TikTok Slideshow Size, Limits and Safe Zones (2026 Cheat Sheet)
TikTok and Instagram photo post specs checked on official pages: 35 vs 20 images, 9:16 vs 4:5, file limits, safe zones and text sizes.
By the SlideBase team · November 4, 2026 · 8 min read
A TikTok slideshow can hold up to 35 photos. TikTok does not publish a required aspect ratio for photo posts, so the two sizes that work are 1080 × 1920 (9:16, full screen) and 1080 × 1350 (4:5, which leaves room for TikTok’s buttons and caption and also fits Instagram). If you post through TikTok’s API, images must be JPEG or WebP, at most 1080p and 20 MB each. Instagram carousels take up to 20 items, between 4:5 and 1.91:1, with a 1440-pixel maximum width. Every figure below was checked on TikTok’s and Meta’s official pages in November 2026, with links at the end. SlideBase, which we make, sizes slides for both platforms automatically; this page is the cheat sheet either way.
The cheat sheet
| Spec | TikTok photo post | Instagram carousel |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum images per post | 35 (in the app and via the API) | 20 photos and videos (Help Center and publishing API) |
| Minimum images | 1 (2 or more makes it a slideshow) | 2 for a carousel |
| Aspect ratio | Not published; 9:16 fills the screen, 4:5 is safe | Between 1.91:1 and 4:5 keeps full resolution; others are cropped |
| Recommended pixels | 1080 × 1920 or 1080 × 1350 | 1080 × 1350 or 1440 × 1800 |
| Maximum resolution | 1080p via the API | 1440 px wide (larger is scaled down); 320 px minimum |
| File format | JPEG or WebP via the API | JPEG only via the API |
| Maximum file size | 20 MB per image via the API | 8 MB per image via the API |
| Title | 90 characters | None |
| Caption | 4,000 characters | 2,200 characters |
| Hashtags | No separate cap; counts toward the caption | 5 per post (rolled out from December 2025) |
| Mixed shapes in one post | Allowed, looks messy | All items cropped to match the first |
“Via the API” matters. TikTok and Meta publish strict file rules for apps that post on your behalf (schedulers, including SlideBase). The in-app upload limits for file size are not documented for TikTok, and the apps compress whatever you upload anyway. If you post by hand, the practical rule is: export JPEGs at the recommended pixel size, under a few megabytes each, and you will never hit a limit.
How many photos can a TikTok slideshow have?
Thirty-five, according to TikTok’s support page on making a post and the Content Posting API reference, which accepts “up to 35” photo URLs per post. You may see claims online of more; we found no official source for them.
For app promotion, the maximum is irrelevant. Six to eight slides is the range that works for an app deck: a hook, two or three slides of problem, one or two of payoff, and the app. Every slide beyond that is another chance for the viewer to leave before reaching your app. Our walkthrough of how to make a TikTok slideshow has a seven-slide template.
9:16 or 4:5 for TikTok?
Both work. The difference is what sits on top of your slide.
- 9:16 (1080 × 1920) fills the whole phone screen. It looks immersive, but TikTok’s interface then sits on top of your image: the like, comment, share and profile buttons down the right, and your username, caption and sound along the bottom. Text in those areas gets covered.
- 4:5 (1080 × 1350) leaves space above and below the image, so the interface mostly sits outside your slide. You lose some screen, but every word stays visible, and the same file works as an Instagram carousel.
We default to 4:5 for both platforms for exactly that reason. When SlideBase posts a deck to TikTok or Instagram, it sends a 4:5 version; a deck designed at 9:16 is re-typeset at 4:5 rather than cropped, so text is not cut off. If you want the full-screen look on TikTok, design at 9:16 and respect the safe zones below.
Safe zones for 9:16 slides
TikTok does not publish safe zones for photo posts, and the interface differs a little between phones and app versions. These are the working margins we use on a 1080 × 1920 canvas. They are our guidance, not an official spec:
| Edge | Keep text out of | What sits there |
|---|---|---|
| Top | About 160 px | Following / For You tabs, status bar |
| Bottom | About 480 px | Username, title, caption, sound, the slide dots |
| Right | About 160 px | Profile, like, comment, save and share buttons |
| Left | About 60 px | Nothing, but text against the edge is hard to read |
That leaves a text area of roughly 860 × 1280 pixels, a little above centre. Put the hook in the top half of that area. Decorative images can run full bleed; words should not.
On a 4:5 slide the same logic applies more gently: keep the bottom 10 to 12% free of important text, because the slide dots and, on Instagram, the caption preview sit just below it, and some phones overlap them.
Instagram carousel sizes
Instagram’s Help Center says photos keep their full resolution when the aspect ratio is between 1.91:1 (landscape) and 4:5 (portrait), and Meta’s API reference gives the same range with widths from 320 to 1440 pixels. Outside that range, Instagram crops. In practice:
- Use 4:5. 1080 × 1350 is standard; 1440 × 1800 is the sharpest Instagram will keep. It is the tallest shape the feed shows uncropped, so it takes the most screen.
