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Stop guessing your aspect ratios and hoping for the best. This guide walks you through the ideal 2026 image and video sizes for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube – so every post looks sharp, on-brand and ready to convert.

2026 Image & Video Size Guide for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Covered in this article

Why Social Media Sizes Still Matter in 2026
Quick Reference: 2026 Social Media Image & Video Sizes
Facebook Image & Video Sizes for 2026
Instagram Image & Video Sizes for 2026
LinkedIn Image Sizes for 2026
YouTube Image & Video Sizes for 2026
How to Build a Future-Proof Social Media Asset Workflow
Final Thoughts: Let the Platforms Change – Your System Stays the Same
FAQs

Why Social Media Sizes Still Matter in 2026

Social platforms change constantly, but one thing hasn’t: badly sized images still kill engagement. Cropped logos, fuzzy thumbnails and badly framed vertical videos all chip away at your brand’s credibility, especially when your audience is scrolling on mobile first.

As we head into 2026, most networks now support multiple aspect ratios, HD and even 4K assets – but they still have very specific recommended sizes if you want your content to look its best.

Pro tip: Treat this article as your “base spec” and create a shared cheat sheet (Google Sheet / Notion doc) for your team. Update it annually as the platforms tweak their layouts.
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Quick Reference: 2026 Social Media Image & Video Sizes

Here’s your at-a-glance cheat sheet before we dive into each platform.

Platform Placement Recommended Size Aspect Ratio
Facebook Profile picture 196 × 196 px (min) 1:1
Facebook Cover photo 851 × 315 px ~2.7:1
Facebook Feed image (square) 1080 × 1080 px 1:1
Facebook Feed image (portrait) 1080 × 1350/1359 px 4:5
Facebook Feed image (landscape) 1080 × 566 px 1.91:1
Facebook Stories / Reels 1080 × 1920 px 9:16
Instagram Profile picture 320 × 320 px 1:1
Instagram Feed post (square) 1080 × 1080 px 1:1
Instagram Feed post (portrait) 1080 × 1350 px 4:5
Instagram Feed post (landscape) 1080 × 566 px 1.91:1
Instagram Stories & Reels 1080 × 1920 px 9:16
LinkedIn Profile picture 400 × 400 px 1:1
LinkedIn Personal banner 1584 × 396 px ~4:1
LinkedIn Company header ~1128 × 191 px ~6:1
LinkedIn Feed image / link share 1200 × 627 px 1.91:1
YouTube Channel banner 2560 × 1440 px 16:9 (safe zone centred)
YouTube Profile picture 800 × 800 px 1:1 (circle)
YouTube Thumbnail 1280 × 720 px 16:9
YouTube Standard video 1920 × 1080 px (min) 16:9
YouTube Shorts 1080 × 1920 px 9:16 
Save this snippet in your brand playbook:
• Facebook & Instagram feed: 1080px wide (square or 4:5)
• Stories/Reels/Shorts: 1080 × 1920 (9:16)
• LinkedIn feed: 1200 × 627 (1.91:1)
• YouTube thumbnail: 1280 × 720 (16:9)

Facebook Image & Video Sizes for 2026

Facebook might feel “old-school”, but it still drives reach for many B2B and B2C brands – especially through community groups, events and remarketing. To keep your visuals clean in 2026, stick to these sizes.

Core Facebook image sizes

  • Profile picture: 196 × 196 px recommended minimum, displayed as a circle in most contexts.
  • Cover photo: 851 × 315 px recommended (minimum 400 × 150 px). Design with a “safe zone” in the centre so nothing critical is cut off on mobile.
  • Feed image (square): 1080 × 1080 px (1:1).
  • Feed image (portrait): ~1080 × 1350–1359 px (4:5) – great for mobile screen real estate.
  • Feed image (landscape): 1080 × 566 px (1.91:1) – ideal for link previews and landscape photos.
  • Stories / Reels: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16) full-screen vertical.

Facebook video sizes

  • Standard horizontal video: 1920 × 1080 px (16:9) is a solid baseline.
  • Square video: 1080 × 1080 px – useful for multi-platform use.
  • Vertical video (Stories/Reels): 1080 × 1920 px (9:16).
Pro tip for Facebook: When you’re boosting posts or running Meta ads, stick to 1:1 (1080 × 1080) or 4:5 (1080 × 1350) creatives – Meta’s own guidance prioritises these in feeds and on mobile.

