Safe Pixel Size to Fit Facebook Cover Photo on Mobile and Desktop screens
If your Facebook page cover not working or showing as intended, then you can follow this guide about the FB page cover size safe zone.
This is ultimate Facebook page cover (banner) size guide according to the new Facebook page experience. You can learn the functional and proper resolution size as well as the dimensions of safe and unsafe zone on mobile and computer screens.
Definition of Safe Zone of Facebook Cover
I define Facebook Cover Safe Zone as the portion of the FB banner image which always displays whether a user open your Facebook page on a mobile phone or desktop computer. In other words, the safe zone is never cropped out on any device.
Which is the optimal Size and Aspect Ratio for a Facebook Cover?
During my original research, I concluded that a Facebook cover must be designed in a 16:9 aspect ratio. So, following this recommendation, you can create a Facebook cover image in literally any dimensions, including the popular 1280 x 720 px, 1600 x 900 px, and 1920 x 1080 pixels - all options have a 16:9 ratio.
What Exactly is the Safe Zone of FB Cover?
The yellow-colored area shown in the picture (below) is the safest zone in a Facebook page cover because it is visible on all devices including mobile phone and desktop. I have created this FB cover template guide according to the size of page cover in Facebook New Page Experience.
On desktop display, the upper portion and the bottom portion of Facebook page cover will be cropped out or hidden.
However, on mobile phone, the upper and bottom portions will be visible, but the Facebook profile picture will hide some portion on the bottom left corner.
For your own experience, you can open your Facebook page on desktop and mobile devices and verify this information.
This is the reason that I always place most important elements on this safest area of Facebook page cover because it is visible on both mobile and computer screens.
Exact Safe Zone in Pixels for a Facebook Cover
So, what are the exact pixel size dimensions for FB page cover safe zone?
The height of hidden area on desktop screens is 166 pixels each on top and bottom of the Facebook cover photo.
The height of the safest area on center zone of Facebook page cover is 592 pixels.
The height dimension of the area which is hidden by profile picture on mobile is 508 pixels. Its circle diameter is 686 pixels (as shown in video demo).
Important Note:
Please remember that these safe pixel sizes will only work if you design a Facebook cover photo in 1640 x 924 pixel resolution.
However, if you prefer to design Facebook cover photo in 1920 x 1080 pixel, you can consult this article for the exact height of hidden area on desktop screens in pixels.
How to Calculate the Exact Pixels of Cover Image?
While designing a Facebook cover, just place on overlay image (or a shape) and drag it to measure the pixels. For demo of measuring exact pixels, you can watch this video on YouTube.
As another easy method, just download the above image, and place it over your own image (as overlay) in your design software such as Canva or Photoshop. Reduce the opacity of this image and then match it with your own image.
I offer reasonable price for our services to design an awesome cover photo in perfect resolution for your Facebook page.
FAQs
These are some frequently asked questions about the safe area size for Facebook cover photo.
Why some portion of Facebook cover is hidden?
Please note that there is no “one size fits all” solution for FB page cover. In other words, there is not a single standard image size for FB page cover which fits well on both mobile and desktop at the same time. It is because Facebook containers of cover photos are different for mobile and desktop screens. For example, on mobile screens, your profile picture overlay covers a large portion of the Facebook cover.
Which are ideal dimensions for a Facebook cover?
In my opinion, 1640 x 924 pixels (width x height) is the best size dimensions for Facebook cover because it will not blur on retina and larger screens, even if you use a JPG format. Additionally, your FB background cover will perfectly fit on all mobile phones.
Can I use a YouTube thumbnail for my Facebook cover photo?
Is this technical jargon of pixels is difficult for you to understand?
As an easy alternative, you can use any thumbnail image of a YouTube video as cover photo for your Facebook. Because, a YouTube thumbnail is created in 1280 x 720 pixels (having 16:9 ratio), therefore, it will fit well as a Facebook cover. The only thing to remember is that, do not put important elements on the upper and lower edges of the image.
Why you recommend an unpopular size?
I know that in other copy pasted online resources, you see other recommendations including “851 pixels wide and 315 pixels tall” and “820 pixels wide by 312 pixels tall” but in my own tests, these are not correct sizes because these lack the 16:9 aspect ratio as recommended by Facebook. In an other article, I have explained the popular wrong FB cover sizes.
I have recommended these correct sizes (16:9 aspect ratio and 1640 x 924) after my original thorough work on the Facebook cover photo.
How can I Test your Recommended Size?
To verify my recommendation, you can check my Facebook cover designs, download any image and then upload it on your own Facebook page. You will see that it perfectly fits on mobile and PC.
Will this size work for Facebook background cover for a personal account?
Yes. This size and aspect ratio recommendation (16:9 aspect ratio and 1640 x 924), works perfect for cover/banner image of both Facebook personal account profile as well as for cover photo of any Facebook business page.
What is Facebook cover photo size in CM and Inches?
The recommended Facebook cover is 1640 x 924 pixels. It is equal to 17 x 9.6 (width x height) inches. If you prefer to design FB cover in centimeter then it is 43.3 cm wide and 24.4 cm tall. In millimeters, the dimensions are 433 x 244 mm.
I hope you have learned something new from this guide. Thanks for reading.
More Resources
Check these helpful resources.
YouTube banner best size guideline.
Price of custom Facebook Cover Design service.
Best Favicon Size: Recommended by Google, Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy.
Best Video Resolution and Export Settings for Upload on YouTube.
Wrong Logo Size Hurts Website Speed and thus SEO.
Check our cost for designing a Unique Logo.
Method to Correctly Link Social Media URLs to Facebook.
