Facebook Cover Photo Size Guide 2026 — Exact Dimensions & Safe Zones
Facebook cover photos display differently on desktop and mobile — and the profile picture blocks part of the lower-left corner. Design without understanding these constraints and your text lands behind a circle avatar or disappears entirely on phone screens. This guide gives you the exact dimensions, the mobile crop zone, the profile picture overlap area, and the design rules that make a cover photo look right everywhere.
Facebook Cover Photo — Quick Specs
Desktop display size
851 × 315 px
Mobile crop
640 × 360 px
Recommended upload
851 × 315 px
Recommended format
PNG (text/logos)
Target file size
Under 100 KB
Profile pic overlap
Bottom-left corner
The Correct Size: 851×315px for Desktop
Facebook displays cover photos at 851×315 pixels on desktop browsers. This is the size your cover will appear at maximum resolution when a visitor views your profile or Page on a laptop or desktop computer. This dimension has been stable for several years and remains the standard for 2026.
You can upload images larger than 851×315px and Facebook will scale them down. Some designers upload at 1702×630px (double resolution) for sharper rendering on retina displays. This works well — Facebook handles the scaling cleanly. However, uploading at exactly 851×315px is sufficient for the vast majority of viewers.
The minimum upload size Facebook accepts without stretching is 400×150px, but any image this small will appear visibly soft on modern displays. Always design at 851×315px or larger.
For file format, PNG is recommended when your cover contains text, a logo, or bold graphic design — PNG preserves sharp edges without the blocky artifacts JPG compression introduces. Use JPG for purely photographic covers without text or overlays. Facebook re-compresses all uploads, so starting with a high-quality source file is important.
The Mobile Crop: What Gets Cut on Phones
On mobile devices, Facebook does not show the full 851px width of your cover photo. Instead, it displays a 640×360px crop centered on your image. This means approximately 106 pixels are cut from each side of the left and right edges.
The height also changes: desktop shows 315px of height, while mobile shows 360px — meaning mobile actually shows more vertical content than desktop. This can catch designers off guard. Content near the bottom of the image that was below the desktop crop may become visible on mobile.
| Context | Visible size | Side crop |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop browser | 851 × 315 px | None — full width shown |
| Mobile (iOS / Android) | 640 × 360 px | ~106px cut from each side |
| Facebook Pages (desktop) | 851 × 315 px | Same as profile desktop |
| Facebook Groups (desktop) | 851 × 315 px | Same as profile desktop |
The practical rule: keep all important content — especially text — within the center 640px of the 851px-wide cover. Anything in the outer 106px on each side may be hidden on mobile. This center region is your safe zone for text and logos.
Profile Picture Overlap: The Hidden Danger Zone
One of the most common Facebook cover design mistakes is placing text or important visuals in the bottom-left corner — exactly where the profile picture sits.
For personal profiles, the profile picture displays as a circle approximately 170×170 pixels in size on desktop, positioned in the bottom-left area of the cover. The exact overlap depends on the profile type:
Personal Profile
Profile circle (~170px) overlaps bottom-left of cover
Most significant overlap — avoid bottom-left entirely
Facebook Page
Page profile picture (~170px) overlaps bottom-left of cover
Similar to personal profile — same avoidance rule applies
Facebook Group
Group cover image displayed without profile circle overlap
Full 851×315px area is usable without blocking concern
As a practical rule: treat the bottom-left 200×200px of your cover as a no-text zone. Place nothing important there. The profile picture will obscure it on virtually every device and display context.
Safe Zone: Where to Place Your Important Content
Combining the mobile crop and profile picture overlap, the truly safe area for text and critical visuals on a Facebook cover is:
- Horizontally: within the center 640px of the 851px width (leaving 106px clear on each side)
- Vertically: above the bottom 200px to avoid profile picture overlap
- Combined: a roughly 640×115px safe strip in the upper-center portion of the cover
This sounds restrictive, but most effective Facebook cover designs are simple — a clear background color, a centered channel name or tagline, and a consistent color palette. The cover is not meant to be an information poster. It is a brand impression that tells visitors at a glance what your profile or Page is about.
Design Tips for an Effective Facebook Cover
Keep your message to one line
315px is not tall — add mobile crop differences and profile picture overlap and you have very little vertical space for text. One bold tagline or business name, centered in the safe zone, is more effective than trying to pack in multiple lines of information. If you need to communicate more, use the About section of your profile or Page instead.
Use consistent brand colors
Your Facebook cover is one of the first visual impressions visitors get of your brand. Using the same colors, fonts, and style as your other brand assets — website, YouTube channel, Instagram — creates a cohesive identity that signals professionalism and builds recognition.
