How to Post a Full-Size Photo on Instagram

Nothing’s more frustrating than taking the perfect photo, only to have Instagram crop out the best parts. You can finally stop fighting with the automatic cropping tool because there are simple and effective ways to post your entire picture exactly as you intended. This guide walks you through the best methods for posting full-size photos on Instagram, from using the app’s hidden features to creative workarounds that level up your feed.

Why Instagram Crops Your Photos in the First Place

The core of the issue comes down to one thing: aspect ratios. An aspect ratio is simply the relationship between a photo's width and its height. Instagram has specific, predetermined aspect ratios that it favors, and if your photo doesn’t fit into one of these boxes, the app forces a crop.

Think of it like trying to fit a rectangular sheet of paper into a square envelope. You either have to fold it or cut it. Instagram chooses to cut it.

The Golden Instagram Ratios You Need to Know

To keep your feed looking clean and uniform, Instagram supports three main aspect ratios for standard posts:

• Square (1:1): The classic Instagram look. This is a perfect square where the width and height are identical (e.g., 1080 x 1080 pixels).
• Portrait (4:5): The tallest format an in-feed post can be. This vertical orientation actually takes up the most screen real estate, which is great for grabbing attention. It is slightly taller than it is wide (e.g., 1080 x 1350 pixels).
• Landscape (1.91:1): The widest format you can use. This is a horizontal photo that is significantly wider than it is tall (e.g., 1080 x 566 pixels).

If your photo is taller than 4:5 or wider than 1.91:1, Instagram will automatically zoom in and force you to crop it. But don't worry, we have a few ways around that.

Method 1: The Quick Fix with Instagram’s Built-in Tool

Sometimes, the easiest solution is hiding in plain sight. Instagram has a built-in feature to adjust your photo, but it has one major limitation: your image must still be reasonably close to the accepted aspect ratios. It's perfect for a slightly-too-wide landscape or a not-quite-tall-enough vertical photo, but it won’t save a super-wide panorama.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Open the Instagram app and tap the + icon to create a new post.
2. Select the photo you want to upload from your gallery.
3. By default, Instagram will zoom in and show you a preview of the 1:1 square crop. Look in the bottom-left corner of the photo preview for a small icon that looks like two expanding corner brackets ( <, >, ).
4. Tap that icon. Instagram will automatically zoom out to fit your entire picture into the frame, choosing the best possible fit between portrait and landscape. You can also pinch to zoom in or out manually to adjust the crop.
5. Once you’re happy with the preview, tap “Next” to proceed with filters and captions as usual.

When to use this method: Use this for quick uploads where you just need to make a minor adjustment to avoid an awkward crop. It’s fast, easy, and requires no third-party apps.

Method 2: The Best Solution for Any Photo – Adding Borders

For photos that are far outside the standard aspect ratios - like a dramatic vertical shot of a skyscraper or a sweeping panoramic landscape - the built-in tool just won’t work. The ultimate solution is to add borders (or "padding") to your photo. This technique places your original, uncropped image onto a background canvas that perfectly matches one of Instagram’s accepted aspect ratios (usually square 1:1 or portrait 4:5).

The result is your full photo displayed seamlessly in the feed, with clean borders on the top and bottom or on the sides. While white borders are the most common and create a minimalist, gallery-like feel, you can use any color or even a blurred background to match your brand’s aesthetic.

How to Easily Add Borders with Mobile Apps

You don't need fancy desktop software to do this. A handful of excellent, free mobile apps make this process take less than a minute.

Using Snapseed (Free from Google)

1. Open Snapseed and tap anywhere to open a photo from your library.
2. Tap on “Tools” at the bottom to open the editing menu.
3. Select the “Expand” tool. By default, it will intelligently try to fill the new space by matching the edges of your photo (which can be a cool effect), but we want a clean border.
4. At the bottom, tap on “Smart” and switch it to either “White” or “Black” for a solid border.
5. Use your fingers to pull the edges outwards. As you expand the canvas, watch the corners. You can expand it to create a square (1:1), which is usually the easiest for any odd shape.
6. Once you have a nice, even border, tap the checkmark to apply the changes. Then, tap “Export” to save your new photo to your camera roll.

Using Canva (Free Version is Plenty)

1. Open the Canva app and tap the + icon at the bottom.
2. Select “Instagram Post (Square)” or “Instagram Post (Portrait)” from the options. This creates a perfectly sized blank canvas.
3. On the blank canvas, tap the + icon again in the bottom-left corner, and then go to “Camera Roll” or “Uploads” to add your photo.
4. Your photo will appear on the canvas. Simply resize it using the corner handles to fit within the white background, leaving a clean border. Canva’s guides will help you center it perfectly.
5. When you're happy, tap the “Share” icon in the top-right corner and then “Download” to save your final picture.

Method 3: Go Wide with a Carousel for Panoramas

What if your image is a stunning, wide panorama? Adding massive borders on the top and bottom can make your photo look tiny and lost in the feed. The best and most engaging way to post a full panoramic shot is to turn it into a seamless carousel post.

This trick involves slicing your panorama into a series of perfectly square (1:1) images that users can swipe through. When done correctly, the effect is a beautiful, uninterrupted view that encourages users to interact with your post by swiping.

Step-by-Step Guide for a Panorama Carousel:

1. Download an app specifically for this purpose. Search for “panorama split” or a similar phrase in your app store. Apps like Swipeable Panoramas or Unsquared for Instagram are popular choices.
2. Open the app and upload your panoramic photo.
3. The app will show you a preview of how the image will be split into two, three, or more square sections.
4. Once you confirm the split, the app will save each individual tile as a separate photo in your camera roll, in the correct order (e.g., photo_part_1, photo_part_2).
5. Now, go to Instagram, create a new post, and tap the “Select Multiple” icon.
6. Select your split photos in the correct numerical order. Instagram will stitch them together into a swipable carousel post. Add your caption and publish!

Best Practices for Posting Full-Size Photos

Once you've mastered the techniques, it's about making them work for your brand's look and feel.

• Maintain Consistency: Decide on a consistent style. If you’re going to use white borders, try to stick with that look for a cohesive grid. Switching between full-bleed photos, square crops, and bordered portraits can make your profile grid look busy and disordered.
• Think About Your Grid: Before posting, visualize how a bordered photo will look next to your other posts. Using a simple 1:1 square with borders for vertical shots next to standard 1:1 or 4:5 photos can create a visually interesting, gallery-style grid.
• Quality First, Always: Whenever you edit or resize a photo, make sure you're exporting it in the highest possible quality. Instagram will compress your images anyway, so starting with a sharp, high-resolution source file is the best way to get a great result.

Final Thoughts

Posting your entire photo on Instagram without an awkward crop is completely possible once you understand the platform’s rules and have the right tools. Whether you're using a quick built-in feature, adding elegant borders, or creating a showstopping panorama carousel, you now have the power to share your vision exactly as you intended.

Planning your feed's overall look becomes even more important when you start mixing different image sizes and formats. For that, we built Postbase with a visual calendar that lets you see your entire content strategy at a glance. You can drag and drop your scheduled posts - including those full-size photos with new borders - to see how they all fit together, helping you maintain a cohesive and professional grid without the guesswork.