1:1 video

1:1 (square) was the original Instagram feed format and held that position from 2010 until ~2020, when 4:5 took over as the preferred portrait ratio. Square video still has utility as the "lowest common denominator" — a 1:1 video renders cleanly on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Pinterest without letterboxing or awkward cropping.

For creators producing one video per piece and cross-posting widely, 1:1 is a defensible choice. The downside: it occupies less vertical screen real estate than 4:5 on mobile feeds, and it's not eligible for Reels.

Best use today: LinkedIn organic video (where 1:1 still outperforms 16:9 in mobile feeds), embedded blog video, and ad creative where the platform requires one master asset.

Related terms

• Aspect ratio — The proportional relationship of a video or image’s width to its height, expressed as W:H (e.g. 9:16, 1:1, 16:9).
• 4:5 video — Portrait video aspect ratio (1080×1350) — the current preferred format for Instagram and Facebook feed (non-Reels) posts.
• Cross-posting — Publishing the same content asset to multiple platforms — efficient at scale but penalized when done without per-platform formatting.

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