Instagram Image & Video Sizes for 2026

Instagram is where sizing really shows. A beautifully designed post in the wrong format can look cramped in the grid, cropped in the feed or awkward in Reels – not ideal when you’re trying to look like a polished brand in a 0.2-second scroll window.

Instagram profile & feed sizes

  • Profile picture: 320 × 320 px, displayed as a circle. Keep your logo centred and simple.
  • Square feed post: 1080 × 1080 px (1:1) – the classic, safe choice.
  • Portrait feed post: 1080 × 1350 px (4:5) – usually the best performer in terms of screen space on mobile.
  • Landscape feed post: 1080 × 566 px (1.91:1) – good for wide shots, but less vertical impact.
  • Carousel posts: Use the same dimensions across all slides – ideally portrait (1080 × 1350) for maximum impact.

Stories & Reels

  • Stories: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16) – full-screen vertical.
  • Reels: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16) – but remember the feed preview crops to 4:5, so keep important content in the vertical centre.
  • Reels cover / thumbnail: Design at 1080 × 1920 px and place text/logos in a central “safe zone” to avoid cropping in the grid.
Pro tip for Instagram: Default to portrait (4:5) for feed posts and 9:16 for Stories and Reels. That way you’re designing for thumb-stopping mobile content, not just pretty desktop mock-ups.
Agency shortcut: Build one master vertical asset (1080 × 1920), then crop variations: 4:5 for feed, 1:1 for LinkedIn and square placements, 16:9 for YouTube.

LinkedIn Image Sizes for 2026

LinkedIn is where many B2B brands make (or break) their first impression. Sloppy banners and blurry profile photos suggest “we don’t sweat the details” – not the message you want when you’re selling strategic services or high-value products.

Personal profiles

  • Profile picture: 400 × 400 px (1:1), uploaded as JPG/PNG. It will be displayed as a circle, so keep your face or logo centred.
  • Profile banner: 1584 × 396 px – a wide, letterbox-style banner. Place key messaging in the central third so it’s visible on both desktop and mobile.

Company pages & posts

  • Company header image: roughly 1128 × 191 px works well for the wide banner on company pages.
  • Feed image / link share: 1200 × 627 px (1.91:1) – ideal for blog posts, case studies and article shares.
  • Carousel ads / document posts: 1080 × 1080 px per slide (1:1) for a clean, consistent scroll experience.
  • Article cover images: 1920 × 1080 px – perfect for long-form LinkedIn articles and thought leadership pieces.
Pro tip for LinkedIn: Use square (1080 × 1080) or 1.91:1 (1200 × 627) imagery for campaigns you’ll repurpose on other networks. That way, a single visual can work on LinkedIn, Facebook and even Instagram with minor tweaks.

YouTube Image & Video Sizes for 2026

YouTube is now just as important for brands as the “traditional” social networks – especially with Shorts competing directly with TikTok and Reels. Getting your thumbnails and banners right can seriously improve click-through rates and watch time.

YouTube channel branding

  • Channel banner (channel art): 2560 × 1440 px, with a central “safe area” (around 1546 × 423 px) that always displays across devices.
  • Profile picture: 800 × 800 px (1:1, displayed as a circle).

Thumbnails & video sizes

  • Video thumbnail: 1280 × 720 px (16:9), under 2–50 MB depending on new limits, JPG/PNG/GIF/BMP supported.
  • Standard video: 1920 × 1080 px (Full HD, 16:9) is the minimum you should aim for now.
  • 4K video: 3840 × 2160 px (16:9) – ideal if you’re future-proofing high-value content.
  • YouTube Shorts: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16) – vertical video, up to 60 seconds.
Pro tip for YouTube: Design thumbnails like mini billboards – bold contrast, big text, clear subject. The difference between “nice thumbnail” and “scroll-stopping thumbnail” is often the difference between 100 views and 10 000.

How to Build a Future-Proof Social Media Asset Workflow

Knowing the numbers is one thing. Building a workflow that your creative, content and social teams can repeat every week is where the real leverage is. Here’s how to turn these 2026 social media image and video sizes into a system.

