How to Make an Instagram Post Square

A perfectly square Instagram post just feels right, doesn't it? It fits the grid, looks clean, and takes up a good amount of screen real estate. This guide will show you exactly how to get that perfect 1:1 ratio for your photos and videos, whether you're using Instagram's built-in tools or prefer a little more control with a third-party app.

Why the Square Format Still Dominates the Instagram Feed

Even though Instagram now supports portrait (vertical) and landscape (horizontal) photos, the classic square format remains the king of the grid. When you're scrolling through someone's profile page, every single thumbnail is cropped to a perfect square. Sticking to a 1:1 aspect ratio in your posts gives you complete control over how your grid appears, creating a cohesive and professional look that attracts followers.

There are a few key reasons why the square format is still incredibly effective:

• Grid Consistency: Using a consistent 1:1 format ensures your profile grid looks intentional and polished. There are no surprise crops or awkward thumbnail previews. What people see in the feed is exactly what they see on your profile.
• Optimal Screen Space: A square post (1080px by 1080px) takes up almost the full width of a phone screen, more than a landscape post. While a vertical post (1080px by 1350px) takes up more vertical space, the square format is still a powerful, balanced option that’s easy to compose for.
• Classic Aesthetic: There's a timeless, balanced feel to a square image. It's the format Instagram was built on, and it creates a sense of harmony and visual order that users subconsciously appreciate.

Method 1: How to Make a Photo Square In the Instagram App

Instagram's built-in editor offers a quick and easy way to crop your photos into a square. This method works best when the main subject of your photo is already centered and you don't mind losing parts of the image from the sides (for landscape photos) or the top and bottom (for portrait photos).

Here’s how to do it step by step:

1. Open the Instagram app and tap the + icon at the bottom center to create a new post.
2. Select the photo or video you want to post from your gallery. By default, Instagram will likely show it cropped into a square.
3. If your photo isn’t square, look for the format icon in the bottom left corner of the photo preview. It looks like two corners (or a less-than and greater-than sign: <, >,). Tap it once.
4. Tapping this icon toggles between the original aspect ratio and the default 1:1 square crop. Make sure it's in the square mode.
5. Now, use your fingers to pinch to zoom and drag to reposition the image within the square frame. This allows you to control which parts of the original image are included in your final square post.
6. Once you're happy with the positioning, tap "Next," add your filter, write your caption, and post as usual.

When to use this method:

This is perfect for quick edits when you’re on the go and the subject of your photo fits nicely within a square crop without cutting off anything important. It's fast, convenient, and requires no other apps.

The main limitation:

You can only crop to a square. You can't add space (like borders or a background) to a vertical or horizontal photo to make it fit into a square frame. For that, you’ll need a third-party app.

Method 2: Using Free Apps for Perfect Square Posts

For more control, especially when you don't want to crop your image, using a third-party app is the way to go. These apps let you place your full-size vertical or horizontal photo onto a square canvas and fill the extra space with a color, a pattern, or even a blurred version of the photo itself. This technique is sometimes called "no-crop" or "square fit."

Canva (Great for Everyone, Especially for Brands)

Canva is a powerhouse for creating all sorts of social media graphics, and making a square post is one of its simplest functions.

How to do it on Mobile or Desktop:

• Step 1: Open Canva and in the search bar, type "Instagram Post" or "Instagram Post (Square)". Select the blank template. This will open a perfect 1080x1080 pixel canvas.
• Step 2: Upload your photo or video into Canva.
• Step 3: Drag your uploaded media from the gallery onto the blank canvas. Canva will automatically try to snap it into place.
• Step 4: Resize and reposition your image on the white square background. You can center it, make it fill the space from top to bottom, or side to side.
• Step 5 (Optional - Add a background): If your original photo doesn't fill the whole square, you'll have leftover space (usually white by default). You can click on the background and change its color to match your brand, or you can even add a duplicate of your image to the background and apply a heavy blur effect for a professional look.
• Step 6: Download the final image as a PNG or JPG and it’s ready to be uploaded to Instagram.

