Facebook Image Sizes 2026: Cover Photo Trap, Feed, Profile & Every Pixel
TL;DR: The Short Answer
The Facebook image sizes that matter in 2026: feed posts at 1080×1350 pixels (4:5 portrait) for maximum screen space, link previews at 1200×630 (1.91:1), Stories and Reels at 1080×1920 (9:16), and profile pictures at 180×180 (circle-cropped). The one that trips everyone up is the cover photo: it displays at 820×312 on desktop but crops to 640×360 (16:9) on mobile — and your profile photo overlaps the bottom-left corner. Design covers at 1640×624 (2× resolution) and keep all text, logos, and faces inside the central 640×312 safe zone. Carousels must use a uniform 1:1 ratio on every card — changing ratio mid-carousel crops the portrait cards to square. Export everything as JPEG, sRGB, quality 80–85, at the exact recommended pixel width — Facebook’s compression is aggressive, and uploading the wrong size triggers a second, harsher re-compress.
The Master Facebook Size Table (2026)
| Placement | Upload size (px) | Aspect ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feed post — portrait (recommended) | 1080×1350 | 4:5 | Fills most vertical space |
| Feed post — square | 1080×1080 | 1:1 | Safe for cross-platform |
| Feed post — landscape | 1080×566 | 1.91:1 | Wide shots; small in feed |
| Link preview (og:image) | 1200×630 | 1.91:1 | Min 600×315; shared links |
| Cover photo — desktop display | 820×312 | 2.63:1 | Upload 1640×624 for sharpness |
| Cover photo — mobile display | 640×360 | 16:9 | Sides cropped on mobile |
| Profile picture | 180×180 (upload 320×320) | 1:1 | Circle-cropped; 170×170 desktop |
| Stories / Reels | 1080×1920 | 9:16 | Safe zone center ~1080×1420 |
| Reels cover | 1080×1920 | 9:16 | Grid crops to 4:5 center |
| Event cover | 1920×1005 | 1.91:1 | Events header |
| Group cover | 1640×856 | ~1.91:1 | Groups header |
| Carousel cards | 1080×1080 | 1:1 uniform | All cards must match ratio |
| Marketplace listing | 1080×1080+ | 1:1 or 4:5 | Square thumbnails in search |
| Feed ad | 1080×1080 or 1080×1350 | 1:1 / 4:5 | Higher-res accepted |
The Cover Photo Trap (The #1 Mistake)
More cover photos get it wrong than right, because Facebook displays the same upload at two different crops. Here is exactly what happens:
- You upload a cover at 820×312 (or 1640×624 for 2× sharpness).
- On desktop, Facebook shows nearly the full width: 820×312.
- On mobile (over 90% of Facebook users), Facebook crops the left and right sides and shows a 640×360 slice — narrower and taller.
- Your profile photo overlaps the bottom-left corner on desktop. Any text or logo there is hidden behind your own face.
The fix: Design at 1640×624. Keep every important element — text, logo, faces — inside the central 640×312 safe zone. That rectangle is the only area guaranteed to show on both desktop and mobile. Put decorative elements in the side margins; they will be visible on desktop and cropped on mobile, but nothing important is lost. Keep the file under ~100KB after compression for fast page load — covers are at the top of the page and slow to load if oversized.
For understanding file sizes and why a 100KB cover beats a 5MB one, a guide to KB vs MB breaks down the units that determine upload speed and compression.
Profile Picture: 180×180, Circle-Cropped
Facebook stores profile pictures at 180×180 minimum (upload at 320×320 for sharpness on high-DPI screens). It displays them as:
- 170×170 on desktop
- 128×128 on mobile
- 36×36 in comments and tiny thumbnails
Two rules: keep your face centered within the central 60% (the circular crop cuts corners), and use a high-contrast, simple background. At 36px, detail vanishes — a clean headshot reads instantly; a busy group photo becomes a blur.
Feed Posts: 4:5 Portrait Wins (But Square Is Safer)
Facebook feed posts accept ratios from 1.91:1 (landscape) to 4:5 (portrait). The 4:5 (1080×1350) portrait fills the most vertical screen space — roughly 30% more than a square — and gets more dwell time. However, square (1080×1080) is the safe cross-platform choice if you share the same image to Instagram, Facebook, and X — it never gets cropped anywhere.
Landscape (1080×566) is fine for wide panoramas but looks small in the feed and is easily scrolled past. Use it only when the image is genuinely wide.
Facebook compresses feed photos aggressively. Upload at exactly 1080px wide, sRGB, JPEG quality 80–85. Uploading at 2048px or wider triggers a downscale + re-compress that softens detail. Do not upload WebP — Facebook does not accept it. If you need transparency (logos, graphics), use PNG, but know that PNG file sizes are much larger. A guide to transparent backgrounds explains when PNG is actually worth the file size.
Link Previews: 1200×630 (The og:image)
When you share a link to your website or blog, Facebook pulls the og:image meta tag. The ideal size is 1200×630 pixels (1.91:1). Minimum accepted is 600×315, but at that size the preview displays as a small thumbnail on the right — ugly. At 1200×630+, it displays as a large image above the link text, which gets far more clicks.
If your website runs on WordPress, set the og:image in your SEO plugin (Yoast, RankMath) to a 1200×630 version of your featured image. Do not let Facebook auto-pull a random image — it often picks a tiny sidebar icon.
