Checklist

The 2026 X (Twitter) Header Size Checklist

Everything you need to verify before you publish your X header — dimensions, safe areas, Dynamic Island clearance, profile-pic overlap, and the test that catches all of it.

Most X header problems are caught in seconds — if you know what to look for. This is the pre-publish checklist we run before any banner goes live. Print it, bookmark it, run it before every redesign.

Dimensions

  • Source banner is 1500×500 pixels (3:1 aspect ratio)
  • Export saved at 2× (3000×1000) for retina sharpness
  • File format is PNG or JPEG (avoid GIF for static banners)
  • File size under 5 MB

Safe areas

  • No critical content in the top 60 pixels (Dynamic Island / status bar)
  • No critical content in the bottom 25% (mobile profile-pic overlap)
  • No critical content in the left 25% (desktop profile-pic overlap)
  • Headline / CTA / logo lives in the central horizontal band
  • 5% breathing room on every edge of the banner

Visual quality

  • Image is sharp at 100% zoom (no visible JPEG artifacts)
  • Text is legible at iPhone size — about 360 pixels wide rendered
  • Color contrast meets WCAG AA against any overlaid chrome
  • Brand colors render the same on web and mobile

Pre-publish verification

  • Previewed on a real iPhone 16 Pro / Pro Max
  • Previewed on iPad
  • Previewed on a wide desktop (1440p+)
  • Audited via Better Header for device-specific conflicts
  • Profile picture position verified against the new banner

How to actually run the verification step

The first three sections of this checklist are static — you can verify them in your design tool. The pre-publish verification section is where most banners fail, because manual device QA is tedious and easy to skip.

Three approaches:

  • Real-device QA. Upload to a test X account, check each phone you own. Reliable but slow (20–30 minutes).
  • Free preview. Use the Better Header preview tool to render your banner on common device profiles. No signup. ~90 seconds.
  • Full audit. Run a paid Better Header audit ($3) for pixel-precise fix coordinates and a saved report you can hand to a designer.

Whichever you choose, don't skip the verification step. The checklist exists because most header problems are predictable and easily caught — but only if you actually look.

Run a real audit

Test your header on every device for $3

One token = one audit across iPhone, iPad, desktop, and 4K TVs. Tokens never expire. No subscription.

Refund if no device issues are found.

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