Resize image for Facebook Cover Photo (851×315)
Facebook displays profile cover photos at 851×315 pixels on desktop. Uploading at exactly this size prevents Facebook's auto-cropping and keeps your design pixel-sharp.
A Facebook cover photo displays at 851×315 pixels on desktop. The mobile app shows a narrower, taller crop of roughly 640×360 taken from the centre, which means the left and right ends of a desktop-perfect cover are simply not present on phones. Designing to the overlap of those two rectangles is what makes a cover work on both. Upload as PNG rather than JPEG when the cover contains text or a logo — Facebook's re-encode is noticeably harsh on flat colour and thin type, and PNG survives it better. Keep the profile picture in mind too: it overlaps the lower-left corner on desktop and sits centred above the cover on mobile, so that region is unusable in both layouts for different reasons. A centred composition with generous margins is the only approach that reliably survives.
Drop an image to resize to 851×315
JPG or PNG
Why does my Facebook cover look wrong on mobile?
Facebook has used several cover dimensions over the years — 820×312 and 851×315 both circulate in older guides — and the current desktop render is 851×315. Rather than resizing your upload to fit each surface, Facebook crops it: desktop shows the full 851-pixel width at 315 pixels tall, while mobile shows a region about 640 pixels wide and 360 pixels tall, which is both narrower and proportionally taller. Overlaying the two, the region guaranteed visible everywhere is roughly the central 640×315. Content outside that band appears on desktop only. Facebook also re-encodes uploads as JPEG and applies its own compression; the effect is most visible on flat colour fields and thin text, where banding and softening appear. Uploading at exactly 851×315 avoids adding a server-side downscale on top of that compression.
Where the profile picture and page controls land
On a personal profile the profile photo overlaps the lower-left corner of the cover on desktop, occupying roughly the first 180 pixels of width and extending above the cover's bottom edge. On mobile the profile photo moves to the centre and sits over the lower-middle of the cropped region. Page layouts differ again: business Pages place the profile image to the left with the page name and action buttons below rather than on top of the cover. The consequence is that the bottom band of the cover is unreliable across layouts, so text sitting near the bottom edge is likely to be covered on at least one of them. Facebook also renders covers with slightly rounded corners in some surfaces, so a design with content flush to the corners will appear clipped.
A layout that holds on desktop and mobile
Treat the central 640×315 as the design area and the outer 105 pixels on each side as bleed. Keep headline text horizontally centred and vertically in the upper two-thirds, which avoids both the profile photo overlap at the bottom-left and the mobile profile photo at the bottom-centre. If the cover is photographic, position the subject slightly above centre for the same reason. Avoid fine typography — Facebook's JPEG re-encode softens thin strokes, so a medium or bold weight at a reasonable size reproduces far better than a light weight set small. When the cover is promoting something time-limited, remember it is one of the few page elements a visitor sees before scrolling, so a single clear message outperforms a dense composition. Finally, check the result on a phone after uploading; the mobile crop is the one most designs fail.
Facebook Cover tip: keep key content off the edges
On mobile, Facebook crops the cover to a roughly 640×360 central area, hiding the leftmost and rightmost ~100 pixels. Keep important text centered.
Facebook Cover size FAQ
Is it 851×315 or 820×312?
- Both have been published at different times. 851×315 is the current desktop render and is what this preset targets.
Why is my cover cut off on my phone?
- The mobile app takes a narrower centre crop of roughly 640 pixels wide. Content near the left and right ends is desktop-only.
Where does the profile picture overlap?
- Lower-left on desktop and lower-centre on mobile. Because it moves, keep the bottom band of the cover free of text.
Do Pages and personal profiles use the same size?
- The cover dimensions are the same, but Pages place the name and action buttons below the cover rather than over it, so the overlap differs.
Can I upload a video cover?
- Pages support video covers, but those use a different 1080×608 recommendation. This preset is for static cover photos.
Why does my text look fuzzy after uploading?
- Facebook re-encodes covers as JPEG. Thin type suffers most — use a medium or bold weight at a larger size.
Should I use PNG or JPG?
- JPG for photographic covers. PNG is worth trying for flat-colour designs with text, though Facebook may still convert it.
Does the resize happen on your servers?
- No. Your image is processed on a canvas in your browser and never uploaded to us.
Cover photo visibility by surface
| Surface | Visible region | Obstruction |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop profile | 851 × 315 | Profile photo, lower left |
| Mobile app | ~640 × 360 centre crop | Profile photo, lower centre |
| Business Page | 851 × 315 | Name and buttons below cover |
| Guaranteed safe | ~640 × 315 centre | Bottom band unreliable |
Design inside the central 640 pixels; treat the outer 105 pixels each side as desktop-only bleed.
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References: Facebook Help Center cover photo display dimensions; desktop and mobile crop behaviour verified against the Facebook web and iOS clients.