How to use the Profile Picture Cropper with Circle Preview
- Choose a photo. Pick or drop an image. It is drawn on a canvas in your browser and is never uploaded.
- Zoom and move. Drag the picture or use the sliders until the subject sits inside the circle. Most networks cut the corners away.
- Check the small previews. The row of small circles shows how the same crop looks at avatar size on each network.
- Choose size and format. Pick 400, 800 or 1024 px, JPEG or PNG, and set JPEG quality. The output file size updates as you go.
- Download. Download the square image and upload it to the network. They round it into a circle themselves.
What the cropper does
What it checks
The crop is always a square taken from inside your photo, never outside it, so there are no empty edges. Zoom shrinks the square, and moving shifts it. The output is drawn at 400, 800 or 1024 px and measured so you see the real file size.
It warns when the cropped area has fewer pixels than the output size, because the picture is then enlarged and can look soft.
The rules it applies
Per the public Bluesky profile lexicon, checked October 2026: avatars accept PNG and JPEG up to 1,000,000 bytes. That is the only avatar limit shown here as verified.
Sizes for X, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube are widely documented, approximate figures, because those help centers could not be read automatically. Threads has no target applied. Mastodon is shown as a rounded square because many themes draw it that way, and instance rules vary.
Limitations
The circle on each network is a visual guide. Apps may add rings, badges or a different corner shape, and they recompress what you upload. Keep the face well inside the circle rather than touching its edge.
Frequently asked questions
What size should an Instagram profile picture be?
Instagram shows profile photos as a circle, and the commonly quoted upload size is 320 x 320 px or larger. That figure is widely documented but we could not check it against an official page, so treat it as approximate. Exporting at 800 px square gives you room, and keeps the face sharp when the app scales it down.
Do I upload a circle or a square?
A square. Networks that show a circle cut the corners off for you. This tool crops a square and shows the circle on top so you can see what survives. Exporting a circular PNG with transparent corners would only add file size.
What is the Bluesky avatar size limit?
Bluesky avatars must be PNG or JPEG and at most 1,000,000 bytes, per the public profile lexicon. The tool measures the exported file and warns when it is over, so you can lower the quality or pick a smaller size.
Why does my profile picture look blurry?
Usually the original is small and was enlarged. If the area you cropped is narrower than the output size, the tool warns you and tells you how much it was enlarged. Pick a smaller output size, zoom out, or start from a larger photo.
Should I use JPEG or PNG for an avatar?
JPEG is smaller for photos and is what most people want. PNG is better for logos, flat colours and text. If a network has a file size limit, start with JPEG at around 85 to 90 and watch the size readout.
How is this different from the image resizer?
The Social Media Image Resizer resizes pictures to post and cover placements. This tool does one job: a square, circle safe avatar with zoom and pan and a per network preview. Use the resizer for post images and the banner checker for headers.