1. Design from one master file

Start with a large vertical canvas – for example, 1080 × 1920 px. From there you can crop:

  • 4:5 for Instagram and Facebook feed posts (1080 × 1350 px).
  • 1:1 for LinkedIn and square placements (1080 × 1080 px).
  • 16:9 for YouTube thumbnails or video stills (1920 × 1080 px or 1280 × 720 px).

2. Lock in your “safe zones”

Each network hides part of your design behind UI – buttons, captions, gradients, progress bars. Build reusable guides into your templates to mark:

  • Where profile photos overlap cover images (Facebook, LinkedIn).
  • Where captions and CTAs sit on Stories/Reels/Shorts.
  • The central safe area on YouTube channel art and thumbnails.
Design rule of thumb: Keep text and logos inside the centre 80% of your canvas, both horizontally and vertically. Let the edges be “decoration space” only.

3. Standardise file formats & compression

To balance quality and load speed:

  • Use JPG for photos and gradients, PNG for logos and flat graphics.
  • Export thumbnails and feed images under each platform’s recommended size limits.
  • Use MP4 (H.264 or newer codecs) for video – it’s widely supported and efficient.

4. Build a shared “2026 sizes” doc for your team

Don’t rely on someone’s memory (or this article) during a rushed campaign. Create a central document with:

  • All current image and video sizes per platform.
  • Links to master templates in your design tool (e.g. Canva, Figma, Photoshop).
  • Notes on safe zones, logo usage and text limits.

Final Thoughts: Let the Platforms Change – Your System Stays the Same

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube will keep evolving through 2026 and beyond. Ratios may shift slightly, new formats will appear, and old ones will quietly disappear. That’s fine – if you’ve built a repeatable, size-aware workflow.

Use these 2026 social media image and video sizes as your foundation. Design mobile-first, protect your safe zones, and create templates that your whole team can use. That way, every post – from a quick Story to a flagship YouTube campaign – looks polished, on-brand and ready to perform.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Social Media Sizes 2026

1. Why do correct social media image sizes matter in 2026?

Using the correct sizes helps prevent awkward cropping, pixelation and poor compression. It keeps your brand visuals sharp, professional and consistent across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube – which directly impacts engagement, click-throughs and overall brand perception.

2. What is the best “one-size-fits-most” image size for social media?

There’s no perfect universal size, but a 1080 × 1080 px square image is widely supported and works well across Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. For vertical-first content, design at 1080 × 1920 px and crop versions for each platform as needed.

3. Should I design posts for mobile or desktop first?

Always design mobile-first. The majority of users browse social media on their phones, so portrait (4:5) and vertical (9:16) formats are more effective. Desktop still matters, but mobile is where most impressions and interactions happen.

4. Can I reuse the same creative across Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn?

Yes, as long as you plan for it. Create a master file (for example, 1080 × 1920 px) and export:

  • 4:5 (1080 × 1350 px) for Instagram and Facebook feed posts
  • 1:1 (1080 × 1080 px) for square placements and LinkedIn
  • 16:9 (1920 × 1080 px or 1280 × 720 px) for YouTube and link previews

Keep logos and key text inside the central area so cropping doesn’t cut anything important off.

5. What’s the ideal size for YouTube thumbnails in 2026?

The recommended YouTube thumbnail size is 1280 × 720 px with a 16:9 aspect ratio. This ensures your thumbnail looks sharp on all devices and meets YouTube’s requirements while still loading quickly.

6. Are square videos still useful, or should everything be vertical?

Square videos (1:1) are still useful for feeds, especially when you want to repurpose content across multiple platforms. However, vertical 9:16 videos now dominate Stories, Reels and Shorts, so your video strategy should prioritise vertical while still keeping square and horizontal versions for flexibility.

7. How often do social media size recommendations change?

Platforms rarely announce changes loudly, but minor tweaks to layouts and recommended sizes can happen every year. As a best practice, review and update your team’s cheat sheet at least once a year and whenever a platform rolls out a major UI or format update.

8. What file formats should I use for images and video?

For images, use JPG for photos and gradients, and PNG for logos, icons and flat graphics. For video, MP4 (H.264 or newer codecs) is the safest option across all four platforms. Always export at the recommended resolution to minimise compression issues.

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