Instagram Safe Zone Checker
Put your image in the right format and see which parts the app covers: the profile grid crop, the username row, the caption and buttons, the Story and Reel icons and the margins Meta asks for in ads. No signup, no watermark, and your image never leaves your device.
- Nothing is uploaded
- No signup, no watermark
- Works on your phone
- 1Drop your image
- 2See what gets covered
- 3Move your text
This is an example. Drop your own image anywhere in this box, or choose one.
The red areas are covered by the app or kept free by Meta.
Turn it into a finished post: in the Postd editor you add text, your brand and a posting date. Images from this tool come along.
Continue in the editorPrivate by design: your files are processed in this browser tab and are never uploaded. Close the tab and they are gone.
What a safe zone is
A safe zone is the part of the frame where text and logos stay readable, because the app does not draw over it and no crop cuts it off. Everything outside is still visible, but anything you need people to read should stay inside.
How to check your image
- Choose what you are checking: a feed post or carousel slide (4:5), a Story or Reel (9:16) or a Meta ad (9:16).
- Choose your image or drop it onto the tool. It is cropped to the format, and you can drag it to move the crop.
- Look at the red areas. Anything important inside them risks being covered or cut.
- Save the check image to show a client, or save the cropped image without the overlay.
Numbers for a 1080 × 1350 feed post
- Keep at least 50 px of clear space from every edge for anything people must read.
- On slide 1, leave roughly 250 px free at the bottom, where the caption and action row sit in the feed.
- Leave about 80 px at the top if you place a logo or headline there, because the username row runs across it.
- The profile grid shows a 3:4 crop. A 4:5 slide is a little wider, so each thumbnail loses about 34 px on the left and on the right.
Stories and Reels
On a 1080 × 1920 canvas the app covers the top and the bottom and puts a column of icons on the right. The checker marks the top 13 percent, the bottom 21 percent and the icon column. Keep headlines and calls to action between them.
Meta ads
For Stories and Reels ads Meta asks you to keep 14 percent free at the top, 35 percent at the bottom and 6 percent on each side. On 1080 × 1920 that is 269, 672 and 65 px, which leaves a safe area of 950 × 979 px. Choose Meta ad to see it, and switch to 1440 × 2560 for the larger size Meta recommends.
These zones are a guide
Apps change their interface, and phones differ in screen shape. Use the zones as a guide, check the real result on your own phone, and keep enough contrast between text and background, because a position inside the safe zone does not make white text readable on a light sky.
What happens to your image?
Nothing leaves your device. Your browser reads and draws the image itself, so there is no upload and no server involved. You can check it yourself: open the network tab of your browser while you use the tool, and you will see no image request.
FAQ
What is the safe zone for an Instagram post?
For a 1080 × 1350 post keep 50 px of clear space from every edge. On the first slide of a carousel, leave about 250 px free at the bottom and about 80 px at the top.
What is the safe zone for Instagram Stories and Reels?
On a 1080 × 1920 canvas keep text out of the top 13 percent, the bottom 21 percent and the icon column on the right.
Why does my profile grid thumbnail look cropped?
The grid shows a 3:4 crop. A 4:5 post is slightly wider, so a thin strip on the left and on the right is cut off in the thumbnail.
Are these numbers official?
The Meta ad numbers (14, 35 and 6 percent) are Meta's. The feed, Story and Reel zones are approximations that follow how the app looks today, so use them as a guide.
Is the checker free?
Yes. There is no signup, no watermark and no limit on how often you use it.
After you are done
postd.ai is an editor and content calendar for Instagram carousels: layouts, brand fonts and colours, and a plan for when each post goes out. Open postd.ai when you need more than this tool.
More guides: Instagram carousel safe zones, explained in pixels, Meta ad sizes and assets 2026 and Instagram carousel sizes in 2026.