How to Get Instagram Story Dimensions Right – Stop Cropping Now!

Discover the ideal Instagram Story dimensions for perfect, high-quality posts. Find out common mistakes to avoid, learn pro tips, and create stunning stories with ease using Pippit.

*No credit card required
Pippit
Pippit
May 27, 2025

If you use the wrong Instagram story dimensions, it can totally ruin the look of your content and crop out the key elements when you post it on your profile. Your images may also get distorted and blurry. That's why it's important to know the right size and keep your stories sharp and engaging. To help you with this, we'll discuss the dimensions and provide step-by-step instructions on how to resize your Instagram stories using Pippit. We'll also share some common mistakes to avoid and advanced tips to follow.

Table of content
  1. What are the correct Instagram story dimensions
  2. How to resize and optimize stories with Pippit
  3. Common mistakes with Instagram story dimensions
  4. Advanced tips for Instagram story dimensions
  5. Conclusion
  6. FAQs

What are the correct Instagram story dimensions

The perfect size for an Instagram Story is 1080 pixels wide by 1920 pixels tall. This gives you an aspect ratio of 9:16, which means your story will fit the screen with no black bars, awkward cropping, and stretched-out images. Using these exact dimensions keeps your photos and videos sharp and clear.

How to resize and optimize stories with Pippit

Pippit is a handy tool to resize, crop, and adjust your content perfectly according to the Instagram story size dimensions and make sure nothing gets cut off or looks blurry. It also offers advanced features like an image and video resizer for Instagram, a video generator, an image studio, smart tools, high-quality export options, and easy-to-use templates.

It is great for small business owners, influencers, or marketers to design professional stories without needing advanced editing skills.

Pippit Instagram story resizer

Steps to resize dimensions for Instagram stories using Pippit

To change the dimensions of an Instagram story using Pippit, follow these three easy and quick steps:

    STEP 1
  1. Access the image editor

To begin, sign up for Pippit, go to "Image studio" from the left panel, and click "Image editor" to open the editing interface.

accessing Pippit image editor

Select "Instagram," and find the "Instagram story" section, and click it to create your Instagram story canvas.

create an Instagram story canvas
    STEP 2
  1. Edit the Instagram story

Click the "Upload" on the left panel to import media such as images and icons for your Instagram story from your device.

upload media from your device

Make them perfectly fit the Instagram story canvas by dragging and dropping them or using the "Crop" feature to resize them. Embellish your Instagram story by adding texts, stickers, or frames on the left menu panel. On the right menu panel, you can add filters and effects to create an Instagram story with a unique visual. Leverage the "Remove background" and "Smart tools" features to refine your Instagram story if needed.

edit your Instagram story
    STEP 3
  1. Export the Instagram story

When finishing the editing, click "Download all" in the top right corner of the Pippit editing interface. Choose the PNG or JPG file format, select quality, and click "Download" to save the story to your computer and share it on Instagram.

export Instagram story from Pippit

Key features of Pippit for creating stunning Instagram stories

Along with resizing Instagram stories' image dimensions, Pippit also has powerful tools to make your content more interesting and get the attention of your followers.

    1
  1. Auto Instagram stories dimension resizing

The "Resize" features in Pippit automatically set the aspect ratio of your content to fit Instagram Stories. This ensures your photos are sharp without any cropping or stretching.

Auto Instagram stories dimension resizing in Pippit
    2
  1. Remove and change the background for Instagram stories

You can erase the background of your images with just a click and replace it with a solid color or preset scene to give your Instagram stories a clean look.

Remove and change the background for Instagram stories in Pippit
    3
  1. AI-powered image editor

The AI-powered editor in Pippit lets you fine-tune images, adjust lighting, upscale the resolution, retouch the subject's face, and fix details so your stories always appear professional.

AI-powered Pippit image editor
    4
  1. Commercially licensed templates for Instagram stories

Choose from ready-to-use templates that are licensed for commercial use. These presets are trendy, engaging, and perfectly optimized for Instagram and help you create scroll-stopping stories in seconds.

