Instagram Reels Cover Creator, Pick a Frame and Add Text, Free

Tap a style to try it on the sample. Your words carry over when you upload.

Sample

Styles

Tap a style. Your words stay.

Every style. Drag any block off the face.

For Reels and TikTok creators

Cover done. Now the Reel itself.

Shorts by Slice captions your clip word by word, cuts the best moments, and exports the vertical video ready to post.

Caption a Reel with Shorts

What it does

1Pick the exact frameA filmstrip across the whole clip, then a fine scrubber to land on the right frame.
2Real templates, real textFonts, outlines, per-line backgrounds and scrims. Works for TikTok and Shorts covers too.
3Cover and grid, bothDownload the full Reels cover and the 4:5 profile grid crop together.

Reels cover size and the profile grid

The Instagram Reels cover size is the same as the Reel: tall, 9:16, exported at full size. On your profile the same cover is shown as a shorter 4:5 tile, so a band at the top and bottom is cut away. This Reels cover maker exports both, so the thumbnail reads on the feed and on the grid.

Do this

Export the cover at the full Reels size, tall 9:16
Check the 4:5 grid crop before you post
Keep the headline in the middle of the frame
Use a scrim or an outline so text reads over busy footage

Avoid

Text in the bottom caption zone, the username and caption sit there
Anything in the right column, the like and share buttons cover it
Small text, the grid tile is tiny on a phone
Faces at the very top or bottom, the grid crop removes them

Questions

What size is an Instagram Reels cover?

The cover is the same shape as the Reel itself: 9:16, and 1080 by 1920 pixels is the size to use. That is what this tool exports. Instagram will scale it down, so starting at full size keeps the text crisp.

Why does the profile grid crop my cover?

On your profile, Instagram shows Reels covers as 4:5 tiles, so it cuts a band off the top and the bottom of the 9:16 cover. Anything near the edges disappears there. The grid view in this tool shows the exact 4:5 window and lets you slide it up or down, and you can download that crop on its own to upload as the profile cover.

Is my video uploaded anywhere?

No. The video stays on your device. Your browser reads the frames, draws the text and saves the file. Nothing is sent to a server, so a large file is fine and nothing is stored.

Can I use a photo instead of a video?

Yes. Drop a JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC-converted image and it goes straight to the editor. You get the same templates, text tools and grid crop.

Which video formats work?

Anything your browser can play: MP4 and MOV from a phone or a camera, and WebM. If a file will not open, it is usually an unusual codec. Exporting it again as an MP4 from your editing app fixes it.

Why does the text look different from the fonts inside Instagram?

Instagram draws its own text on top of the video with a small set of fonts. This tool bakes the text into the image, so you can use any of the fonts here, add outlines and backgrounds, and place it exactly. If you want Instagram to add the text itself, export the cover with no text and add it in the app.

More Instagram toolsInstagram Reels Safe Zone →Carousel Splitter →Crop Video to 9:16 →Video Frame Extractor →

This tool is looked after by Snap.Vain. Always ready for its close-up, and always striking a pose.

More Free Tools

Podcast Cover Art Checker YouTube Thumbnail Preview Script Timer Social Post Mockup Sermon Notes Template Podcast Guest Release Form

View All Free Tools

Shorts by Slice

From the team behind these free tools

One video. A week of posts.

Upload an episode and get back the moments worth posting, cut and captioned.

Reads the whole episode, then picks the excerpts worth posting
Captions burned in and framed vertical, ready to post
Your first video (we search the first hour) and first 2 clips are free, no card

Try Shorts by Slice