We all know that first impressions matter. That's why your Facebook cover photo size is very important. This is your Facebook header – the banner that runs across the top of your profile, before you even get to your profile picture.

Understanding the various Facebook image sizes associated with your cover photo is something of a low-key superpower for any social media manager.

As we write this guide in 2024, the recommended Facebook cover photo size is 820 x 312 pixels for desktop computers. Sorted, right?

Unfortunately not. Remember, most people aren't looking at your cover photo on a desktop computer these days. It's important to get the size of those Facebook cover photos right for phones and other mobile devices, too. That way, it'll look good for anyone who's viewing it.

For mobile devices, Facebook displays cover photos at 640 x 360 pixels. The sides get cropped a bit on phones.

So, let's do the math. Basically, if you want to make sure your image looks great everywhere, use 820 x 360 pixels. This size fits both desktop and mobile views.

Oh, and there are some other things to bear in mind too. Use a PNG or JPG file format and keep the file to a reasonable size. That means it will load quickly.

Your circle profile picture will overlap part of the cover photo on the left side. So don't put anything important in that space.

Getting the balance right, so your cover photo on both mobile and desktop is optimized, isn't always easy – but it's possible.

The trick here is to target the “safe zone” in the center of your image and ensure all important information stays in that area. After all, it's this zone that will show up on all devices, so that's where the focus should be.

Of course, the Facebook cover photo size does change occasionally (just to keep us on our toes) so it’s a good idea to check the latest image size guidelines when you're creating a new Facebook cover photo.

This guide shows you how to nail perfect Facebook cover photos, whether you're an individual looking for work or a corporation creating a Facebook business page.

In this guide: