Instagram Adds Support for 3:4 Aspect Ratio Photos Shot Using Smartphone Cameras

Instagram is finally rolling out support for 3:4 aspect ratio photos on the image and video sharing platform. Many smartphone cameras use the same aspect ratio by default, which means that users will now be able to upload photos to Instagram without cropping them. The service previously offered support for photos with a 5:4 or 1:1 (square) aspect ratio. The company says that support for 3:4 aspect ratio photos will be available when uploading a single image, or when adding multiple photos to a carousel.

Instagram Users Can Still Upload Images in Previously Supported Aspect Ratios

Support for 3:4 aspect ratio photos was announced by Instagram head Adam Mosseri on Thursday, via a post on Threads, the company's microblogging platform. "From now on, if you upload a 3:4 image, it'll now appear just exactly as you shot it," he said, adding that Instagram now supports the same format that most smartphone cameras default to.

Support for 3:4 aspect ratio photos on Instagram (right)
Photo Credit: Instagram

Instagram's creator broadcast channel also revealed that the platform supports 3:4 aspect ratio photos on single-photo posts, and carousels. Meanwhile, users can still upload 4:5 and 1:1 (square) images and carousels, but images shot using a smartphone camera (with default settings) might need to be cropped.

An image shared on the channel also shows how 3:4 aspect ratio photos will appear on Instagram. The screenshot on the left shows an image cropped to a 4:5 ratio, while the one on the right is a taller, uncropped image that includes more information.

Last month, Instagram rolled out a new Edits app that offers support for video editing on a smartphone. The app was introduced to compete with CapCut, another video editing app from rival ByteDance. It also lets users edit and upload content to other apps, without a watermark.

The company also released a Blend feature that shows recommended reels for users in Instagram messages. The feature was in testing for a year, and it is an invite-only feed that shows users a personalised feed, based on their Instagram activity. Instagram's Blend feature is currently available to users on Instagram for iOS and Android smartphones.