Photo and video quality
A lot of disappointing Instagram posts fail for reasons that have nothing to do with the photo: the wrong aspect ratio, a setting that quietly lowers upload quality, or a video re-encoded twice on the way up.
These guides cover the numbers Instagram publishes, the settings that affect quality, and what Instagram's own save and download options do.
4 guides in this topic.
Why are my Instagram videos blurry?
Some blur you can fix with one setting and the right export. Some you can't: Instagram moves videos nobody is watching to lower quality.
Instagram photo and video sizes in 2026
Instagram's own numbers: 1080 px wide, ratios from 1.91:1 to 3:4 for photos and up to 9:16 for Reels, 20 items per carousel. Official specs versus convention.
Can you see who viewed your Instagram Reel?
No. Reel insights give counts, not names, including the confusingly named Viewers metric. What you can see, who can see your likes, and what a view counts.
How to download Instagram Reels
Instagram has its own Download button for public Reels, with a watermark. Why it is sometimes missing, what happens to the music, and other ways to save a Reel.