Snapseed (Powerful Mobile Photo Editing)

Snapseed, owned by Google, is a favorite among mobile photographers for its powerful and intuitive editing tools. It has two excellent features for creating square posts.

How to use the Crop tool:

• Step 1: Open your image in Snapseed.
• Step 2: Tap on TOOLS at the bottom.
• Step 3: Select the Crop tool.
• Step 4: A menu of aspect ratios will appear at the bottom. Tap on the SQUARE preset.
• Step 5: Drag the image around within the crop box to frame your subject perfectly, then tap the checkmark to save.

How to use the "Expand" tool (for non-destructive framing):

The expand tool is incredible. It uses smart technology to add borders to your image, filling them in with content it intelligently generates based on the existing photo.

• Open your image and tap TOOLS > Expand.
• You can drag the edges out to add new space. To make a landscape photo square, you would drag the top and bottom borders out.
• Below the image, choose how you want Snapseed to fill the new space: "Smart," "White," or "Black." The "Smart" option is the most interesting, as it tries to match the existing patterns in your photo.
• This is a fantastic way to turn a landscape photo into a square one without cropping or adding plain borders.

Adobe Express (Great Canva Alternative)

Adobe's free design app, Adobe Express, is a direct competitor to Canva and works in a very similar way. It's user-friendly, packed with templates, and handles images and video with ease.

How to do it:

• Step 1: On the home screen, tap the + icon and search for an "Instagram Post" template, or start with a custom size of 1080x1080 pixels.
• Step 2: Either choose a pre-made template or start with a blank one.
• Step 3: Add your photo to the project. You can access photos from your device, Adobe Stock, Lightroom, and more.
• Step 4: Resize and position the photo on your square canvas. Just like with Canva, you can add colored backgrounds, text overlays, or other brand elements.
• Step 5: Export your design as an image file, ready for Instagram.

Expert Tips for Beautiful Square Content

Learning the technical steps is one thing, but creating content that truly engages is another. As a social media expert, here are a few extra tips for your square posts:

Think About Composition

The square format changes how you should approach composition. The classic "rule of thirds" is still your best friend. Imagine a 3x3 grid over your image and place key points of interest along the lines or at the intersections. This creates a more dynamic and visually appealing image compared to just plopping your subject in the dead center every time.

Use Padding for a Minimalist Look

Don't be afraid of empty space! Placing your rectangular photo inside a square canvas with thick white or colored borders (known as padding) can create a modern, minimalist look. This helps your photo "breathe" in a busy feed and is a great way to maintain a consistent aesthetic on your grid.

Plan Your Grid In Advance

Committing to the square format makes it much easier to plan a beautiful Instagram grid. Think of your profile as a cohesive photo album, not just a collection of random posts. Use a planning tool to see how your next few square posts will look next to each other before you publish them. You can create checkerboard patterns, align colors, or create a consistent visual theme.

Don't Post a Sideways Vertical Video!

One of the biggest mistakes brands make is posting a 9:16 vertical video (like a Reel or TikTok) by turning it sideways to fit a 16:9 frame. Instead, use a tool like Canva or Adobe Express to place the vertical video into a 1:1 square canvas. Put the full-height video in the center and use the space above and below for a curiosity-driven headline and a call-to-action or captions.

Final Thoughts

Mastering the square Instagram post is a simple skill that pays off big, giving your feed a professional and consistent feel that captures attention. Whether you're doing a quick crop in the app or adding custom branding in a tool like Canva, you now have all the know-how to make every post perfectly fit the 1:1 format.

Creating amazing content is the crucial first step, but having a smooth, reliable process for planning and publishing it is just as important for growing your brand. After years of struggling with platforms that were clunky and unreliable, we built Postbase to fix the frustrations we all felt. Our visual calendar is designed for modern formats like Reels and Shorts, and we built it to be dependable - so you can trust that your beautifully crafted square posts will publish on time, every time, without you having to constantly reconnect your accounts.