Commercially licensed templates for Instagram stories
    5
  1. Auto-publishing and analytics

With the "Auto publishing and analytics" tool, you can schedule your stories to post automatically and track their performance with built-in analytics. This helps you stay consistent and see what content works best.

Auto-publishing and analytics in Pippit

Common mistakes with Instagram story dimensions

Your Instagram stories can look unprofessional when you make these common mistakes:

  • Using the wrong aspect ratio: If you use images or graphics that don't match the required dimensions for Instagram stories, it can result in black bars or parts of your content getting cut off. So, always ensure to resize the images for Instagram to the right size before posting them on your story.
  • Placing important elements too close to the edge: Important text, logos, or design elements can get cropped when you place them near story edges. Keep key content in the center to ensure they're fully visible and readable on different devices.
  • Ignoring the safe zone: Every social media platform has a "safe zone" where interface elements won’t cover your content. For Instagram Stories, this means placing important stuff away from the top and bottom, where things like profile icons and navigation buttons can overlap.
  • Stretching or distorting images: Resizing images without keeping the correct proportions can make them look stretched or squished. Therefore, always maintain the original aspect ratio when resizing.
  • Using low-quality content: Blurry or pixelated images can ruin your story's look. Use high-resolution photos so your content is sharp and clear when posted on Instagram.

Advanced tips for Instagram story dimensions

Below are some advanced tips to help you get the most out of your Instagram stories:

  • Keep your subject in the middle: Put the most important part of your story in the center to make sure it's easy to see. This way, your content will look neat and professional on any device.
  • Shoot in the vertical format: Instagram Stories work best with vertical screens, so take photos or design graphics in portrait mode. This ensures your content fits perfectly without needing to crop or adjust it later.
  • Be mindful of the file format: Choose high-quality file formats like JPG for images that maintain better resolution. Avoid formats that compress heavily or reduce image quality, which can make your stories look pixelated and unprofessional.
  • Use pre-designed templates for the correct dimensions: Pre-made templates are already set to Instagram’s size requirements (1080 x 1920 pixels). These resets take the guesswork out of sizing and provide a professional-looking structure for your creative content.

Conclusion

In this article, we've explained what the Instagram story dimensions are and how you can resize your content with Pippit. We've also shared some common mistakes that you need to avoid and advanced tips to follow.

With automatic resizing, background changes, and AI-powered editing in Pippit, you can easily create stunning Instagram Stories. Ready to get professional content for your profile? Start using Pippit today.

FAQs

    1
  1. What dimensions are Instagram stories?

Instagram Stories are 1080 x 1920 pixels, which gives them a 9:16 aspect ratio. This size ensures your content fits the screen and keeps everything in the middle. Pippit is a great tool for making sure your stories are always correct. It adjusts the aspect ratio of your content to match the ideal Instagram story dimensions. Moreover, with its easy-to-use background remover and templates, you can quickly create stories that look amazing every time.

    2
  1. Do Instagram story photo dimensions differ from videos?

No, the Instagram stories' image dimensions are the same as those of videos. Both should be 1080 px wide by 1920 px tall to ensure they fit perfectly on the screen without being cropped or distorted. When creating content for your Stories, Pippit helps you resize both photos and videos automatically to the right dimensions, so you don't have to worry about adjustments. It also lets you edit videos smoothly and even publish the content directly on Instagram with just a few clicks!

    3
  1. What happens if my Instagram story post dimensions are incorrect?

If your Instagram story dimensions are incorrect, your content might get cropped, stretched, or look blurry. For example, if you don't use the 9:16 aspect ratio, Instagram might trim the edges of your photo and crop out important parts. Alternatively, if the size is too small, it could appear pixelated or distorted. Pippit is a great solution for avoiding these problems. It resizes your photos and videos to the correct dimensions, so you don't have to worry about manual adjustments. Moreover, it offers powerful editing features to enhance your content even further.