How to Resize an Image for Social Media
Every platform wants a different shape, and uploading the wrong one means the platform crops it for you — usually straight through someone's face or the top of your logo. Getting the dimensions right beforehand is the difference between a post that looks deliberate and one that looks like an accident. This tool has the current size for every major platform, lets you set a focus point so the crop keeps what matters, and can produce several sizes at once from a single upload.
Upload your image
Start with the largest version you have - every output is generated from it, so quality flows down from there.
Set the focus point
Click the part that must survive the crop. Every size is then cropped around that point rather than the centre.
Pick your sizes and export
Tick as many as you need across platforms. One click produces them all, ready as a ZIP.
Crop to Fill or Fit the Whole Image?
This is the only real decision, and it comes down to what you are willing to lose. Crop to fillscales the image until it covers the frame completely and trims whatever hangs over the edges. The result fills the whole post with no bars, which is almost always what you want for photographs — but you lose the edges, which is exactly why the focus point matters.
Fit the whole imagescales it down until everything is visible and fills the remaining space with a solid colour. Nothing is lost, but you get bars. That is the right choice when the image genuinely cannot be cropped — a graphic with text to the edges, a product shot where the whole object matters, a screenshot. Choose a bar colour that matches the image rather than defaulting to white, and the bars read as a deliberate frame instead of a mistake.
Stretch is there for completeness and you should almost never use it. Distorting a photograph to fit a frame is immediately visible to anyone looking at it, particularly on faces.
Practical Notes on Platform Sizes
Instagram portrait takes the most space
A 4:5 portrait post occupies noticeably more of a phone screen than a square, which is why it usually gets more attention in a scrolling feed.
YouTube thumbnails have a file size cap
The 1280x720 dimensions are easy; the 2MB limit catches people out. Export as JPG and it will comfortably fit.
Banners crop differently on every device
YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn banners all show far less on mobile than desktop. Keep anything essential in the middle of the frame.
Open Graph is the one to get right
1200x630 is what shows when your link is shared almost anywhere. It is a single image doing a lot of work, and it is often the one people forget.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I resize an image for social media for free?
Upload it, set a focus point, tick the sizes you need, and export. Free, no signup, no watermark, and several platforms at once.
What size is an Instagram post?
1080x1080 for a square, 1080x1350 for a portrait, and 1080x1920 for a story or reel. The portrait size takes up the most feed space.
What size is a YouTube thumbnail?
1280x720 pixels, and it must be under 2MB. Exporting as JPG keeps you comfortably within the limit.
What does the focus point do?
It tells the crop what to keep. Cropping to a different shape always loses edges - the focus point makes sure it loses the right ones.
Should I crop to fill or fit the whole image?
Crop to fill for photographs, so there are no bars. Fit the whole image when nothing can be lost, such as a graphic with text to the edges.
Can I make several sizes at once?
Yes. Tick any combination across platforms and they are all generated from your single upload, downloadable as a ZIP.
Is my image uploaded to a server?
No. Every resize happens on a canvas inside your browser. Your image is never uploaded, stored or seen by anyone.
Which format should I choose?
JPG for photographs - smallest and universally accepted. PNG for graphics with sharp edges or transparency. WebP is smaller but not accepted everywhere.
Will resizing reduce the quality?
Scaling down is essentially lossless to the eye. Scaling up cannot add detail, so start with the largest source image you have.
Why do banners look wrong on mobile?
Banners on YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn show far less of the image on a phone. Keep logos and text in the centre so they survive every crop.
What is an Open Graph image?
The 1200x630 image that appears when your link is shared on almost any platform. It is the preview most people actually see.
Is this social media resizer really free?
Completely free, with no limits, no watermark, no signup and no premium wall. Everything runs in your browser.
Last updated: July 20, 2026 · FlipMyFormat Social Media Resizer
Written and maintained by the FlipMyFormat team