Why sizes differ between networks
Each network's screen shows content differently. The feeds on X and Facebook lay out wide images naturally, Instagram's feed shows taller images larger, and TikTok and YouTube Shorts fill the screen with vertical video. That's why the same photo can fit nicely on one network and be cropped at the edges on another.
The other issue is the file size limit. A photo taken on a smartphone can be several MB as is, and on some networks that exceeds the limit and can't be posted. First look at each company's numbers in one list, then think about how to make assets that are easy to reuse.
Image size list
All numbers are as of October 2026 and were confirmed in each company's developer documentation.
| Network | Formats | File limit | Aspect ratio / width |
|---|---|---|---|
| X | JPG, PNG, GIF, WEBP | 5MB (15MB for GIF) | Not stated |
| JPEG | 8MB | From 4:5 (tall) to 1.91:1 (wide), 320 to 1440px wide | |
| Threads | JPEG, PNG | 8MB | Up to 10:1, 320 to 1440px wide |
| Facebook Pages | JPEG, PNG, GIF and others | 4MB (PNG recommended 1MB or less) | Not stated (Facebook resizes it) |
| JPG, GIF, PNG | Not stated | Under 36,152,320 pixels |
On Instagram and Threads, images wider than 1440px are shrunk and images narrower than 320px are stretched. If you make images 1080 to 1440px wide, they are unlikely to be shrunk or stretched on either.
In X's documentation "Media best practices," GIFs are recommended at up to 1280×1080 and 350 frames. In Facebook's documentation "Page photos," it states that images over 4MB are not accepted. Facebook is the strictest, so keeping photos you post to several networks at 4MB or less is safe.
Choosing an aspect ratio
Choose the aspect ratio within the range each network can show without cropping.
| Ratio | Where it fits |
|---|---|
| 4:5 (tall) | The ratio shown largest in Instagram's feed |
| 1:1 (square) | A safe ratio that is unlikely to be cropped on any network |
| 3:2, 16:9 (wide) | Feeds on X, Facebook and LinkedIn, and blog photos |
| 9:16 (full vertical) | Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Stories |
Instagram's feed accepts 4:5 to 1.91:1, and images with a ratio outside that can't be posted to the feed. If you want to post a 9:16 vertical photo to the feed, crop it to 4:5 first. A wide 16:9 image falls within 1.91:1 so it can be posted, but it looks small in the feed.
If you reuse one image
If you reuse one photo on several networks, the best approach is to shoot with the important things near the center. With the subject centered, you can fix it for 4:5, 1:1 or 16:9 just by trimming the edges. The overall approach to making images is explained in how to make images that work on social media.
Video size list
| Network | Length | File limit | Aspect ratio / size |
|---|---|---|---|
| X | 0.5 seconds to 20 minutes (up to 125 minutes for Premium) | 8GB (16GB for Premium) | 1:3 to 3:1, 32×32 to 1280×1024 |
| Instagram (Reels) | 3 seconds to 15 minutes | 300MB | 0.01:1 to 10:1, 9:16 recommended, up to 1920px wide |
| Threads | Up to 5 minutes | 1GB | 0.01:1 to 10:1, 9:16 recommended, up to 1920px wide |
| YouTube Shorts | Up to 3 minutes | None stated | Vertical or square |
| TikTok | Up to 3 minutes for most creators | 4GB | 360 to 4096px in both directions, 23 to 60fps |
X recommends 1280×720 for wide, 720×1280 for vertical, and 720×720 for square. Both Instagram's and Threads' documents say that using 9:16 makes cropping or empty margins less likely.
As YouTube's help page says, videos that are vertical or square and up to 3 minutes become Shorts. Wide videos are treated as regular videos (YouTube Shorts basics). TikTok's numbers are also collected in TikTok basics.
Make one vertical video and reuse it
If you post video to several networks, making one vertical 9:16 video is the easiest form to reuse. It works as is on Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Threads, and it fits X's 1:3 to 3:1 range, so you can post it there too. Put captions and important text toward the middle, because text near the top or bottom edge gets hidden by each network's buttons and captions. For the shooting steps, see getting started with short video.
Handling images and video in SNS TOWN
These are the file size limits for the composer and Library in SNS TOWN.
| Type | Limit per file |
|---|---|
| Image | 5MB |
| GIF | 15MB |
| Video | 50MB |
| Documents such as PDFs (Library) | 20MB |
SNS TOWN does not automatically shrink or crop images and videos you upload. The uploaded file goes to each network as is, so check the table above and prepare the aspect ratio before you post. Keep images for Facebook Pages at 4MB or less to be safe.
How many files you can attach to one post changes by network. X allows 4 images, Facebook 10, LinkedIn 9, Threads and Instagram up to 20 items with images and video mixed, and YouTube and TikTok only one video. Instagram requires an image or video, so if you try to post with nothing attached, the pre-publish check stops it.
If you don't have an image ready, AI images can draw a picture to suit the post. It draws at 1536×1024, a wide 3:2 ratio that fits the feeds on X, Facebook and LinkedIn as is, and falls within Instagram's 1.91:1 range so it can be posted there too.
Frequently asked questions
Can I post a vertical 9:16 photo to Instagram as is?
Photos in the feed must be within 4:5 to 1.91:1, so 9:16 can't be posted as is. Crop it to 4:5 first. The 9:16 vertical ratio is for Reels and Stories.
I was told my smartphone photo is too large
Recent smartphone photos are several MB and can exceed a Facebook Page's 4MB limit or SNS TOWN's 5MB. Resaving at about 1080 to 1440px wide in a photos app or image editor brings it under the limit on most networks.
Can I use one image on every network?
You can, but depending on the ratio the edges may be cropped. The ratio least likely to be cropped on any network is a 1:1 square. If you shoot with important things near the center, recropping for each network is easy.
Should I shoot video wide or vertical?
If you'll post to several networks, vertical 9:16 is recommended. It suits Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Threads, and you can post it to X too. Shoot a separate wide version only when you plan to publish it as a regular YouTube video.
Does SNS TOWN crop images automatically?
It does not crop or shrink them. The file you upload goes to each network as is. Prepare the ratio and size before you upload.
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