Social video specs 2026

Instagram Story size and specs 2026

Instagram Stories are 9:16, usually 1080×1920. Each story clip can be up to 60 seconds; a longer video is split into back-to-back clips automatically. Keep text away from the top (progress bars and name) and the bottom (reply bar).

By the Slice research teamUpdated How we did it

Get this page’s dataSocial video specs 2026
  • 1080×1920 (9:16)size
  • 60 s per cliplength
  • 1 of 10specs from an official help page

What aspect ratio is an Instagram Story?

9:16 recommended.

The API accepts 0.1:1 to 10:1. Ads: 9:16.

Official (API docs): Instagram Graph API: media.

What resolution should an Instagram Story be?

1080×1920 is common practice. Ads guide: 1440×2560.

Official (ads spec): Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Stories.

Free toolCheck your Instagram video before you postDrop a frame into the free Instagram Stories safe-zone checker and see what the buttons and caption will cover.

How long can an Instagram Story be?

Up to 60 seconds per story clip; longer videos are split into several clips.

API: 3 to 60 seconds. Story ads: up to 60 minutes.

Official: Instagram blog: how to use Stories.

What is the file size limit for an Instagram Story?

Not published for the app. API: 100 MB. Ads: 4 GB.

Official (API docs): Instagram Graph API: media.

What frame rate should an Instagram Story use?

23 to 60 fps.

Official (API docs): Instagram Graph API: media.

Which file types and codecs does Instagram accept?

MP4 or MOV; H.264 or HEVC; AAC audio.

Official (API docs): Instagram Graph API: media.

How long can the caption be on Instagram Stories?

Stories have no caption field. Ads: 125 characters of primary text.

Official (ads spec): Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Stories.

What is the safe zone for an Instagram Story?

On a 1080×1920 frame, keep text and faces inside a 732×1401 px box: 269 px from the top, 250 px from the bottom, 174 px from the left and 174 px from the right.

The measured safe area (lime) on a 1080×1920 frame: 269 px clear at the top, 250 px at the bottom.

The margins include the 9% each side that a tall phone screen crops off a 9:16 video. See "How we measured the safe zones".

What Instagram publishes: Ads only: keep roughly 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% of each side free.

Some blogs describe a "unified Stories and Reels safe zone" from March 2026; we found no Meta page announcing it.

Official (ads spec): Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Stories.

What does Instagram not publish for stories?

We found no official figure for a cover size. Where a guide quotes one, it is common practice or the ads spec, not a Instagram rule for ordinary posts.

Questions

What size is an Instagram Story, and how long can it be?

Instagram Stories are 9:16, usually 1080×1920. Each story clip can be up to 60 seconds; a longer video is split into back-to-back clips automatically. Keep text away from the top (progress bars and name) and the bottom (reply bar).

How long can an Instagram Story be?

Up to 60 seconds per story clip; longer videos are split into several clips.

What aspect ratio is an Instagram Story?

9:16 recommended.

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Where do these numbers come from?

Instagram's own help, developer and ads pages, each opened on 2 October 2026. Every value says which kind of page it came from. The safe zone is measured by Slice.

n = 10 specs, 8 with an official source link. Last updated 2 October 2026.

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Free · CSV and JSON · 2 files

This page’s own figures as a CSV, and the full files behind Social video specs 2026. One email unlocks every download on Slice’s data pages.

  • This page’s figures (CSV) Every table and figure on this page, with its source line.
  • Every spec (CSV) One row per format and spec, with its status and source.
  • Every spec (JSON) The same, structured by platform and format, with the measured safe zones in pixels.

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