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How to make a square image for Instagram on a Mac
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
To make a square Instagram image on a Mac, select your photos and run Resize › Instagram square (1080×1080) in FileDial, which saves a JPG filled around the subject with metadata removed. For a plain centred crop use Resize › Square crop 1:1, or Smart crop 1:1 to follow the subject.
Square is a ratio, not just a size
A square image has an aspect ratio of 1:1. Wikipedia notes it is popular on social media such as Instagram, and it was the classic format of many medium-format cameras. Making a photo square either crops it, losing some of the picture, or pads it, adding bars. Which one you want depends on the photo.
Instagram's 1080 by 1080 pixel square is the commonly used size, and it is what FileDial's preset produces.
Choose the right tool
Three tools make a square, and they differ in how they deal with the content that does not fit.
- Resize › Instagram square (1080×1080): JPG filled around the subject, metadata removed.
- Resize › Smart crop 1:1: crops around the subject Vision finds, new copy.
- Resize › Square crop 1:1: new copy beside the original, a straight crop.
- Resize › Instagram portrait 4:5 (1080×1350) and Resize › Story 9:16 (1080×1920): the other common sizes, same filling behaviour.
Steps in FileDial
Select a batch of photos and run the preset. FileDial reports the result on a card and saves new files beside the originals, with Undo if the framing is wrong. The preset also removes metadata, which is a useful side effect when you post location-rich photos.
- Select the photos in Finder.
- Hold the right Option key to open the dial, or right-click and choose Open in FileDial.
- Choose Resize, then release on Resize › Instagram square (1080×1080).
- Open the JPGs it writes and check that the subject is placed well.
- If a picture is framed badly, redo it with Resize › Smart crop 1:1 or crop by hand with Adjust › Crop and rotate…
Preview and built-in options
Preview can do a manual square crop: drag a selection with the Rectangular Selection tool while holding Shift to constrain it to a square if your version supports it, then choose Tools > Crop. Then choose Tools > Adjust Size to set 1080 by 1080, with Scale proportionally on. Apple's Preview guide describes the Adjust Size dialog. This is fine for one image.
On a feed of nine photos, repeating that is tedious, and you need to remember to remove location data yourself.
Fill versus crop
The Instagram presets say JPG filled around the subject, which is different from a hard crop. In practice, that means the tool aims to keep the subject in the frame and fill the leftover space, rather than lopping off whatever is outside a centred square. For photos with an off-centre subject, this gives a better result than a plain Square crop 1:1.
Still look at your results at full size. Group photos, wide landscapes and pictures with several points of interest may not suit a square at all. In those cases a 4:5 portrait crop, which the Instagram portrait preset produces at 1080 by 1350, shows more of the picture while taking up more of the feed.
For a consistent feed, choose one treatment and apply it to the whole batch. Mixing hard crops, filled squares and portraits is what makes a grid look untidy.
- Off-centre subject: Smart crop 1:1 or the Instagram square preset.
- Wide landscape: consider 4:5 or a carousel split.
- Consistent feed: one treatment per batch.
Mistakes to avoid
Do not square a panorama and expect it to look good: it loses most of its width. Use the carousel split instead, which cuts a wide panorama into 4:5 slides. Do not forget the platform limits either. Platforms change sizes and compression from time to time, so treat 1080 pixels as a good common size rather than a guarantee.
For one image, Preview with a manual crop and Adjust Size is fine. FileDial is better for a batch, for a grid split, and when you want metadata removed automatically. Also look at the whole feed together. A mixture of squares, portraits and stories looks inconsistent, so pick a treatment, run the batch, and review the results side by side before you post.
Grid posts and carousels
If you plan a profile grid, FileDial has Share › Instagram grid 1×3, 2×3 and 3×3, which cut one picture into square tiles in a new folder. It notes that you should post from the highest number down. For a wide panorama across a carousel, Share › Instagram carousel split cuts 4:5 slides at 1080×1350.
All of this runs on your Mac, nothing is uploaded, and it works offline.
Questions
What size is an Instagram square image?
The commonly used size is 1080 by 1080 pixels, a 1:1 ratio. FileDial's Resize › Instagram square (1080×1080) produces a JPG at that size, filled around the subject and with metadata removed. The 1080 by 1080 square is the commonly used size, but platforms change limits, so check their help pages for exact rules.
Will the square crop cut off my subject?
A plain Square crop 1:1 cuts from a fixed position. Smart crop 1:1 uses the subject Vision finds to decide what to keep, which helps. Always glance at the results, and fix any misframed image by hand with Adjust › Crop and rotate…
Does the Instagram preset remove location?
FileDial describes the Instagram square preset as producing a JPG filled around the subject with metadata removed. That includes location data. If you use a different crop tool instead, run Privacy › Remove location separately. Smart crop depends on what Vision finds, so groups and wide scenes with no single subject may still need manual framing.
Can I split one image into a 3 by 3 grid?
Yes. Share › Instagram grid 3×3 makes square tiles in a new folder. FileDial notes you should post from the highest number down, so the grid appears in the right order on your profile. Tiles land in a new folder, and FileDial notes you should upload from the highest number down so the grid reads correctly.