How to crop a photo to 4:5 for an Instagram portrait post

In Crop image, tap 4:5 (or Instagram, then Portrait post), drag the box over the part you want to keep, set Save as to JPG and download. Turn on Export at exact size after choosing the Instagram size if you want the file to be exactly 1080 × 1350 pixels.

Steps

1. Open Crop image and drop in your photo. It opens with a crop box over it.
2. Under Social sizes, tap Instagram, then Portrait post. The box snaps to 4:5. Tapping 4:5 under Aspect ratio gives the same shape without a fixed pixel size.
3. Drag the box to frame your subject, and drag a corner to make it bigger or smaller. The shape stays 4:5 while you drag.
4. Turn on Export at exact size (it shows 1080 × 1350 px) to save at Instagram's width. Leave it off to keep your crop's own pixels.
5. Under Save as, choose JPG for a photo. The tool starts on PNG, which makes much larger files for photos.
6. Check the pixel size and file size in the result, then press Download.

4:5 or the original 3:4

Instagram shows feed photos without cropping when they are between 1.91:1 (wide) and 3:4 (tall). Most phones shoot 3:4, so a phone photo fits as it is. Cropping to 4:5 makes it a little shorter, and you decide where the edges fall.

3:4 is the tallest of those shapes (tap Tall post for 1080 × 1440). A portrait post of either shape takes up more of the screen than a square or landscape one.

Choosing the other Instagram shapes

Picking Profile picture switches the crop to a circle, because Instagram shows your avatar round. See making a circle profile picture for that one.

Crop or resize?

Cropping decides what is in the frame. Resizing decides how many pixels the result has. Export at exact size does both in one go: it crops to 4:5 where you placed the box, then scales the crop to 1080 × 1350. If you would rather keep the whole photo and let the tool trim evenly from the edges, resize it for Instagram instead.

Cropping alone never lowers the quality of what you keep. The kept area stays at the original resolution. Only scaling it afterwards (with Export at exact size) changes the pixel count.

Tips for a good crop

• Leave a little space above the head. A crop that touches the top of the hair looks cramped in the feed.
• For a group photo, place the box on the people and let the background go.
• Use the keyboard for fine moves: Tab to the box, use the arrow keys to move it and Alt with the arrows to resize; hold Shift to move further.
• Reset crop box puts the box back in the middle if you lose track.

Questions

Does Instagram accept PNG?

It accepts PNG, but a photo saved as PNG is several times bigger than a JPG and gains nothing. Choose JPG.

Can I crop several photos the same way?

Crop image works on one photo at a time. For a batch of carousel photos that can be trimmed evenly, use Resize image with the Instagram size and Crop to fill.

Is the photo uploaded?

No. The crop is made in your browser and the photo stays on your device.

My crop came out smaller than 1080 × 1350. Why?

Export at exact size is off, and the area you kept is smaller than that. Turn it on, or make the box larger.