Instagram has evolved rapidly in recent years – not only in features, but also visually. What started as a square-first platform is now dominated by vertical formats. Especially since January 2025, Instagram has pushed this even further: the classic 1:1 profile grid is gone – 4:5 portrait is now the standard.

What does that mean for your content?

Instagram rewards portrait posts with more visibility because the vertical smartphone screen is used more efficiently. Content appears larger, more immersive and gets attention faster. While square or landscape posts look smaller, 4:5 posts in 1080 × 1350 px nearly fill the feed.

Current image sizes at a glance

• Feed post (portrait): 1080 x 1350 px
• Feed post (square): 1080 x 1080 px
• Feed post (landscape): 1080 x 608 px
• Stories & Reels: 1080 x 1920 px (9:16)
• Profile picture: 1080 x 1080 px (displayed as a circle)

New in 2025: the 4:5 profile grid

With a larger UI rollout, Instagram adapted the profile grid to portrait format. That means posts are now displayed in the profile view around 3:4 / 1015 x 1350 px. If you still design everything for square, you risk cropped content or awkward borders.

Recommendation for creators and brands

If you design content professionally, you should keep key visuals and text centered within the 4:5 safe area. This also applies to feed videos. Stories and Reels remain 9:16.

Conclusion

Instagram is moving from a square network to a vertically dominated video platform. If you want your feed and profile to look optimal, you can’t avoid portrait formats anymore. Use this shift to make your content more noticeable, more immersive and more visible – with the right format as the foundation.

Need help designing Instagram content or setting up a consistent social media look? I’m happy to help – from optimized graphics to strategic format guidance.