Guidelines for Sizing and Designing an AMAZING Facebook Cover Photo
Facebook cover photos display at roughly 820×312 px on desktop and crop to roughly 640×360 px on mobile. Upload at least 820×312 px — ideally larger — and keep important elements centered to avoid mobile cropping.
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Why cover photo dimensions matter
The cover photo slot renders differently on desktop versus mobile. If you ignore that, your logo or CTA can get cropped out on phones — where the majority of Facebook browsing happens.
Getting the dimensions right once saves you from re-uploading every time you notice something looks off on mobile.
Facebook Cover Photo Aspect Ratio (2026)
Facebook’s documented display dimensions for cover photos are approximately:
- Desktop: ~820 × 312 px displayed
- Mobile: ~640 × 360 px displayed (the sides get cropped)
Meta recommends uploading at least 820 × 312 px, but uploading larger — something like 1640 × 624 px (2×) — helps on high-DPI screens and gives Facebook more to work with when cropping for mobile. The minimum upload is 400 × 150 px, but anything near that minimum will look soft.
Safe zone tip: Keep your most important text and visuals in the central ~560 × 312 px area. That roughly covers what’s visible on both desktop and mobile without cropping.
Facebook will prompt you to reposition the image after upload. Use that drag-to-reposition step to make sure critical elements land in the safe zone.
Note: Meta occasionally adjusts these numbers without a public announcement. Canva and Adobe Express both maintain live “Facebook Cover” templates that track current specs — using one of those templates is the easiest way to stay correct (verify current).
Facebook Cover Video
Facebook Pages can use a cover video instead of a static photo. Requirements as of early 2026:
- Dimensions: minimum 820 × 312 px (same as photo)
- Duration: 20–90 seconds
- File format: MP4 or MOV
- File size: under 1.75 GB
- Upload from desktop; Facebook will ask you to choose a thumbnail frame
For video creation, tools like Canva, Adobe Express, and CapCut all export at correct Facebook cover dimensions. Biteable (shown above) is another option with cover video templates, though check their current pricing tier before committing — their free plan has changed over the years.
Cover video best practices:
- Keep key visuals centered (same safe zone as photos)
- Start and end smoothly — Facebook loops the video
- Use captions if your video has spoken content; most mobile users scroll with sound off
- Render at the highest resolution you can — compression will happen on upload
How to Create a Facebook Cover Photo in Canva
Canva is the most practical tool for non-designers. The workflow:
- Go to canva.com and search “Facebook Cover” — it loads a template at the correct dimensions automatically
- Pick a template or start from scratch
- Drop in your logo, brand colors, and a short tagline
- Export as PNG (highest quality) and upload to Facebook
After signing up on Canva, click “Create a design” and search for “Facebook Cover.”
Canva’s editor opens with the correct canvas size. Free templates, drag-and-drop elements, and your own uploaded images all work here.
Upload an image from your computer — drag and drop it directly onto the canvas.
Canva’s element library includes backgrounds, shapes, icons, and text presets. Match your brand palette.
When done, click “Share → Download” and choose PNG for photos or MP4 for video covers.
Facebook’s cover photo policies
When uploading, Meta requires you to:
- Only use images you have rights to use (no stock photos without a license)
- Avoid deceptive or misleading imagery
- Not encourage people to upload your cover photo to their own timelines
Design Best Practices for 2026
Text: keep it minimal
Facebook’s old “20% text rule” for ads is gone, but the principle still holds — covers with too much text look cluttered on mobile. A short tagline and your URL is enough. Let the visuals do the work.
Profile picture overlap
Your profile picture sits in the bottom-left of the cover photo area. On desktop it overlaps roughly a 176 × 176 px circle. Design your cover with that zone in mind — don’t put important text there.
Point toward action buttons
Facebook Pages have action buttons (Book Now, Shop, Message) directly below the cover photo. A subtle visual cue — an arrow, a product shot angled toward the button area — can increase click-through without looking forced.
Mobile-first cropping
Because mobile crops the sides, always preview your cover on a phone after uploading. Facebook’s repositioning tool lets you adjust after the fact if something looks off.
Profile vs. personal page
For personal profiles, the cover photo still uses the same rough dimensions, but the profile picture placement differs slightly from a Page. The safe zone advice applies equally.
Keep it updated
A stale cover from 2021 signals neglect. A seasonal refresh — quarterly, or around a product launch — keeps the page looking active.
Free image sources
- Pexels — free, high-quality stock
- Unsplash — broad library
- Check out my free stock photo sites roundup for more options
Cover photo examples
Example: Learning English Essentials — uses an iPad image with an arrow pointing to the “Sign Up” button below the cover area. Classic CTA-directing technique.
Example: The Space In Between with Sara Brooke — book covers, matching color palette, tagline. All the brand signals a reader needs in one glance.
Example: Easil — animated cover video that demonstrates the product in action. Works well for SaaS or creative tools.
Facebook Cover Photo — 2026 FAQ
What is the correct Facebook cover photo size in 2026?
Facebook displays cover photos at approximately 820 × 312 px on desktop and crops them to roughly 640 × 360 px on mobile. Upload at 820 × 312 px minimum; a 2× size (around 1640 × 624 px) is better for sharp rendering on high-DPI screens. Verify current specs in Canva’s “Facebook Cover” template, which Meta keeps updated.
Does my profile picture block part of the cover photo?
Yes. On a Facebook Page, the profile picture sits in the lower-left corner and overlaps the cover area. Keep important content away from roughly the bottom-left 200 × 200 px zone to avoid it being obscured.
Can I use a video as my Facebook cover?
Yes — Facebook Pages support cover videos between 20 and 90 seconds, in MP4 or MOV format, at a minimum of 820 × 312 px. The video loops automatically. Upload from desktop and select a thumbnail frame when prompted.
What tool is easiest for making a Facebook cover photo?
Canva is the most practical choice for non-designers. It has a pre-sized “Facebook Cover” template that automatically matches the required dimensions, free templates, and one-click PNG export. Adobe Express is a solid alternative if you’re already in the Adobe ecosystem.
Related reading:
This guide is part of alejandrorioja.com — written by Alejandro Rioja, who now builds AI agent systems for founders. Including the agent that keeps this site current. How it works →
Updated for May 2026
A few things have shifted since this post first went up. Meta dropped the legacy “Page” verification track in 2024 and folded it into Meta Verified ($14.99–$19.99/mo depending on tier and country) — the blue check is now a subscription, not a one-time review. Friend-request flows still work as described, though Meta moved the bulk-cancel UI deeper into mobile settings; the desktop m.facebook.com/friends/center/requests/outgoing route still works (2026-04 spot check).
Worth knowing in 2026: ~3.07B Facebook MAU (Meta Q4 2025 earnings), but the share of time-on-platform relative to Reels and WhatsApp has continued sliding. If this post is part of an outreach strategy, weight WhatsApp and Threads (yes — Threads survived the 2024 pivot speculation and crossed 200M MAU) accordingly.
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