Why Does Instagram Decrease Photo Quality? Tips to Improve Your Uploads

Preface

Have you ever shared an amazing photo on Instagram only to discover that something looked strange after posting? If so, you may be confused about “Why does Instagram reduce the quality of your images?” like many other Instagram users. Let’s take a closer look and determine the cause of this problem.

Why Does Instagram Decrease Photo Quality?

Like many other social media networks, Instagram reduces the size of images to ensure faster loading times. This technology improves the user experience and the performance of the platform while leading to a significant reduction in image quality. Here are 7 specific reasons:

1. Compression Algorithms: Instagram uses complex compression algorithms to reduce the size of image files. Some information is removed by these algorithms. This reduces compression and removes detail. It does compromise the quality of the image, but it is necessary to make the application responsive and fast.

2. Resolution Limits: Instagram places a maximum limit on the resolution of its images. Instagram resizes and compresses your photos to suit these limits automatically when you submit ones that the platform cannot accept. The quality may be greatly impacted by this downsizing.

3. Aspect Ratio Adjustment: Photos can be cropped or resized to fit the Instagram standard display ratios, from 1.91:1 to 4:5. This adjustment can make the image unclear and unusual, especially if the aspect ratio of the original image is significantly different.

4. File Format Conversion: For consistency and performance, Instagram typically converts photos to JPEG. JPEG is a lossy format. The conversion process can worsen the image quality if you upload a PNG file or other file format.

5. Server-side Compression: Additional server-side compression is applied to the image after upload. This automatic process reduces the image quality by optimizing upload and storage efficiency.

6. Network Optimization: Instagram adapts images to different network conditions through mobile network optimization. Instagram may serve lower quality images to help images load faster when viewing them slowly. This adaptive strategy helps maintain a flawless user experience, but image quality may be affected.

7. Metadata Stripping: Instagram removes data from photos to protect your privacy and reduce file size. Charts and color profiles are two important details found in this metadata. This can affect the display of your images. Removing this data may result in color and color inconsistencies.

How to Fix Image Quality Issues

Now that we know why your Instagram image quality has decreased, let’s look at some practical ways to fix these issues.

1. Increase Resolution of Your Photo

Upload an image that is the same resolution as Instagram’s recommended resolution so that Instagram doesn’t compress the image too much. 1080px wide is the ideal size for Instagram images. Adjusting the width of your image to this width before uploading will reduce the amount of additional compression required.

► Detailed instructions:

1. Open the image in an editor like GIMP or Photoshop.

2. Keep the aspect ratio at 1080px while resizing the image.

3. Save in a high-quality format before uploading your image to Instagram (JPEG is preferred).

2. Use Appropriate Aspect Ratio.

Make sure your image adheres to Instagram’s recommended aspect ratio to avoid unwanted scaling or cropping. The range of allowed aspect ratios is 1.91:1 to 4:5.

► Detailed instructions:

1. Use the editing tool to crop the image according to this aspect ratio.

2. Double-check the final size to make sure you meet Instagram’s requirements.

3. Save the image and upload it without changing it.

3. Save in High Quality

Use the highest quality setting when saving the image to retain as much detail as possible. This may be part of the damage in quality caused by Instagram compression.

► Detailed instructions:

1. Select the "Save As" option in the photo editor.

2. Select the JPEG format and move the quality slide as much as possible.

3. Save the image and upload it to Instagram.

4. Remove Heavy Filters.

Instagram's basic filters can sometimes lose image quality. For more control over the results, edit your image using an external editor instead of these filters.

► Detailed instructions:

1. Use a high-quality photo editor to enhance your image.

2. Set small dimensions in color matching and brightness.

3. Save the changed image and post it to Instagram without using other filters.

5. Reduce the File Size Carefully

To reduce the image file size, use a tool that can precisely control the compression level. Compared to Instagram's automatic compression, this will help you retain more details.

► Detailed instructions:

1. Open your computer's photo editor.

2. With the "Export" or "Save to Web" option, you can manually change the compression rate.

3. Save the minimum compression and upload your image to Instagram.

6. Desktop Photo Editing

For some mobile photo editing apps, the quality is lacking in desktop programs. Edit your images with a desktop computer for more precise quality control.

► Detailed instructions:

1. Transfer the image file to your desktop computer.

2. Enhance and save your image with a professional editor.

3. You can revert the edited image on your smartphone and post it on Instagram.

7. Allowed High-quality Uploads

To reduce the compression used in the image, make sure that the "Upload high quality" setting of the Instagram app is enabled

► Detailed instructions:

1. Open the app and go to your Instagram profile.

2. Click the menu icon to select "Settings".

3. Select "Account" and select "Data Usage".

4. Turn on the "High-Quality Uploads" function.

8. Check the Network Status

With the network optimization to ensure that Instagram does not produce low-quality images, you can upload your images when you have a reliable and efficient internet connection

► Detailed instructions:

1. Make sure that you can trust the available Wi-Fi network.

2. Avoid uploading when the network is congested.

3. Make sure that your internet speed is suitable for high-quality uploads before uploading.

Bonus Tip: Download Photos and Videos from Instagram to the Local or Cloud

This article addresses the question "Why does Instagram decrease photo quality?" If you’re considering downloading Instagram images, videos, reels, stories, and highlights, MultCloud can be extremely useful. Trusted by over 3 million users, MultCloud is a multi-cloud management tool that facilitates the transfer or synchronization of files between various cloud services. The process is quite simple. Just copy the Instagram URL of the desired content, paste it into MultCloud's input field, and download it in high quality.

For instance, you can save Instagram content to your computer or cloud drives, such as Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox. MultCloud also enables you to transfer files between two different cloud services, like Dropbox to Google Drive. it supports more than 30 different cloud services, including Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, Google Photos, iCloud Photos, FTP, WebDAV, and more.

Conclusion

Understanding why does Instagram decrease photo quality and using these beneficial fixes will help you greatly improve the appearance of your images in the app. These tips will help you maintain the clarity and vibrancy of your images to ensure they stand out in your Instagram feed.