- Do not upload 9:16 to the feed. It is outside the supported range and will be cropped, usually cutting the top and bottom of your text.
- Make every slide the same size. Meta’s publishing docs say carousel images are cropped based on the first image. One odd slide drags the rest.
- Mind the grid. Your profile grid shows a cropped preview of slide 1. Since Instagram moved the grid to taller rectangular thumbnails, a centred hook on a 4:5 slide survives the crop; text near the top or bottom edge may not.
The rest of the Instagram plan, from account setup to measuring installs, is in how to promote your app on Instagram, and the Instagram carousel generator page shows decks at these sizes.
Real slides at these sizes
Two slides from decks SlideBase generated, both at 4:5. Notice where the text sits.
Text sizes that stay readable
Pixel dimensions do not help if the text is too small to read on a phone held at arm’s length. On a 1080-pixel-wide slide, these are the sizes we work with:
| Element | Size on a 1080 px wide slide | Words per slide |
|---|---|---|
| Hook (slide 1) | 80 to 110 px, bold | 6 to 12 |
| Slide headline | 56 to 72 px | 4 to 10 |
| Body text | 36 to 48 px | 15 to 30 |
| Source or footnote | 24 to 30 px | One line |
At 1440 pixels wide, multiply by about 1.33. Keep contrast high (dark text on light, or white text over a darkened photo) since many people scroll with low screen brightness.
Export settings
- Format: JPEG. It is the one format both platforms’ APIs accept. PNG is fine for posting by hand, but the files are larger for no visible gain on photos.
- Quality: 80 to 90%. A 1080 × 1350 slide at that setting is usually well under 1 MB, far below the 8 MB and 20 MB API limits.
- Colour: sRGB. Meta converts other colour spaces, which can shift your brand colours.
- Naming: 01.jpg, 02.jpg and so on, so they stay in order when you select them on your phone.
Skip the resizing
If you post the same deck to TikTok and Instagram every day, resizing and checking safe zones by hand gets old fast. SlideBase generates decks from your App Store, Google Play or website link (hook, slide text, caption and five hashtags, laid out in your brand colours) and handles the sizing: posting to TikTok or Instagram sends a 4:5 version, re-typeset rather than cropped, and Instagram carousels are capped at 10 slides inside SlideBase today. You can also download the slides as JPEGs or a ZIP. Publishing and scheduling go through the official TikTok and Instagram APIs (see the scheduler). Credits are spent per slide, about six for a six-slide post; Starter is $29 a month, and Pro and Ultra include a 3-day trial. Compare plans, see the slideshow generator, or create an account.
Once the size is right, the words decide the result. Our slideshow strategy guide and content ideas for apps cover what to put on the slides, and the caption templates cover what goes underneath.
Sources (checked November 2026)
- TikTok Support: Making a post (up to 35 photos)
- TikTok for Developers: Photo post reference (35 images, 90-character title, 4,000-character description)
- TikTok for Developers: Media transfer guide (JPEG or WebP, 1080p maximum, 20 MB per image)
- Instagram Help Center: Share a post with multiple photos or videos (up to 20)
- Instagram Help Center: Image resolution of photos you share (1.91:1 to 4:5)
- Meta for Developers: IG User Media reference (JPEG, 8 MB, 4:5 to 1.91:1, 320 to 1440 px, 20 carousel items, 2,200-character caption)
- Meta for Developers: Content publishing (carousel cropped to the first image)
- Social Media Today: Instagram’s five-hashtag limit (December 2025)
FAQ
What size should a TikTok slideshow be?
1080 × 1920 pixels (9:16) for full screen, or 1080 × 1350 (4:5) if you want all text clear of TikTok’s buttons and caption and plan to reuse the slides on Instagram. TikTok does not publish a required ratio for photo posts, so pick one and keep every slide in the deck the same.
What is the TikTok photo carousel limit?
Up to 35 photos per post, per TikTok’s support page and API reference. Apps posting through the API also need JPEG or WebP files, no larger than 1080p and 20 MB each.
Can I use the same slides for TikTok and Instagram?
Yes, if they are 4:5. Instagram does not keep 9:16 images uncropped in the feed, while TikTok shows 4:5 slides fine. Designing at 1080 × 1350 once is the simplest way to cover both.
Why are my TikTok slideshow photos blurry?
Usually because the source images were small and got scaled up, or were compressed twice (exported at low quality, then compressed again by the app). Export at 1080 pixels wide or more, JPEG quality 80 to 90%, and upload the original files rather than screenshots of them.
How many slides can an Instagram carousel have?
Twenty, according to Instagram’s Help Center and Meta’s publishing API documentation. Some older Instagram help pages still say ten, which was the earlier limit. Scheduling tools may set their own caps; SlideBase currently allows up to 10 slides per Instagram post.