All X (Twitter) header dimensions
Verified on 2026-08-10 against X Help Centre — how to customise your profile . Platforms revise these regularly — if another page does not say when it last checked, treat its numbers with suspicion.
| Use | Size | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile header | 1500×500 | 3:1 | the profile photo overlaps the lower left |
| In-stream image (16:9) | 1600×900 | 16:9 | shown uncropped in the timeline |
| Summary card image | 1200×628 | 300:157 | — |
| Square post image | 1200×1200 | 1:1 | centre-cropped to 16:9 in the timeline preview |
| Profile photo | 400×400 | 1:1 | displayed as a circle |
Platform limits
| Constraint | Value |
|---|---|
| File size limit | 5 MB for images, 15 MB for GIFs |
| Accepted formats | JPG, PNG, WebP and GIF |
| Header ratio | 3:1 |
| Timeline preview | Images are cropped to roughly 16:9 until tapped |
Why these numbers
Two separate cropping behaviours matter on this platform, and they cause different problems.
The header is 1500 × 500, a 3:1 strip across the top of your profile. Your profile photo sits over its lower-left corner in a circle, and on narrow screens the header is cropped at the sides as well. The visible band is therefore the centre-right of the image, and a logo placed bottom-left will be behind your own avatar. This is the same trap as LinkedIn's banner, with different numbers.
The behaviour that surprises people more is what happens to images in posts. The timeline does not show your image at its natural shape — it shows a preview cropped to roughly 16:9, centred, and the full image appears only when someone taps it. Post a tall image and the timeline shows a horizontal band from the middle of it. Post a screenshot of text and the top and bottom lines vanish from the preview.
The consequence is practical: whatever must be visible without a tap belongs in the horizontal middle of the image. If you are posting a chart, a quote or a screenshot, composing it at 16:9 from the start means the preview and the full image are the same thing, and nothing is hidden behind a tap that most people will not make.
1600 × 900 is the size to use for in-stream images. It is 16:9, comfortably above what the timeline renders, and well within the 5 MB limit for any sensible JPEG.
X re-encodes uploads, and its compression is noticeably aggressive on images containing text. PNG survives it better than JPEG for screenshots and graphics, which is one of the few places on any platform where uploading a PNG is genuinely the better choice.
Verified on the date shown; this platform has changed both its name and its specifications more than once in recent years.
Frequently asked questions
What size is an X or Twitter header?
1500 × 500 pixels, a 3:1 ratio. Your profile photo overlaps the lower-left corner and narrow screens crop the sides, so keep anything that needs to be read in the centre-right of the image rather than in a corner.
Why is my posted image cropped in the timeline?
Because the timeline shows a preview cropped to roughly 16:9, centred, and reveals the full image only when someone taps it. Tall images lose their top and bottom in the preview. Composing at 16:9 from the start means the preview and the real image are identical.
What size should a post image be?
1600 × 900 — 16:9, matching the timeline preview, so nothing is hidden. It is comfortably above the rendered size and well within the 5 MB limit. Square images work but are centre-cropped in the preview, which loses the top and bottom.
Should I upload PNG or JPG?
PNG for screenshots, charts and anything containing text. X compresses uploads aggressively and JPEG puts visible halos around sharp text edges, so PNG survives noticeably better. JPG is fine for photographs and produces much smaller files.
Why does part of my header disappear on mobile?
The header is cropped horizontally on narrower screens — it keeps the height and trims the sides. There is no way to control how much, since it depends on the device width, so treat the outer thirds of the image as decorative.