In-browser image optimizer
Compress an image for Instagram
Instagram recompresses every upload and caps the stored size at 1080 pixels wide, so a 4000-pixel photo is wasted work: it gets shrunk anyway, on top of whatever compression you did. Preparing a 1080-pixel file at quality 85 gives the app less to throw away.
Prepare a photo that survives upload
- Crop to the shape you will postSquare (1080×1080), portrait (1080×1350) or story (1080×1920). Cropping before upload means the app is not re-cropping a file you already framed carefully.
- Resize to 1080 pixels wideAnything larger is discarded by Instagram. Anything smaller is upscaled and looks soft — 1080 is the target, not a minimum.
- Encode at quality 85 and check the sizeA photo of that size usually lands between 150 and 350 KB. Bigger than that adds nothing you can see after the app’s own pass.
What happens to your file after you tap Share
Instagram re-encodes to JPEG, strips EXIF (including GPS and camera data), and generates several sizes for feed, profile and search. The final file is often a third the size of the one you uploaded, which is why a heavily compressed source looks worse than a well-prepared one: the artefacts stack.
Why the caption image still looks soft
Two things usually cause it: a source smaller than 1080 pixels being upscaled, or a source that was already squeezed to 60 KB before upload. Give the app a clean, correctly sized JPEG and let it do its own pass — the result is consistently better than a pre-destroyed file.
What to expect
| Placement | Size | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Square post | 1080 × 1080 | classic grid |
| Portrait post | 1080 × 1350 | takes more feed height |
| Landscape post | 1080 × 566 | least feed space |
| Story / Reel cover | 1080 × 1920 | full screen |
| Profile photo | 320 × 320 | displayed as a circle |
Instagram changes its limits occasionally; the 1080-pixel cap on the stored image has held for years.
Questions
What size should an Instagram photo be?
1080 pixels on the long edge, or 1080 wide for landscape. Larger files are downscaled, so uploading 4000 pixels only costs upload time.
Does compressing before upload hurt quality?
A sensible pass at quality 85 does not, and it can help: Instagram compresses less aggressively when the source is already within its limits. Squeezing to 50 KB before upload does hurt.
Does Instagram remove location data?
Yes, EXIF metadata is stripped on upload. If you want the location tag, add it in the app rather than relying on the file.