Check your Instagram story before you upload

Check the size, shape, file type, transparency, safe area, and mobile crop before you upload.

Opens with Instagram story

Where will you upload it?

Result

Ready when your image is.

Add an image to see whether it is ready to upload.

Preview

Instagram story

9:16

Add an image to see the guidance area and approximate crop.

White frame: safer areaTeal frame: approximate crop view

Guidance area: keep important content inside the white frame when possible.

Interface guidance area: Top and bottom controls can cover edge content.

Mobile framing

Add an image to see the mobile crop.

Instagram example showing original image, feed crop, and story crop with UI safe areas. — Instagram images may need to work as the original upload, a feed crop, and a story with UI controls.

This is a static example. The checker above uses your actual image to show the personalized preview before upload.

What this checks

Checks whether your story image fits the vertical 9:16 shape, has enough resolution, uses a common image type, and keeps content away from risky edges.

Common problems

Instagram story controls can cover text near the top or bottom. Images that are not vertical may crop or show in a way you did not expect.

What the preview means

The approximate guidance preview helps keep text, faces, and product details away from interface areas and full-screen edges.

Good to know

This check is meant to reduce story crop surprises. Instagram may still display images differently across phones and app versions.