How to Make an Instagram Post Vertical

Trying to make your Instagram post take up more space on the screen, only to have it awkwardly cropped? You’re not alone. Making an Instagram post vertical is one of the simplest and most effective ways to grab more attention, but getting it right can feel tricky. This guide will walk you through exactly why vertical posts perform better, the correct dimensions to use, and step-by-step instructions for resizing any photo or video for a perfect vertical fit.

Why Vertical Posts Are a Non-Negotiable on Instagram

Before jumping into the “how,” let’s talk about the “why.” The shift to vertical isn’t just a trend, it’s a strategic move that aligns with how people actually use the platform. On a mobile device, a vertical image or video simply owns the screen.

Think about your own scrolling habits. When a tall, 4:5 portrait post appears in your feed, it fills nearly the entire screen, pushing out the visual noise of other posts above and below it. The same goes for 9:16 Reels and Stories - they offer a completely immersive, full-screen experience. This is crucial for a few reasons:

• It Captures More Attention: More screen real estate equals less distraction. Your content becomes the main event, making it harder for users to mindlessly scroll past.
• It Encourages Longer View Times: Because a vertical post is more immersive, people tend to linger on it for a fraction of a second longer. In the world of social media algorithms, these milliseconds matter. Longer dwell time can signal to Instagram that your content is engaging, potentially leading to broader reach.
• It Matches Natural User Behavior: People hold their phones vertically. Period. By formatting your content to fit this natural orientation, you create a seamless and frictionless viewing experience. You're not asking them to turn their phone sideways or squint at a tiny landscape photo - you’re meeting them where they are.

In short, creating vertical content is no longer an optional "best practice." It's a fundamental part of creating effective visuals for Instagram's mobile-first environment.

The Two Key Vertical Ratios You Need to Know

Instagram uses a few different sizes, but for vertical posts, you only need to commit two main aspect ratios to memory. An aspect ratio is just the proportional relationship between an image’s width and its height. For vertical, the height number is always larger than the width number.

1. For In-Feed Posts (Photos, Videos, and Carousels): 4:5 Aspect Ratio

When you want a photo or video to be taller than the traditional square in the main Instagram feed, the 4:5 aspect ratio is your go-to. This is often called "portrait" orientation.

• Aspect Ratio: 4:5
• Recommended Dimensions: 1080 pixels wide by 1350 pixels high

This is the tallest you can go for a standard feed post. Any image or video taller than 4:5 will be automatically cropped by Instagram to fit, which is often what causes those frustrating "head chopped off" moments. Using the 4:5 ratio consistently for your single posts and carousels creates a bold, clean look on your grid and maximizes your space in the user's feed.

2. For Reels and Stories: 9:16 Aspect Ratio

For fully immersive, full-screen content, the 9:16 aspect ratio is the standard. This is what you’ll use for Instagram Reels, Instagram Stories, YouTube Shorts, and TikToks.

• Aspect Ratio: 9:16
• Recommended Dimensions: 1080 pixels wide by 1920 pixels high

This format is designed to take over the entire screen of a smartphone, offering the most engaging experience possible. Anything shot in landscape for a Reel or Story will appear small, often with distracting, auto-generated backgrounds. Always aim for 9:16 to give your short-form video and ephemeral content a professional polish.

How to Make Any Post Vertical: Step-by-Step Guides

Now for the hands-on part. Whether you have an existing horizontal photo or want to create vertical content from scratch, these methods have you covered.

Method 1: Using Your Phone’s Built-In Photo Editor

Sometimes the quickest solution is already on your phone. This method is perfect for simple photo cropping without downloading any extra apps.

For iPhone Users (Photos App):

1. Open the Photos app and select the image you want to edit.
2. Tap "Edit" in the top-right corner.
3. Tap the Crop icon at the bottom (it looks like a square with rotating arrows).
4. In the top-right corner, tap the icon that looks like multiple stacked rectangles. A menu of aspect ratios will appear at the bottom.
5. Scroll through the options and select "4:5" for a vertical feed post or "9:16" for a Story/Reel.
6. The phone will apply the preset crop. You can drag the photo around within the frame to adjust the composition.
7. Tap "Done" in the bottom-right corner to save.

