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Quick answer
The tallest Instagram carousel size is 1080 × 1440 pixels (3:4). Since May 2025 Instagram shows 3:4 images "exactly as you shot it", and says this "works with both single-photo posts and carousels" (Instagram, via Social Media Today). 1080 × 1350 (4:5) still works and is what most tools export; 1080 × 1080 (1:1) is the square option. Use the same size for every slide.
The sizes that work in 2026
| Shape | Pixels | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| 3:4 portrait | 1080 × 1440 | You want the tallest post in the feed (supported since May 2025) |
| 4:5 portrait | 1080 × 1350 | Your tool exports 4:5, or you want the long-standard size |
| 1:1 square | 1080 × 1080 | Photo sets, or the same slides for several platforms |
3:4 is the taller shape: for the same 1080-pixel width it is 90 pixels taller than 4:5. 3:4 is also, as Lindsey Gamble put it, "the native format for most phone cameras".
How the profile grid crops your first slide
Instagram replaced the square profile grid with rectangles in January 2025. Adam Mosseri: "I know some of you really like your squares", but most uploads are now vertical (Mosseri, via RouteNote). Decktopus and Overvisual both describe the grid thumbnail as 3:4.
- A 3:4 first slide matches that thumbnail shape, so nothing should be cropped.
- A 4:5 first slide is a little wider than 3:4, so its sides get trimmed: by our arithmetic, about 1012 of its 1080 pixels of width stay visible.
- A 1:1 first slide loses its top and bottom in the grid instead.
We checked 9 popular size guides
On 19 October 2026 we read nine guides that rank for "Instagram carousel size". None mentions Instagram's May 2025 3:4 announcement.
| Guide | Recommends | On 3:4 (1080 × 1440) |
|---|---|---|
| Contentdrips | 4:5 or 1:1 | Not mentioned; says 4:5 takes "the maximum vertical space Instagram allows" |
| Overvisual | 4:5 | Says "1080 x 1440 is not an upload size" and 4:5 "remains the tallest" |
| Carouselli | 4:5 | Says Instagram "caps portrait carousels at 4:5" |
| carouselmaker.co | 4:5 | Not mentioned; calls 4:5 "Tallest allowed" |
| Moda | 4:5 | Not mentioned |
| DesignLumo | 1:1 as "the safest bet" | Not mentioned |
| Decktopus | 1:1, 4:5 or 1.91:1 | Only as the profile grid shape |
| Wavegen | 4:5 | Listed as a "tall carousel" option |
| Krumzi | 4:5 | Mentioned, but as unconfirmed: "test first" |
Sources: Contentdrips, Overvisual, Carouselli, carouselmaker.co, Moda, DesignLumo, Decktopus, Wavegen, Krumzi.
Which size to choose
- Want the most screen? 3:4, 1080 × 1440.
- Your design tool only exports 4:5? 4:5 is still fine: it fills far more of the feed than a square.
- Posting the same slides on LinkedIn and Threads too? 4:5 or 1:1 travel more easily.
- Whatever you pick, use it for every slide, keep words off the edges, and export PNG for sharp text.
LightFit exports 4:5, 1:1, 9:16 and 16:9 today, as PNGs 1170px wide, up to 20 slides. The slide count matters as much as the size: see how many slides a carousel should have.
FAQ
What size is an Instagram carousel in 2026?
Up to 1080 by 1440 pixels (3:4), the tallest shape Instagram shows since May 2025. 1080 by 1350 (4:5) and 1080 by 1080 (1:1) also work.
Is 4:5 still the best size for Instagram carousels?
It still works well and fills far more of the feed than a square, but it is no longer the tallest. 3:4 is taller.
Does Instagram crop 3:4 carousels?
Instagram says a 3:4 image now appears exactly as you shot it, in single posts and carousels.
What shape is the Instagram profile grid?
Rectangular since January 2025. Size guides describe the thumbnail as 3:4, so a 3:4 first slide fits it.
Should every carousel slide be the same size?
Yes. Use one size for every slide so the carousel reads as one piece when it is swiped.