Social Media Header Sizes in 2026

You spent hours designing the perfect social media header. It looks incredible in your design tool. Then you upload it and… your logo is half-hidden behind a Dynamic Island. Your CTA is buried under your profile picture. Your tagline is cropped by the status bar.

The problem isn't your design. It's that every platform has different dimensions, and every device crops those dimensions differently. Here's the definitive guide to getting it right.

X (Twitter) Header Size

X recommends 1500×500 pixels, but that's only the starting point. On mobile, the header is cropped to roughly 3:1 centered. On newer iPhones, the Dynamic Island cuts into the top of your header. Your profile picture (and its surrounding white ring) overlaps the bottom-left corner on every device.

What Gets Cropped on X

Pro Tips for X Headers

• Keep your most important content in the center-right of the image
• Avoid text or logos in the bottom-left 200px — your profile picture lives there
• Leave the top 60px clear for status bar and Dynamic Island overlays
• Test across devices before committing — what looks great on desktop can be invisible on mobile

YouTube Channel Banner Size

YouTube's channel banner has the widest gap between upload size and visible area. You upload at 2560×1440, but on mobile, viewers only see the center 1546×423 pixels. On desktop, the visible area expands but still crops the top and bottom. TVs show the most, but almost nobody looks at YouTube channel pages on their TV.

The golden rule: design for the mobile safe area first, then add background elements that look good when the full image is visible.

LinkedIn Banner Size

LinkedIn has two banner types: personal profiles at 1584×396 and company pages at 1128×191. On mobile, LinkedIn aggressively crops your banner to a narrower aspect ratio and your profile picture overlaps the bottom-left quadrant. On company pages, the logo can overlap the bottom-center.

Facebook Cover Photo Size

Facebook is particularly tricky because desktop and mobile show completely different crops. Desktop displays at 820×312 (wide and short), while mobile displays at 640×360 (narrower but taller). Upload at 1200×630 to give Facebook enough pixels to work with for both formats.

Instagram Profile Header

Instagram doesn't have a traditional header/banner image like other platforms. Your profile “header” is composed of your profile picture (320×320), bio text, and Story Highlights (1080×1920 each). The closest equivalent to a header is your top row of grid posts, which is why many creators carefully curate their grid layout.

The Real Problem: Knowing the Size Isn't Enough

Here's the thing most header size guides won't tell you: knowing the upload dimensions is only half the battle. The real challenge is that your header looks different on every single device.

An iPhone 16 Pro Max with its Dynamic Island crops differently than an iPhone SE. A desktop browser at 1440p shows a different crop than a laptop at 1080p. An iPad in landscape shows more than an iPad in portrait.

You can get the dimensions right and still have your most important content hidden on half your audience's devices. That's the problem Better Header was built to solve — we audit your header across 7+ real device configurations so you know exactly what's visible and what's getting cropped.

Quick Reference: All Header Sizes

Frequently Asked Questions

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