For Android Users (Google Photos or Gallery):

1. Open your photos app (like Google Photos or the default Gallery app) and select your image.
2. Tap the "Edit" button, usually found at the bottom of the screen.
3. Look for the "Crop" option.
4. You should see an icon for adjusting the aspect ratio. Tap it.
5. Select the 4:5 (often shown as "Portrait") preset or the 9:16 preset for Stories.
6. Adjust the image within the crop box to frame your subject perfectly.
7. Tap "Save" or "Save copy" to finish.

Method 2: Using a Free Design App Like Canva

For more control, especially when working with graphics or repurposing content, a design tool like Canva is your best friend. Its templates are already set up with the perfect dimensions.

Step-by-Step Guide for Canva:

1. Open the Canva app or visit canva.com.
2. On the home screen, tap the "+" button or the "Create a design" button.
3. Search for the correct template to get started quickly.
   • For a vertical feed post, type “Instagram Post (Portrait)". It will create a blank canvas at 1080 x 1350 pixels (4:5).
   • For a Story or Reel, search for “Instagram Story” or “Instagram Reel”. This will give you a 1080 x 1920 pixel canvas (9:16).
4. Upload your photo or video by navigating to the "Uploads" tab on the left-hand menu.
5. Drag your uploaded media onto your canvas. Canva will automatically try to snap it into place.
6. Resize and reposition the image or video to fill the vertical frame. You can drag the corners to zoom in and drag the image itself to recompose the shot.
7. Once you're happy with the framing, add any text or graphics you need.
8. Click the "Share" button in the top right, then click "Download". Save it as a PNG (for photos) or MP4 (for videos).

This method is excellent because you have complete control over a perfectly sized canvas, ensuring there are no surprise crops when you upload to Instagram.

Method 3: Resizing within the Instagram App Itself

Instagram offers a quick resizing option right on the upload screen. This is a fast fix, but it has some limitations.

1. Tap the "+" icon to create a new post.
2. Select your landscape or square photo from your gallery.
3. On the editing screen, you’ll see your photo displayed as a default square. In the bottom-left corner of the image preview, tap the expand icon (it looks like two corner brackets: <, >,).
4. This will automatically expand the photo to fit the 4:5 vertical ratio. You can use your fingers to pinch and reposition the photo within the frame.

The Catch: This only works if your original photo has enough pixels to fill the frame. If you shot a wide landscape, expanding it to 4:5 will crop the sides out. It can’t magically create the top and bottom of an image - it simply adjusts the visible canvas. It's a useful shortcut for photos that are already close to vertical but a poor solution for very wide images.

Pro Tips for Beautiful Vertical Compositions

Simply making an image taller isn’t enough. To create truly engaging vertical content, you need to think vertically from the start.

• Think About the "Safe Zones." On Reels and Stories, Instagram overlays UI elements like your username, captions, and engagement buttons at the top and bottom of the screen. Avoid placing important text, faces, or product details in these areas, as they may get covered up. Keep the most important elements closer to the center of the 9:16 frame.
• Use the Space Creatively. A vertical canvas gives you room to stack elements. You can place a bold headline at the top, your main visual in the middle, and a call-to-action or URL at the bottom. This guided approach to composition is very effective in vertical formats.
• Recompose, Don't Just Crop. When repurposing a landscape photo, don't just mindlessly chop off the sides. Think about what story the new, tighter frame tells. Sometimes, an off-center crop can be more dramatic and interesting than a perfectly centered one.
• Lead With a Strong Hook. This is especially true for 9:16 video. In a vertical format, users can swipe away instantly. Your first one to three seconds must contain a powerful visual hook, a captivating piece of movement, or an intriguing question to stop the scroll.

Final Thoughts

Mastering vertical on Instagram is less about technical wizardry and more about adapting to the mobile environment. By getting comfortable with the 4:5 ratio for feed posts and the 9:16 ratio for Reels and Stories, you're setting your content up to command attention, increase engagement, and provide a better experience for your audience.

Creating great vertical content is one part of the puzzle, scheduling it reliably is the other. At Postbase, we designed our platform specifically for the modern world of Reels, Stories, and short-form video. Since we're built for today's social media, you can plan, schedule, and analyze all your vertical content across every platform from one clean, visual calendar, without worrying if your videos will publish correctly or if your accounts will suddenly disconnect.