Social Media Image Sizes Cheat Sheet for 2026 - Every Platform, Every Format

Creating content for multiple platforms means juggling dozens of different image dimensions. Upload the wrong size and your image gets cropped awkwardly, stretched, or compressed into a blurry mess. This cheat sheet covers the correct image sizes for every major social media platform in 2026, updated to reflect the latest layout changes.

YouTube

YouTube has the most image types of any platform. Getting these right is critical because thumbnails directly affect click-through rate and video performance.

• Video Thumbnail: 1280 × 720 px (16:9) - max 2 MB, JPG/PNG/WebP
• Shorts Thumbnail: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16)
• Channel Profile Picture: 800 × 800 px (1:1, displays as circle)
• Channel Banner: 2560 × 1440 px - safe area is the centre 1546 × 423 px (visible on all devices)
• Video Watermark: 150 × 150 px (transparent PNG recommended)
• Community Post Image: 1200 × 675 px (16:9 recommended)

Instagram

Instagram has moved towards a full-width, borderless feed in 2026. Image sizes vary by format:

• Feed Post (Square): 1080 × 1080 px (1:1)
• Feed Post (Portrait): 1080 × 1350 px (4:5) - takes up more screen space, recommended
• Feed Post (Landscape): 1080 × 566 px (1.91:1)
• Stories / Reels: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16)
• Profile Picture: 320 × 320 px (1:1, displays as circle)
• Carousel Images: Same as feed posts, all images in a carousel must be the same aspect ratio

The 4:5 portrait format is the most valuable format on Instagram because it occupies the maximum feed space on mobile, which means more visual real estate per scroll.

TikTok

TikTok is almost entirely vertical video, but dimensions still matter for cover images and profile assets:

• Video: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16)
• Video Cover Image: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16) - this is the "thumbnail" viewers see on your profile grid
• Profile Picture: 200 × 200 px minimum (1:1)
• Photo Mode Posts: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16) for full-screen, or 1080 × 1080 px (1:1)

X (Twitter)

X displays images in a timeline feed, and the crop behaviour has changed several times. Current specs for 2026:

• In-Feed Image (Single): 1600 × 900 px (16:9) - max 5 MB
• In-Feed Image (Two images): Each 700 × 800 px (7:8)
• In-Feed Image (Four images): Each 700 × 800 px (7:8)
• Profile Picture: 400 × 400 px (1:1, displays as circle)
• Header/Banner: 1500 × 500 px (3:1)
• Card Image (shared link): 1200 × 628 px (1.91:1)

X now shows full images without cropping for single-image posts in most aspect ratios. For multi-image posts, 7:8 portrait works best to maximise feed presence.

Facebook

Facebook compresses images aggressively, so always upload at the maximum recommended size:

• Feed Post Image: 1200 × 630 px (1.91:1) - or 1080 × 1080 px for square
• Stories: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16)
• Profile Picture: 170 × 170 px on desktop, 128 × 128 on mobile (1:1, displays as circle)
• Cover Photo: 820 × 312 px on desktop, 640 × 360 px on mobile - use 820 × 360 px to cover both
• Event Cover: 1200 × 628 px (1.91:1)
• Group Cover: 1640 × 856 px (1.91:1)
• Shared Link Preview: 1200 × 628 px (1.91:1)

LinkedIn

LinkedIn's feed favours vertical or square images. Sizes for 2026:

• Feed Post Image: 1200 × 1200 px (1:1) or 1080 × 1350 px (4:5)
• Article Cover Image: 1200 × 644 px (1.86:1)
• Profile Picture: 400 × 400 px (1:1)
• Background/Banner: 1584 × 396 px (4:1)
• Company Page Logo: 300 × 300 px (1:1)
• Company Page Cover: 1128 × 191 px (5.9:1)
• Shared Link Preview: 1200 × 627 px (1.91:1)

Pinterest

Pinterest is built around vertical images. Taller pins get more visibility in the feed:

• Standard Pin: 1000 × 1500 px (2:3) - the ideal ratio
• Long Pin: 1000 × 2100 px (1:2.1) - stands out but may get truncated
• Square Pin: 1000 × 1000 px (1:1)
• Profile Picture: 165 × 165 px (1:1)
• Board Cover: 222 × 150 px (displayed size)
• Idea Pin Cover: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16)

The 2:3 ratio is Pinterest's sweet spot - it fills the column width without being truncated. Avoid going wider than 1:1 or taller than 1:2.1.

Threads

Meta's Threads app follows similar conventions to Instagram:

• Feed Image: 1080 × 1350 px (4:5) recommended
• Profile Picture: Inherited from Instagram account
• Carousel Images: Same as feed, consistent aspect ratio across all images

General Tips for All Platforms

• Always design at 2× for retina. If the display size is 400×400, design at 800×800. Most modern screens are high-DPI.
• Keep text in the centre 80%. Every platform crops differently on different devices. Text near edges will get cut off somewhere.
• Use PNG for graphics, JPEG for photos. PNG preserves sharp edges (text, logos, illustrations). JPEG is smaller for photographic content.
• Test on mobile. Over 80% of social media usage is on phones. If your image looks good on desktop but is unreadable on a 6-inch screen, it's not working.
• Mind the safe zones. YouTube overlays a timestamp badge on thumbnails. Instagram crops square for the profile grid. X crops for multi-image posts. Always check what gets hidden.