Test the mobile view before publishing
After uploading your cover, immediately check how it looks on a mobile phone by visiting your profile on your phone. Facebook's desktop uploader does not always give an accurate mobile preview. If text is cut off or the profile picture overlaps important content, adjust the design and re-upload.
Avoid heavy text over photos
Facebook compresses uploaded images, which degrades text rendered over photos. Text on a solid or gradient background compresses much better than text on a complex photographic background. If you must overlay text on a photo, add a semi-transparent background behind the text to improve legibility and reduce compression degradation.
Coordinate your cover with your profile picture
Many brands design their cover and profile picture as a unified visual — a background that "connects" to the profile picture, or a color palette that makes both images look like part of the same set. This creates a polished, intentional first impression rather than two unrelated images side by side.
Common Facebook Cover Photo Mistakes
- Putting your business name in the bottom-left corner. The profile picture sits directly over this area. Your channel name or logo will be partially or fully obscured on most device sizes. Center your key content in the upper portion of the safe zone.
- Designing only for desktop without testing mobile. A cover that looks perfect at 851×315px on desktop can lose 106px from each side on mobile. Text that reads clearly on desktop may be cut in half on a phone. Always verify mobile appearance immediately after uploading.
- Uploading a heavily compressed JPG. Facebook re-compresses your upload. If you start with a JPG already compressed to reduce file size, the result after Facebook's compression pass is a visibly degraded image with blocky artifacts. Start with PNG or a high-quality JPG.
- Using a vertical or square image. A 1:1 or portrait-format image uploaded as a cover will be stretched or cropped into the 851×315px aspect ratio. Always create your cover at the correct horizontal dimensions from the start.
- Ignoring the Groups cover difference. Facebook Group covers do not have profile picture overlap. If you use the same template for a Page and a Group, you may be leaving empty space in the bottom-left of your Group cover where the profile circle was going to be.
How to Create a Facebook Cover Photo for Free
The fastest way to create a cover at exactly the right dimensions — with safe zone and profile picture overlap guides visible — is to use a browser-based tool. No download, no account, no subscription required.
- Open the Facebook Cover Maker — pre-set to 851×315px with mobile safe zone overlay
- Choose a background color, gradient, or upload a photo
- Add your name, tagline, or logo inside the center safe zone
- Avoid the bottom-left corner (profile picture zone)
- Preview the mobile crop to confirm nothing important is cut
- Download as PNG — upload directly to Facebook
Free browser-based tool — no account required
Make Facebook Cover Free →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the correct Facebook cover photo size in 2026?
851×315 pixels is the correct Facebook cover photo size for desktop display in 2026. On mobile, the cover is cropped to 640×360 pixels. Upload at 851×315px and keep important content centered within the 640px-wide safe zone.
How does a Facebook cover photo look on mobile?
On mobile, Facebook crops the cover to 640×360 pixels, cutting approximately 106px from each side of the 851px-wide image. Keep all text and important visuals within the center 640px to ensure they remain visible on phones.
Where does the profile picture overlap on a Facebook cover?
The profile picture (approximately 170×170px circle on desktop) overlaps the bottom-left corner of the cover photo on personal profiles and Pages. Avoid placing text or logos in the bottom-left 200×200px area to prevent them from being obscured.
What file size should a Facebook cover photo be?
Keep your cover photo under 100KB where possible to reduce Facebook's re-compression. Upload a clean PNG or high-quality JPG — Facebook compresses all uploads, and starting with a pre-compressed file results in double-compression artifacts.
Should I use PNG or JPG for a Facebook cover photo?
Use PNG for covers containing text, logos, or flat graphic elements — PNG preserves sharp edges. Use JPG for purely photographic covers. Facebook converts all images internally, so start with the highest quality source.
How do I update my Facebook cover photo?
Go to your Facebook profile or Page, hover over the existing cover photo, and click the camera icon or "Update Cover Photo" button. Choose "Upload Photo," select your 851×315px image, reposition if needed, then click Save Changes.
Related Tools
- Facebook Cover Maker — 851×315px with safe zone guides
- Instagram Post Maker — 1080×1080px square posts
- Twitter Header Maker — 1500×500px profile banner
- YouTube Banner Maker — 2560×1440px channel art
- Twitter Header Size Guide — 1500×500px specs explained
Written by Alex Kim
Alex Kim is an indie developer and content creator who built ClickThumb after years of fighting clunky design tools to make thumbnails every week. He writes about thumbnail design, YouTube CTR, and the exact image sizes every platform expects — based on what actually moves the needle for creators, not design theory. More about Alex →