Resize any video for Instagram Reels, feed and Stories
Your clip is a wide 16:9 video from a camera or a Zoom call, and Instagram wants tall. Cropping it yourself cuts off heads and text. Send it to your todo.is agent: it makes 9:16 and 4:5 versions, keeps the important part in frame or adds a blurred background, and exports MP4s Instagram accepts without fuss.
The prompt
- Resize the attached video [ATTACH THE VIDEO] for Instagram. Make these versions: [FORMATS]. The important part of the picture is [WHAT MUST STAY IN FRAME]. When the shape doesn't fit, [FIT METHOD]. Export each as an MP4 (H.264, AAC audio, 30 fps) at full Instagram resolution, keep it under [MAX LENGTH], and keep text and faces out of the zones covered by the app buttons. Send me all versions plus a cover frame as a JPG.
What to change
- [ATTACH THE VIDEO]: Attach the video (MP4 or MOV, up to 50 MB per upload).
- [FORMATS]: E.g. "9:16 for Reels and Stories and 4:5 for the feed", or just "9:16".
- [WHAT MUST STAY IN FRAME]: E.g. "the speaker's face", "the product on the table" or "the text in the middle".
- [FIT METHOD]: E.g. "crop and follow the speaker", "add a blurred copy of the video behind it" or "add a plain black or brand-color background".
- [MAX LENGTH]: E.g. "60 seconds, cut from 0:20 to 1:20" or "the full length". Check Instagram's current limits for your account.
Example result
- Instagram versions of Talk_clip.mp4
- Original: 1920x1080 (16:9) · 1:12 · 25 fps
- Files
- • Talk_clip_reel_9x16.mp4 · 1080x1920 · for Reels and Stories
- • Talk_clip_feed_4x5.mp4 · 1080x1350 · for the feed, takes more screen space than square
- • Talk_clip_cover.jpg · 1080x1920 · the frame where Dana smiles at the audience
- How the 9:16 version was made
- • Cropped a vertical window out of the wide shot and moved it to follow Dana as she walks
- • In the two wide audience shots, used a blurred copy of the full frame as background instead of cropping
- • Kept faces and the slide title out of the bottom 20% and the right edge, where captions and buttons sit
- • Converted 25 fps to 30 fps without speeding up the sound
- Instagram sizes, quick reference
- • Reels: 9:16, 1080x1920
- • Stories: 9:16, 1080x1920
- • Feed portrait: 4:5, 1080x1350
- • Feed square: 1:1, 1080x1080
- • Feed landscape: 1.91:1, 1080x566 (shows small on phones, rarely worth it)
- Crop or pad?
- • Crop when one person or object is the subject. Fills the screen, looks native
- • Blurred background when the whole wide frame matters, like a group, a slide or a landscape
- • Solid color bars when you want a clean, branded look with a title above and captions below
- Before you post
- • Upload the file to Instagram directly, not a screenshot or screen recording
- • Add captions: many people watch with the sound off
- • Pick the cover in the app or upload the JPG
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and choose your formats, the subject to keep in frame and how to fill empty space.
- Attach the video and paste the prompt in todo.is, or send both to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Your agent reframes each shot, exports the versions and picks a cover frame.
- Download the MP4s and post them from your phone. Ask for "a version with captions" or "move the crop left at 0:40" if needed.
Tips for a better result
- Film new clips vertically when you know they're for Reels. Cropping a wide shot to 9:16 keeps only about a third of the picture.
- For talking-head videos, ask your agent to follow the speaker. For product clips, ask it to keep the product centered.
- 4:5 is the tallest shape the feed shows, so it gets more attention than square or landscape posts.
- Ask for captions in the same to-do: your agent can resize and burn in subtitles in one export.
- Send the final file to yourself on WhatsApp as a document, not as a video, so the app doesn't compress it again before you post.
resize video for Instagram: FAQ
- What size should a video be for Instagram Reels? 1080x1920 pixels, a 9:16 vertical shape. The same size works for Stories.
- How do I fit a horizontal video on Instagram without cropping? Place it in the middle of a 9:16 or 4:5 frame and fill the rest with a blurred copy of the video or a solid color. Nothing gets cut off.
- Why does Instagram make my video blurry? Usually the upload was low resolution or already compressed. Upload a 1080-pixel-wide MP4 from the original file, and check that high-quality uploads are on in the app settings.
- Can todo.is post the video to Instagram for me? No. Your agent prepares the files and a caption if you ask, and you post them yourself from the app.
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