How to Change Your Cover Photo on Instagram

Changing your Instagram Reel or Video cover photo is one of the smartest and quickest ways to polish your profile. This guide breaks down exactly how to change your cover photo for new and existing Reels, what makes a cover photo work, and why this small detail has such a big impact on your grid’s aesthetic and your video's performance.

Why Your Instagram Cover Photo Matters More Than You Think

That tiny static image might seem like a small detail, but your cover photo is a heavy lifter. It does three critical jobs at once: creating a first impression, earning clicks, and setting expectations. Mess it up, and you’re leaving views on the table. Nail it, and you're drawing people into your content before they even watch a single second.

The All-Important First Impression and Grid Aesthetic

Your Instagram grid is your brand’s digital storefront. When a new user lands on your profile, they make a split-second judgment based on the overall look and feel. Do you look professional and put-together, or chaotic and random? Reel cover photos are a huge part of this.

A series of well-planned, cohesive cover photos creates a visually pleasing and professional grid. It shows you’re intentional about your content. A jumble of mismatched, blurry auto-selected frames, on the other hand, can make your brand feel amateurish and accidental. A stunning aesthetic doesn't just look nice, it builds trust and encourages that priceless "Follow."

Driving Clicks and Views in the Feed

Think of your Reel cover photo as a movie poster or a YouTube thumbnail. Its primary goal is to stop the scroll and make someone tap. When your Reel appears on the Explore page, in hashtag results, or in the dedicated Reels tab, your cover photo is competing against millions of others. An intriguing, clear, and high-quality image has a much higher chance of grabbing a user's attention than an awkward, blurry frame captured mid-sentence.

A great cover piques curiosity. It makes a promise to the viewer about what they’re about to see. That promise - whether it's to learn something, be entertained, or see a stunning transformation - is what converts a casual browser into an active viewer.

Communicating Your Video's Value Instantly

Beyond looking good, an effective cover photo tells people what the video is about. If you’ve made a video on "3 Styling Tips for Autumn," a blurry shot of you talking to the camera communicates nothing. A well-designed cover image with the text "3 Autumn Styling Tips" instantly tells a viewer the value they will get from watching.

This is especially important for educational, tutorial, or list-style content. You're giving potential viewers a compelling reason to invest their time. The cover can show the final product of a recipe tutorial, tease the subject of a deep-dive, or pose a question that the video promises to answer. This simple act of communication filters for the right audience and dramatically increases the likelihood of a click.

How to Change Your Cover Photo Before Publishing a Reel

Setting your cover photo before you post is the best workflow. It gives you the most control and ensures your video goes live with the perfect first impression. The process is straightforward when you know where to look.

1. Create Your Video: Record or upload your video clips to Instagram Reels as you normally would. Add your music, text overlays, effects, and anything else you need to complete your edit.
2. Go to the Share Screen: Once you're finished editing, tap the "Next" button in the bottom right corner. This takes you to the final screen where you write your caption, add tags, and adjust settings before publishing.
3. Tap 'Edit Cover': On this screen, you’ll see a preview of your Reel. On the preview image itself, there's text that says "Edit cover." Tap on it.
4. Choose Your Cover: Now you have two options for selecting your cover image.
   • From the Video (Frame Slider): At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a slider containing every frame of your video. Drag your finger along this filmstrip to find the perfect shot. Look for freezing the action at a clear moment, one where you have a good expression, and the image is not blurry from motion. This is the simplest method if your video has a great static shot in it.
   • From Your Camera Roll: Next to the video slider, you should see an option that says "Add from camera roll." Tapping this allows you to upload a custom image you’ve already created. This is the preferred method for anyone aiming for a highly polished, branded look. You can design an image in a tool like Canva with your brand fonts, colors, and a clear, compelling title.
5. Adjust for the Profile Grid: At the top of the cover editing screen, you’ll see two tabs: "Reel" and "Profile grid." Instagram automatically crops your vertical cover photo into a square for your main profile grid. Tap the "Profile grid" tab to see what this crop looks like. You can then use your finger to drag the image up or down to ensure the most important part of your cover is visible within the square. Wasting a great cover because the text gets cut off in the grid is a common mistake, so don't skip this step!
6. Save and Share: Once you’re happy with both the main cover and the grid crop, tap "Done" in the top right corner. You'll be taken back to the Share screen. Finish writing your caption and share your Reel to the world.

