TikTok Slideshow Size, Dimensions and Specs
Updated · By the ViralSlides team
Make every TikTok slideshow photo 1080x1920 pixels, a 9:16 vertical shape, saved as JPEG. That fills the phone screen with no empty bars. As of October 2026, TikTok's posting API accepts photos up to 1080p, in JPEG or WebP, up to 20 MB each. For an Instagram carousel, use 1080x1350 (4:5).
Slideshow, photo post or TikTok carousel: it is the same format, and it uses the same size. Here is the size to use, the file rules TikTok publishes, what happens with other shapes, how to fix a set that is the wrong size in one click, and a short check to run before every upload.
Steps
- 1Export at 1080x1920Set your design tool or export preset to 1080x1920 pixels, JPEG. Already have photos in other sizes? The free slideshow checker crops or pads them to 1080x1920 in your browser.
- 2Keep text out of TikTok's interfacePut the hook in the upper middle of the slide, away from the action buttons on the right and the caption at the bottom.
- 3Check the set before postingDrop the photos into the slideshow checker to confirm count, size and file type in one pass.
The right size: 1080x1920
TikTok's feed is a full-height vertical screen, so a 9:16 photo fills it edge to edge. 1080x1920 is 9:16 at full HD. TikTok's Content Posting API documentation caps photos at 1080p, so going bigger adds file size without adding detail.
What happens with other shapes
Square, 4:5 and landscape photos still post, but they don't fill the screen, so the photo sits in empty space. Mixing shapes in one slideshow also makes slides change size as people swipe. Crop or pad everything to 1080x1920 before you post.
File type and file size
Save as JPEG. TikTok's developer documentation lists JPEG and WebP for photo posts with a maximum of 20 MB per image (as of October 2026), and schedulers that post for you have to follow it. iPhone HEIC files and large PNGs are the usual troublemakers; export them as JPEG.
Instagram carousel sizes
Instagram keeps a photo at its original resolution when it is between 320 and 1080 pixels wide and between 1.91:1 and 3:4 in shape, and crops anything outside that range (Instagram Help Center, October 2026). Use 1080x1350 (4:5) or 1080x1440 (3:4) for portrait carousels and 1080x1080 for square. All slides in one carousel share the same orientation.
Safe zones
TikTok draws its own interface over your photo. In our measurements on a real iPhone, the action buttons cover roughly the right fifth of the screen between 44% and 84% of its height, and the caption and username cover the bottom 14%. The safe zone checker shows the exact areas for TikTok and Reels.
Text that survives compression
TikTok re-compresses every photo it receives, so a sharp export is what you have to give. Put the text into the image at the full 1080x1920 size rather than scaling a smaller design up, and avoid thin or decorative fonts at small sizes: they are the first thing to blur. Text added in TikTok's own editor is drawn by the app and stays crisp, but you are limited to the editor's fonts and styles.
Slide count and slide one
TikTok allows up to 35 photos in one post (as of October 2026). That is a ceiling, not a target: end the set when the idea is complete. Whatever the count, the first photo is the one people see in the feed and on your profile, so treat it as a cover rather than page one.
Before you upload: a quick check
Every slide is 1080x1920 and saved as JPEG. Every slide in the set has the same shape. Slide one makes sense with no context. No headline sits under the action buttons on the right or the caption at the bottom. The smallest text still reads on a phone held at arm's length. The set has no more than 35 photos and no file is over 20 MB. The slideshow checker runs the count, size and file-type part of this in one pass.
FAQ
What aspect ratio is a TikTok slideshow?
9:16, vertical. At full resolution that is 1080x1920 pixels.
What are TikTok carousel dimensions?
The same as a slideshow. TikTok calls it a photo post, and 1080x1920 (9:16) fills the screen. There is no separate carousel size.
Can I use square or 4:5 photos on TikTok?
Yes, they post, but they don't fill the screen. If you want the slide to take over the whole phone, crop or pad it to 1080x1920 first.
What size works for both TikTok and Instagram?
No single size does. Instagram crops anything taller than 3:4, so a 1080x1920 slide gets cut down. Make a 1080x1920 version for TikTok and a 1080x1350 version for Instagram; the slideshow checker exports both from the same photos.
Does a bigger image look sharper?
Not beyond 1080 pixels wide. Instagram sizes photos down to 1080 pixels wide, and TikTok's posting API takes photos up to 1080p.
What file type should slideshow photos be?
JPEG. TikTok's posting API takes JPEG or WebP of up to 20 MB each (as of October 2026). Convert iPhone HEIC photos and large PNGs before you upload.
Sources
Platform limits checked on October 17, 2026.
- TikTok for Developers: Media transfer guide (JPEG or WebP, max 1080p, max 20 MB per image)
- TikTok Help Center: Making a post (photo posts, up to 35 photos, upload troubleshooting)
- Instagram Help Center: Image resolution of photos you share (320 to 1080 px wide, 1.91:1 to 3:4)
- Instagram Help Center: Share a post with multiple photos or videos (up to 20, one orientation per post)