Instagram's profile grid shows each post as a 3:4 tile. For a 9:16 reel cover that means only the middle 1080 × 1440 appears on your profile, and the top and bottom 240 pixels are hidden.
What changed
For years the profile grid was made of squares. In early 2025 Instagram switched it to taller 3:4 rectangles, and every post is now center-cropped to that shape on your profile. Photos, carousels and reels all follow the same rule.
For reels this was good news and bad news. Tiles now show more of a vertical cover than the old squares did, but covers designed edge to edge still lose their top and bottom.
Exactly what is cut
- Kept: the full width, from y 240 to y 1680. That is 75% of the height.
- Hidden: the top 240 pixels and the bottom 240 pixels.
- Most common casualty: a headline placed at the very top of the cover, which is exactly where most templates put it.
Designing for the grid
Treat the middle 1080 × 1440 as your real canvas and the bands above and below as bleed. Put the hook in the upper part of that window, keep the subject centered, and use the outer bands only for background.
Because visitors read your profile as a grid, consistency matters more than any single cover. Keeping headline positions and type size the same across posts makes the grid look intentional, and alternating lighter and darker covers stops it from blurring into one block.
Plan it before you post
The grid planner lets you drop in your next twelve covers and see them with the real 3:4 crop, reorder them by dragging, and spot any cover that loses its headline.
Questions
Did Instagram change the grid to 4:5?
No. Posts can still be uploaded at 4:5, but the profile grid displays them as 3:4 tiles, cropping a little from the top and bottom.
Can I change which part shows on the grid?
When posting, Instagram lets you adjust how a post appears on your profile. Whatever you choose, the tile is still a 3:4 window, so check what it keeps before you publish.