How to Post a Wide Photo on Instagram

You've captured the perfect panoramic landscape or a stunning wide-angle group shot, but the moment you try to post it on Instagram, a dreaded crop box appears, forcing you to slice away the best parts of your photo. This guide walks you through several simple methods to post your entire wide photo without sacrificing your composition, from a quick in-app fix to a seamless, swipeable panorama.

Why Instagram Crops Your Wide Photos (And How to Outsmart It)

Before jumping into the solutions, it's worth understanding why this happens. Instagram's feed is optimized for vertical viewing on mobile phones. To maintain a consistent look, it imposes a strict aspect ratio, which is just a fancy way of describing a photo's proportional shape - its width compared to its height.

Here are the only aspect ratios Instagram's main feed officially supports:

• Square (1:1): The classic Instagram format. The width and height are equal.
• Portrait (4:5): The tallest photo you can post. It takes up the most screen space.
• Landscape (1.91:1): The widest photo format you can post without workarounds.

The problem is that most cameras, especially DSLRs and mirrorless models, shoot in a wider 3:2 or 4:3 aspect ratio. And panoramic shots from your phone can be even wider, like 16:9 or beyond. When your photo is wider than the 1.91:1 limit, Instagram forces you to crop it to fit. But don't worry, the following methods give you a way around this limitation.

Method 1: The Quick Pinch-to-Fit Trick Inside Instagram

This is the fastest and easiest way to fit a wide photo into a single post. It's built directly into the Instagram app, but it does have one catch: it will add borders (usually white or black, depending on your phone's theme) to the top and bottom of your image to make it fit.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Open Instagram and start a new post. Tap the '+' icon and select the wide photo you want to upload from your camera roll.
2. Look for the "Expand" icon. On the preview screen, you'll see a small icon with two diagonal arrows pointing outwards in the bottom-left corner of your photo. It looks like this: <, >,.
3. Tap the icon or pinch to zoom out. Tapping this icon will automatically shrink your photo to fit the entire image within the frame. You can also achieve the same effect by using two fingers to "pinch" the photo and zoom out. You'll see borders appear at the top and bottom.
4. Continue posting. Once the full photo is visible, you can proceed with editing and publishing as you normally would.

When to use this method: This is perfect for when you're in a hurry and don't mind the simple borders. It's clean, immediate, and requires no third-party apps.

Method 2: Create a Seamless Swipe-Through Panorama (Carousel Post)

This is arguably the most popular and engaging way to share wide photos on Instagram. Instead of shrinking the image, you split your wide photograph into two or more sequential square (1:1) or vertical (4:5) posts that create a seamless, swipeable panorama. It invites your followers to interact with your post and gives your photo an immersive, cinematic feel.

What You'll Need:

You'll need a companion app to help you slice the photo perfectly. Manually cropping in your phone's editor can lead to misaligned cuts. Apps like PanoramaCrop, Panorabbit, or Unsquared for Instagram are built specifically for this. Here's how you'd do it using a common app as an example.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Download a panorama-slicing app. For this example, let's use PanoramaCrop, which is straightforward and available on Android (iOS users can find similar apps like Panoramaker).
2. Upload your wide photo. Open the app and select the wide photo you intend to post.
3. Choose the number of slices. The app will overlay a grid on your photo. You can select how many images you want to split it into, usually from 2 to 10. For a standard panoramic, two or three slices often work best. The app will show you exactly how each frame will look.
4. Select the aspect ratio. This is important! You can choose to slice your photo into square (1:1) frames or taller, more impactful vertical (4:5) frames. Taller 4:5 frames take up more screen space and often perform better.
5. Save the images. Once you're happy with the alignment, let the app do its work. It will split your photo and save each numbered slice to your camera roll as a separate image (e.g., "photo_01", "photo_02").
6. Post to Instagram as a carousel. Now, head over to Instagram.
   • Tap the '+' icon to create a new post.
   • In your gallery, tap the "Select Multiple" icon (it looks like a stack of squares).
   • Select your sliced photos in the correct order. This is the most important step! Tap them from left to right as you want them to appear in the carousel.
   • Click "Next" and you'll see a preview of your swipeable panorama. Post as usual.

When to use this method: This is the best option for high-impact landscapes, cityscapes, large group photos, or any other wide shot where detail matters. It encourages more time spent on your post and adds a professional, creative touch to your feed.

Method 3: Add Custom Borders With a Design App

If you don't like automatic borders that Instagram adds and you're not a fan of the carousel format, your best option is to add manual, formatted borders. Doing so gives you full control over both the look and layout of your image, allowing you to incorporate brand colors or just get a clean aesthetic. This technique works by placing your wide photo onto a properly sized canvas - like 4:5 - so that Instagram doesn't try to crop it.

What You'll Need:

Free, user-friendly design apps like Canva, Adobe Express, or even more advanced photo editors like Snapseed or Lightroom Mobile work great for this. Canva is particularly good for beginners.

Step-by-Step Guide Using Canva:

1. Open Canva and create a new design. Tap the '+' button and choose "Custom Size." For a perfect portrait post, enter the dimensions 1080px wide by 1350px high (the 4:5 ratio).
2. Set your background color. The blank 1080x1350 canvas will now act as your frame. You can leave it white, change it to black, or use one of your brand's colors for a more customized look.
3. Add your wide photo. Go to "Uploads" and import your wide photograph from your mobile roll. After it's imported, it will appear in your design panel on the screen.
4. Position your photo. Drag your picture onto your design space. Resize and centralize the picture, leaving equal space above and below.
5. Export and post your final image. Once completed, download this image from Canva, which gives you the correct format. Then post it on Instagram without cutting it. It will have an aesthetic border look that many other well-designed pages have.

When to use this method: Choose this option when you want your full picture with a design-driven style that works with the aesthetic, or if you would like your whole picture to be included within a single frame that is not moving.

Pro-Tips for Sharing Wide Photos on Instagram

After mastering the technical techniques, you can add a creative touch to make your photos stand out even more.

Compose with a Swipe in Mind

When taking a wide photo, anticipate how it will look as a swipeable carousel. Try placing a key subject at the edge of the first frame to create intrigue, encouraging users to swipe to see the rest of the image. This technique turns a simple photo into an interactive experience.

Preserve Image Quality

Whether you're slicing a photo or adding borders, always export images from your editing app at the highest possible quality. To prevent Instagram's aggressive compression from degrading your photo, make sure the final image is no wider than 1080 pixels.

Maintain a Cohesive Feed

Consider how your wide photo fits into your overall feed aesthetic. If you're adding borders using an app like Canva, don't just default to white or black. Try using a color from your brand's palette to create a consistent, professional look that reinforces your visual identity with every post.

Make the First Slide Count

For a carousel post, the first frame is everything. It's the hook that convinces people to swipe for more. Ensure the first slice of your panorama is visually compelling on its own, as it's often the only part people will see in their feed. A strong start is crucial for engagement.

Final Thoughts

Posting a complete wide photo on Instagram doesn't have to mean accepting strange crops or losing parts of your image. Whether you use the simple in-app resize tool, create an engaging swipeable panorama, or add custom borders for a branded feel, you have plenty of options to make your photography shine on the platform.

Once you've perfected your wide photos, planning them out is the next step to creating a beautiful and consistent feed. We built Postbase for creators and social media managers who need a clear, visual way to line everything up effortlessly. Using our content calendar, you can see your entire strategy - including those detailed multi-photo carousels - at a glance and schedule posts reliably every time. It just works, letting us get back to creating great content without the hassle.