Stories & Reels: 1080×1920 + Safe Zones
Facebook Stories and Reels share the same 9:16 full-screen canvas as Instagram. Upload at 1080×1920. The UI overlays differ from Instagram, so keep these safe zones:
- Right side ~11%: Like, Comment, Share buttons. Keep text out.
- Bottom ~20%: Caption, account name, “See More” button. Keep faces and text above this.
- Central safe zone: roughly 1080×1420, centered. Design inside it.
Reels covers: upload at 1080×1920, but the Reels grid displays a 4:5 crop of the center. Put your cover text and face in the central 1080×1350 region — anything near the top or bottom gets cut in the grid.
Event, Group & Marketplace Covers
- Event cover: 1920×1005 (1.91:1). The event page crops it differently on mobile — keep text in the central 70%.
- Group cover: 1640×856. Same mobile-crop logic as page covers — central safe zone.
- Marketplace listings: thumbnails display square in search. Upload at 1080×1080 or 1200×1200 minimum; the first photo is the one that shows in search results, so make it the cleanest product shot. For selling on social platforms generally, a guide to Etsy photo requirements covers marketplace image best practices that apply to Facebook Marketplace too.
The Carousel Rule: Uniform 1:1, Always
Facebook carousels have a strict rule that most people learn the hard way: every card must share the same aspect ratio as card 1. If card 1 is square (1:1) and card 3 is portrait (4:5), card 3 gets cropped to square — cutting off heads and text. The only safe universal choice is 1080×1080 (1:1) on every card. If you want portrait cards, make ALL cards 4:5 — but then the carousel displays smaller in some layouts. Square is the safe default.
Export Settings That Beat Facebook’s Compression
Facebook re-compresses every upload. To minimize quality loss:
- Exact pixel dimensions: 1080px wide for feed, 1200×630 for links, 1080×1920 for Stories. Never upload larger.
- sRGB color space — Adobe RGB uploads look dull.
- JPEG quality 80–85 — below 75 introduces visible artifacts; above 85 inflates file size with no gain.
- No WebP, no AVIF — Facebook does not accept them. JPG or PNG only.
- Light sharpen after resize (Unsharp Mask 50–80%, 0.5px) to compensate for compression.
- For quick one-off resizing without installing software, a guide to browser tools covers when an online resizer is sufficient.
5 Common Facebook Sizing Mistakes
- Putting cover text in the corners. Cropped on mobile or hidden behind the profile photo. Use the central 640×312 safe zone.
- Mixing aspect ratios in a carousel. Portrait cards get cropped to square. Use uniform 1:1 on every card.
- Uploading 2048px+ photos. Triggers a second re-compress that softens detail. Export at exactly 1080px wide.
- Using WebP or HEIC. Facebook rejects them. Convert to JPG first.
- Forgetting the og:image. Shared links pull a tiny random image. Set 1200×630 og:image on every page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Facebook post size in 2026?
1080×1350 pixels (4:5 portrait) — it fills the most vertical screen space in the feed. For cross-platform sharing (Facebook + Instagram + X), use 1080×1080 square to avoid cropping on any platform. Export at exactly 1080px wide, sRGB, JPEG 80–85.
What size is a Facebook cover photo in 2026?
It displays at 820×312 pixels on desktop and crops to 640×360 on mobile. Upload at 1640×624 (2× resolution) for sharpness. Keep all text, logos, and faces inside the central 640×312 safe zone — the only area guaranteed to show on both devices. Your profile photo overlaps the bottom-left on desktop.
What size should a Facebook profile picture be?
Upload at 320×320 pixels (1:1 square). Facebook displays it as a circle at 170×170 on desktop, 128×128 on mobile, and 36×36 in comments. Keep your face centered within the central 60% — the circular crop cuts off the corners.
What size is a Facebook link preview image?
1200×630 pixels (1.91:1 aspect ratio), set as the og:image meta tag on your webpage. Minimum accepted is 600×315, but below 1200×630 the preview displays as a small thumbnail instead of a large image.
What size are Facebook Stories and Reels?
1080×1920 pixels (9:16), same as Instagram. Keep text and faces out of the right ~11% (buttons) and bottom ~20% (caption). The central 1080×1420 region is always visible. Reel covers crop to 4:5 in the grid — center your cover text.
Can I use different aspect ratios in a Facebook carousel?
No. Every carousel card must share the same aspect ratio as card 1. If card 1 is square (1:1) and card 3 is portrait (4:5), card 3 gets cropped to square. Use uniform 1080×1080 (1:1) on every card for safety.
Why do my Facebook photos look blurry?
Almost always because you uploaded at the wrong size and Facebook re-compressed. Export at exactly 1080px wide for feed posts, sRGB color space, JPEG quality 80–85. Add a light sharpen after resizing. Never upload WebP or HEIC — convert to JPG first.
What size are Facebook event and group covers?
Event covers: 1920×1005 pixels (1.91:1). Group covers: 1640×856 pixels. Both crop differently on mobile, so keep text and important content in the central 70% of the image.
Final Verdict
Facebook sizing in 2026 has one genuinely tricky spec — the cover photo, with its desktop-vs-mobile crop and overlapping profile picture — and everything else is straightforward once you memorize three numbers: 1080×1350 for feed, 1200×630 for links, 1080×1920 for Stories. Keep covers in the central safe zone, make carousels uniformly square, set the og:image on every page, and export at exact pixel dimensions in sRGB JPEG. Do that, and every image you upload to Facebook displays sharp, full-size, and exactly as you designed it.
