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Instagram Reels Size, Dimensions and Safe Zone

Make Reels at 1080 × 1920 px (9:16) and keep text inside the 950 × 979 px safe area. Check a frame of your own video against the overlay, then download it.

Make Instagram Reels at 1080 × 1920 px, a 9:16 vertical frame that fills the phone screen; Instagram accepts shapes from 1.91:1 to 9:16.

Meta's guidance for Reels ads asks you to keep the top 269 px, the bottom 672 px and 65 px on each side clear of text and logos, where the app's caption, buttons and audio label sit. Reels recorded in the app can run up to 20 minutes, but Instagram doesn't recommend Reels over 3 minutes to new audiences. To make Reels from a long video, Exemplary AI's free plan includes 500 one-time credits.

Instagram Reels dimensions at a glance

Facts checked .

Resolution
1080 × 1920 px
Aspect ratio
9:16 vertical; Instagram accepts 1.91:1 to 9:16
Length
Up to 20 minutes recorded in the app; over 3 minutes is not recommended to new audiences
Cover image
420 × 654 px (1:1.55)
Keep clear: top
269 px: the Reels header and camera button
Keep clear: bottom
672 px: the username, caption, audio label and navigation bar
Keep clear: sides
65 px each: the like, comment, share and save buttons on the right
Safe area
950 × 979 px
Caption and hashtags
Up to 2,200 characters and 5 hashtags
How it works

How to size a video for Instagram Reels

A 9:16 phone frame measured at 1080 by 1920 pixels

Where the safe-zone numbers come from

Instagram doesn't publish safe margins for regular Reels. These are Meta's guidance for Reels ads, worked out on a 1080 × 1920 px frame; the same caption, buttons and audio label sit over every Reel, so creators use them for posts too. Meta's ads guide recommends 1440 × 2560 px for ads; 1080 × 1920 px is the same 9:16 shape. A long caption reaches higher, so keep important text above it, and check the Reel in the app before you post.

Making Reels from a long video? The Instagram Reels maker cuts a long video into vertical clips with captions, and horizontal to vertical video reframes a wide recording around the speaker. Posting the same clip elsewhere? See the YouTube Shorts and TikTok size guides.

What it does

Reels at the right size, with the words where people read them

Start from the frame Instagram fills the screen with and keep your text out from under its interface.

A free safe-zone overlay

A 1080 × 1920 px transparent PNG with the covered margins hatched and the 950 × 979 px safe area outlined.

Check your own frame first

Drop a still from your video into the checker to see which words would sit under the caption or the buttons. It stays on your device.

Vertical clips from a long video

Exemplary AI cuts a long video into clips in 9:16, 16:9, 1:1 and 4:5, with captions burned in, ready to post as Reels.

Captions where the app leaves room

Burned-in captions can sit at the top, center or bottom of the frame; center keeps them clear of the caption and audio label.

Keep going

Get your recording ready for Reels

Find the highlight, frame it vertically, and style the captions before you publish.

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Questions

Common questions

What size is an Instagram Reel?
1080 × 1920 px pixels in a 9:16 vertical frame. Instagram accepts shapes from 1.91:1 to 9:16, but only 9:16 fills the screen.
What is the Instagram Reels safe zone?
The 950 × 979 px area left once you keep the top 269 px, the bottom 672 px and 65 px on each side clear. The figures are Meta's guidance for Reels ads; Instagram publishes none for regular Reels, so check the in-app preview.
How long can an Instagram Reel be?
Up to 20 minutes when recorded in the Instagram app, but Instagram says Reels over 3 minutes won't be recommended to new audiences.
What size is an Instagram Reels cover photo?
Instagram recommends 420 × 654 px (1:1.55) for a Reels cover photo.
How many hashtags can I use on an Instagram Reel?
Up to 5 on a post, per Instagram's Help Center; the limit rolled out from December 2025. The caption itself can run to 2,200 characters.
Can Exemplary AI make Instagram Reels at this size for free?
Yes. Exemplary AI turns a long video into 9:16 clips with captions, and the Free plan includes 500 one-time credits; files up to 500 MB and 30 min long; 720p video exports with a watermark.

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Make a Reel that fits the feed

Start with your recording and finish a vertical clip with captions you can place and style.

Make Reels from a videoContact us