you to successfully attract as many users as possible to your profile and gain new followers.

You can also start using Boostfluence to boost your visibility and gain more reel followers while scheduling the publication of your reel ones.

The 4 must-have features of the instagram Reels format

Before planning your video edit or the text you'll add to your reel, there are 4 Instagram Reels specifications you need to know.

Without them, you won't be able to create the best Instagram content for your audience.

Here they are:

1. What's the right format for a reel video? - 9:16 (1,080 pixels x 1920 pixels)
2. What's the ratio of the Instagram news feed view? - 4:5 (1,080 pixels x 1,350 pixels)
3. What are the dimensions of the Instagram profile view? - 1:1 (1,080 pixels x 1,080 pixels)
4. Text safety zone - 4:5 approximately (this is a bit more of an art than a science, learn more below).

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It's by knowing these formats that you'll be able to create the best videos, the best covers and succeed in reaching the most users. Consider getting help from the best Instagram reel creators.

Let's now get into the details of each of these Instagram reel sizes.

What's the best Instagram video format for reels?

The video format for an Instagram reel is 1,080 pixels x 1,920 pixels, or an aspect ratio of 9:16 vertical.

This is the same as for Stories Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.

For successful content, you'll need to start with a video of this size, but also plan the positioning of your content according to the three other important specifications below.

One important note - on some phones, the edges are cut off at around 35 pixels from the right and left edge. This is the case with the iPhone 15 and several other medium-sized phones. You'll want to plan your video in all views to account for this.

Instagram reel format:

1,080 pixels x 1,920 pixels | Aspect ratio 9:16

The Instagram reel format on the news feed

One of the major assets introduced by Instagram is the "reel" format.

Like Instagram stories of less than 60 seconds, reels offer flexibility of display.

You have the option of presenting these videos on the classic feed of your Instagram account. We often suggest opting for this.

However, there's a technical nuance to keep in mind: if your video is initially in portrait format 1080 x 1920 pixels, Instagram's main feed crops it to a format of 1080 x 1350 pixels.

This is an ideal format that guarantees better visibility compared to other formats, such as the 600 x 600 pixel square format or the horizontal format.

Instagram in 2025 puts the emphasis on content diversity, and knowing the different formats is essential.

In fact, the format of images and videos in the 600 x 600 pixel square format or even the 1920 x 1080 pixel horizontal format matters, particularly in Instagram strategy.

However, the 4:5 format, i.e. 1080 x 1350 pixels, is the format best suited for the news feed.

In contrast to the old IGTV, where only a preview was shown and users are encouraged to click to view in full, the reel ones can be seen in full on the feed.

As such, considering this format when making your video edits is a crucial step for a business on Instagram.

So, to maximize your impact, whether it's an image or a video, keep these dimensions in mind and tailor your content accordingly.

And if you're exploring other content, don't hesitate to use a video converter to comply with Instagram's standard sizes.

Reel Instagram ratio in News Feed:

1,080 pixels x 1,350 pixels | Aspect ratio 4:5

Reel Instagram - Profile view

When planning your video, it's vital to consider its aesthetics on your Instagram page.

In fact, on the profile, every video, whether in the story format or otherwise, is automatically cropped to the square 1:1 format.

Instagram introduced this feature especially for Reels videos. This square is central and is taken directly from the "cover" you opt for when publishing.

By adding a reel, Instagram allows you to define this "cover", otherwise known as a thumbnail.

The issue here is to choose or design this thumbnail taking into account its long-term rendering on your profile. The importance of coverage will be discussed further in a later section.

As for reel specifications for profile view, in 2023 it's essential to favor 1080 x 1080 pixels with a 1:1 aspect ratio.

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With the evolution of content to the Reels format that Instagram introduced, this format has become a standard for Instagram images and videos on Instagram.

It's worth remembering that Instagram is one of the major social networks. It is therefore crucial to use the right format to optimize engagement, whether for a video or an image.

This is what will define the success of your content within the new video format that is Reels.

Specifications for Instagram Reels Profile view:

1,080 pixels x 1,080 pixels | Aspect ratio 1:1

Text boxes in videos in vertical format

When a user views your video in the Reel Instagram player, they are viewing your video in full vertical 9:16 format.

