Header guide
Instagram Story / Reel cover header size: 1080×1920
Everything you need to design a Instagram Story / Reel cover banner that looks great on every device — exact dimensions, safe areas to avoid, and how the image actually crops on phones, tablets, and desktops.
Recommended size
1080 × 1920px
Aspect ratio
0.56:1
Devices we audit
2
How Instagram Story / Reel cover crops your header
Instagram Story / Reel cover renders the same image differently across devices. We test 2 unique device profiles (2 phone).
| Device | Type | Display size | Safe areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16 Pro | phone | 402×715 | Status Bar, Top UI / sender, Bottom Reply Bar, Right Reaction Stack |
| iPhone SE | phone | 375×667 | Status Bar (Notched), Top UI / sender, Bottom Reply Bar |
Design tips for Instagram Story / Reel cover
- •Keep critical content centered. Mobile and desktop crop different portions of your image. Putting your key visual or text in the center buys you the most safety.
- •Mind the profile picture overlay. Most platforms place a profile photo on top of the lower-left of your banner. Don't put logos or text there.
- •Watch the Dynamic Island & status bar. On iPhones the top of your banner sits behind the status bar and (on Pro models) the Dynamic Island.
- •Export at 2× or 3×. Save at twice the recommended size and let the platform downscale, so the image stays crisp on retina displays.
Test your Instagram Story / Reel cover header
Upload your banner and Better Header will check it against every Instagram Story / Reel cover device profile. First audit's on us.
One token · Tokens never expire · Refund if no issues found