How to Change the Cover Photo on an Existing Reel

Did you post a Reel in a hurry and forget to set the cover photo? Or maybe you’ve decided to re-brand the look of your grid and need to update old posts. The good news is that you can go back and change the cover photo of any Reel you've already published.

1. Go to the Reel You Want to Change: Open the Instagram app and navigate to your profile. Go to your Reels tab and find the video you wish to edit.
2. Open the Options Menu: Tap on the Reel to open it in the full-screen viewer. Tap the three dots (...) menu. You'll find this in the bottom right corner of your screen.
3. Select 'Edit': From the pop-up menu, choose the "Edit" option.
4. Access the Cover Editor: You'll now be in an editing interface that looks similar to the pre-publishing screen. On the video preview at the top, just like before, you’ll see the word "Cover" (or "Edit Cover" on some versions). Tap it.
5. Select Your New Cover: The process from here is identical to setting it for a new Reel. You can use the slider to scrub through the video's frames or choose "Add from camera roll" to upload a custom-designed image.
6. Check the Profile Grid Crop: Again, don't forget to tap the "Profile grid" tab at the top to reframe the square crop for your grid. This is especially important if you uploaded a new custom image with text.
7. Hit 'Done' to Save: Once you're satisfied with your new cover, tap "Done" twice - once to exit the cover editor and once to save all of your edits. Your Reel will now appear on your grid with its updated cover photo. The change should be immediate.

Best Practices for a Cover Photo That Works Hard

Just knowing how to change the cover isn't enough. Knowing what makes a good cover is what gets results. Follow these simple guidelines to make your covers more effective.

Use High-Quality, Clear Imagery

This is non-negotiable. Whether it's a frame from the video or a custom design, the image must be sharp and clear. A pixelated or blurry cover looks unprofessional and will be ignored. If you’re pulling a frame from your video, make sure it’s from a well-lit part and isn't suffering from motion blur.

Keep it Simple & On-Brand

Your cover doesn't need to be cluttered. The best covers are simple, with one clear focal point. Lean into your brand's visual identity. Use your consistent brand colors, fonts, and style. This creates that cohesive, intentional look on your grid and makes your content easily recognizable to your followers as they scroll their feed.

Add Intriguing Text Overlays

For educational or value-driven content, your title is your hook. Put it directly on your cover photo. Use a punchy, short title that sparks curiosity or clearly states the video's benefit. For example, instead of "My Morning Skincare Routine," try "The #1 Skincare Mistake You Make." Just be sure your text is large and has enough contrast with the background to be easily readable on a small phone screen.

Design for the "Safe Zone"

When someone views your content in the Reels tab, Instagram overlays your username, caption excerpt, and engagement icons (likes, comments, shares) at the bottom. Keep your most important visual elements and text in the center and upper two-thirds of the image. This "safe zone" ensures your message won't be blocked by UI elements.

Batch and Template Your Designs

The secret to consistency is efficiency. Create a few cover photo templates in a program like Canva or Figma. Once you have a template with your fonts, colors, and layout locked in, creating a new cover for each Reel takes seconds instead of minutes. You just change out the background image and update the text. This is a game-changer for staying consistent without adding hours to your workflow.

Final Thoughts

Setting your Reel cover photo may seem like a final, minor step, but its influence on your grid's cohesion and your content’s visibility is anything but small. Whether you’re setting it beforehand or updating an old post, taking a few extra seconds to select a clean, compelling cover is one of the easiest ways to improve your Instagram presence.

Beyond an individual cover photo, having a plan for your entire feed's visual story can make a huge difference. With our visual calendar at Postbase, we make it easy to see how all your planned content - including your Reel covers - will look together before you hit publish. It helps us stay organized and maintain a cohesive brand aesthetic across every platform without the stress of last-minute design decisions.