However, this is not a full, unobstructed view. Instagram adds text at the top of the screen with its brand and interface "Reels".

At the bottom, they overlay your account information, as well as your description and information about the sound used. In the bottom right-hand corner, they also add the icons for liking, commenting and sharing your video.

You can ignore these icons and place important text and visual elements in your video that will overlay with these elements, but we don't recommend it.

This can be distracting and part of your post won't be easily visible. That's why we suggest you include a "safe zone for text" in all your reel Instagrams, to keep essential written content away from these overlays.

While the formats of the three display ratios above are clearly defined, here it's a little less precise. The location of these overlays on a screen varies according to the size of the device on which the user is viewing your reels.

With very small devices, the textual safe area of Reels can approximate the 1:1 center we identified above for the profile view.

However, we've found that the majority of phones make the 4:5 center area and a few pixels above a good space for including important elements of your video.

You need to keep this textual safety zone in mind when developing your video content, but also when using the tools built into Instagram Reels that let you add text, stickers and other elements.

Given the potential negative impact on the transmission of your message and to make sure you look like a Reels pro, it's best to play it safe.

Safe text area for Instagram Reels:

1,080 pixels x 1,350+ pixels | Aspect ratio 4:5+.

Planning the perfect cover for Instagram reels

Your reels thumbnail or cover will be important to the success of your reels, so let's discuss proper planning for that too.

You can select or add a cover when you create your reel in the Instagram app. This option appears in the section where you add your caption.

Click on the "Cover" option to the left of your caption text to update it. Be sure to do this every time you create a reel one. Never just leave it to Instagram. You'll have the option of selecting the thumbnail from your video or uploading an image that will be your cover.

The cover image for your Instagram reael will appear in two different places, showing two different parts of the thumbnail you've selected. The full thumbnail will appear in the reell parts of Instagram, including on your profile in the specific reell tab and in other reel results areas on Instagram.

The other place it will appear is in your profile's main posts feed, if you've chosen this option.

In this main profile view, it will display as a 1:1 square thumbnail, which specifically pulls from the 1,080 x1,080px center of your selected cover image. Make sure you take both views into account when creating or selecting your Instagram Reels cover image.

Instagram Reels cover:

1,080 pixels x 1,920 pixels | Aspect ratio 9:16 vertical (like a story).

How to Boost Your Reels Organically with Boostfluence

Creating visually stunning and properly formatted Reels is only part of the journey. If you want those Reels to actually reach more people, appear in the algorithm, and drive more engagement and followers, then you need to pair your content strategy with organic growth tactics.

That’s where Boostfluence becomes a powerful ally.

With Boostfluence, you can:

• Automatically engage with users who interact with similar Reels in your niche — increasing your chances of getting discovered.
• Schedule your Reels in advance, ensuring consistent posting without the stress of manual uploads.
• Target users by interest, hashtag, or competitor audience, so your content lands in the right feeds.
• Track engagement performance, including views, saves, and shares, to understand what type of Reels perform best.

Boostfluence doesn’t rely on fake engagement or risky shortcuts — it uses smart automation to help your Reels reach more accounts organically, all while staying compliant with Instagram’s best practices.

So while optimizing your format, timing, and cover is essential — amplifying your reach with Boostfluence can make the difference between a Reel that performs… and one that goes viral.

Conclusion

Yes, that's a lot to think about and it will take some time and testing for it to become second nature and an indispensable part of your planning.

We think the reel Instagram and, more broadly, the growing social network trend of short vertical videos represent a great opportunity that's worth the extra work.

If you really want to excel in this area, we've got several other tools that might come in handy.

For example, you can use the Boostfluence app to help boost your visibility on Instagram.

You can also read our entire article dedicated to Instagram reel. In it you'll find all the information you need to know:

• How long is an Instagram reel? A few seconds? Several minutes?
• How to combine advertising and reel insta to promote your business?
• How to publish quality reels?
• How to edit your videos and photos to the right format?
• Can you use landscape format images?

Basically, everything that can make your reel not perform enough on Instagram, we detail.