How to use it· 4 steps
- Drop the photo you want to spread across your profile.
- Choose 3 × 1, 3 × 2 or 3 × 3 and a tile shape, then drag and zoom to frame the picture.
- Press Split to get the tiles, named 01 to 09 in posting order.
- Post them one by one starting with 01, and do not post anything else until the set is finished.
Step by step
How to use the instagram grid maker
- 1Drop the photo you want to spread across your profile.
- 2Choose 3 × 1, 3 × 2 or 3 × 3 and a tile shape, then drag and zoom to frame the picture.
- 3Press Split to get the tiles, named 01 to 09 in posting order.
- 4Post them one by one starting with 01, and do not post anything else until the set is finished.
How the profile grid arranges posts
A profile shows posts in rows of three, newest first, starting at the top left. Every new post pushes everything along by one place: the old top-left post moves to the middle, the old top-right post drops to the start of the next row, and so on down the page.
That is why a split picture has to be posted backwards. The tile that belongs at the bottom right of the finished picture must go up first, because each later post will push it one place further along until it lands there. The top-left tile goes up last. This tool names the files in that order — 01-post-first for the bottom-right tile, ending with the top-left tile marked post-last — and the preview shows the same numbers on each tile, so you can check the plan before you start.
Because the grid holds three posts per row, a set of 3, 6 or 9 also leaves everything you posted earlier in its original columns. Post a set of four, and every older post shifts one column — which is harmless, but it does mean the next split picture will not start at the left edge if you post a stray single image in between.
Square, 4:5, and the 2025 grid change
For most of Instagram's history the profile grid was made of squares, and split-grid pictures were simply cut into 1080 × 1080 tiles. In early 2025 Instagram changed the profile grid to taller, rectangular thumbnails with a 3:4 shape, because most posts were portrait by then. Platforms change these details without much notice, so check how your own profile looks today; this tool gives you the main options rather than assuming.
4:5 portrait tiles (1080 × 1350) are the tallest shape the feed has long accepted for photos, and they come closest to filling the 3:4 grid. The 3:4 thumbnail is a centred crop of each post, which trims a little from the left and right of a 4:5 tile — about 6% of the width — so a seamless picture shows narrow slices missing at each seam on the profile, while every post opened on its own shows the full tile. Switch on Show what the profile grid displays and the preview draws that 3:4 area on every tile with a yellow dashed line, so you can keep faces and lettering away from the seams.
1:1 square tiles (1080 × 1080) are the classic format and still post without trouble, but in a 3:4 grid each thumbnail loses a quarter of its width, so the joined-up effect on the profile is much weaker. A 3:4 option (1080 × 1440) is included for apps that accept 3:4 uploads; check yours does before using it, because a feed that only accepts up to 4:5 will crop a 3:4 tile on upload.
Framing the picture
The photo is first cropped to the shape of the whole grid — three tiles wide by one, two or three tall — and then cut. Drag the photo to choose which part is used, and zoom to crop in further. The crop is applied at full resolution when you split, so the preview is a faithful plan.
Every tile is saved 1080 pixels wide, the width Instagram displays at, so a 3 × 3 grid of 4:5 tiles needs a source area of 3240 × 4050 pixels to avoid enlarging. A modern phone photo has that comfortably. If your source is smaller, the page tells you the tiles are being enlarged; they will still work, but will look softer than the rest of your feed.
Pictures that work well have something across the whole frame — a landscape, a pattern, a bold graphic, lettering big enough to span tiles. Faces and fine text right on a seam suffer most from the gaps and from each tile being viewed separately in followers' feeds, where each one appears on its own and should ideally make some sense alone.
Posting it without breaking the grid
Post the tiles in numerical order, one after another, and avoid posting anything else until the set is complete. Write captions and hashtags in advance; many people put a short note on each tile, or the full caption on the last one.
Pinned posts are the most common surprise. A profile can pin up to three posts to the top, and they occupy the first row in place of your newest posts — which pushes your split picture down and shifts it, so it no longer lines up as intended while posts are pinned. Unpin before posting a grid if you want it at the top.
Deleting or archiving a single post later shifts every newer post by one place and breaks the picture, as does a post you schedule from another tool landing in the middle. Reels appear in the main grid too unless you choose otherwise when you post them. And Instagram re-compresses every upload, so the tiles are saved as high-quality JPEGs (quality 95) to give its compression the best material to start from.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
In what order do I post the tiles?
Start with the bottom-right tile and finish with the top-left. The files are numbered in that order (01 first), and the preview shows the same numbers on each tile.
Should I use square or 4:5 tiles?
As of 2025 the profile grid shows 3:4 thumbnails, which 4:5 tiles fill far better than squares. Instagram changes these details, so check your own profile; both options are here.
Why are there small gaps at the seams on my profile?
The grid shows a centred 3:4 crop of each post, which trims the sides of a 4:5 tile. Use the 3:4 preview to keep important details away from the seams.
Why did my grid shift out of line?
Something was added, removed or pinned. Pinned posts take the first row, and deleting or archiving any newer post shifts everything after it by one place.
What resolution are the tiles?
1080 pixels wide — 1080 × 1350 for 4:5 tiles, 1080 × 1080 for squares — saved as high-quality JPEG.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. It is cropped and split in your browser, and the tiles are saved to your device.