Key takeaways
- Post photos at 1280 or 2560 pixels on the longest side: Telegram stores each photo in boxes up to 1280 and 2560 pixels.
- A photo can be at most 10 MB, with width plus height at most 10,000 pixels and a shape no more extreme than 20:1.
- A channel or group photo is a square shown as a circle; Telegram keeps it at 160×160 and 640×640, so upload at least 640×640.
- Up to 10 photos and videos can go out as one album, with a caption of up to 1,024 characters.
- To keep every pixel, send the image as a file instead of a photo; Telegram then does not recompress it.
On this page
What size should a Telegram post image be?
Upload images 1280 or 2560 pixels on their longest side. Telegram does not show your original file in a chat: its servers store each photo as a set of resized copies, each fitting inside a square box, and apps show the copy that fits the screen. Telegram’s developer documentation lists those boxes (read 4 November 2026):
| Size type | Fits inside | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| s | 100 × 100 px | Small thumbnails |
| m | 320 × 320 px | Chat-list and reply previews |
| x | 800 × 800 px | Feed view on most phones |
| y | 1280 × 1280 px | Full-screen view |
| w | 2560 × 2560 px | The largest copy, for high-resolution screens |
What are Telegram’s photo limits?
Telegram’s Bot API, which scheduling tools publish through, sets these limits for a photo post (read 4 November 2026):
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Photo file size | Up to 10 MB uploaded, 5 MB when sent by link |
| Photo dimensions | Width plus height at most 10,000 pixels |
| Photo shape | Width-to-height ratio at most 20:1 |
| Album | 2 to 10 photos and videos in one message |
| Caption on a photo | Up to 1,024 characters |
| Text-only message | Up to 4,096 characters |
| Files sent as documents | Up to 50 MB |
What size should a Telegram channel photo be?
A square image of at least 640 × 640 pixels. Telegram shows a channel, group or profile photo as a circle and keeps it at two sizes, 160 × 160 and 640 × 640, according to the Bot API’s ChatPhoto object. Keep the logo or face in the centre so the circle does not cut it, and leave a margin around text.
How do you post a Telegram image without losing quality?
Telegram recompresses photos to keep chats fast. Three ways to keep detail:
Upload at a stored size
Export at 1280 or 2560 pixels on the longest side, so Telegram does not scale it twice.
Use JPEG or PNG under 10 MB
Save photos as high-quality JPEG; use PNG for text, screenshots and graphics with sharp edges.
Send a file for exact pixels
Send the image as a document (a file) to keep it untouched, up to 50 MB; it then shows as a file with a preview instead of an inline photo.
How do you schedule Telegram image posts?
In SkedCast, connect your Telegram channel through a bot you create with Telegram’s @BotFather and add as an admin, then schedule photos, albums of up to 10 images, videos, GIFs or documents like any other post. Images can be JPEG or PNG up to 10 MB, and SkedCast checks each file against Telegram’s limits when you schedule. A post can be sent silently, protected from forwarding and saving, formatted with Markdown or HTML, and followed by a first comment. Size images for every network with the image resizer, compare platforms in social media image sizes, and see Telegram scheduling for everything else.
Sources
FAQ
- What size should a Telegram post image be?
- 1280 or 2560 pixels on the longest side, as a JPEG or PNG under 10 MB. Telegram stores photos in boxes up to 1280 and 2560 pixels, so larger images are scaled down.
- What is the Telegram photo size limit?
- Up to 10 MB uploaded (5 MB when sent by link), with width plus height at most 10,000 pixels and a ratio no more than 20:1.
- What size should a Telegram channel photo be?
- A square of at least 640×640 pixels. Telegram shows it as a circle and stores it at 160×160 and 640×640.
- Does Telegram compress images?
- Yes, photos are recompressed and resized. To keep the original pixels, send the image as a file instead, up to 50 MB.
- How many images can one Telegram post have?
- Up to 10 photos and videos in one album, with one caption of up to 1,024 characters.
- Can I schedule Telegram image posts?
- Yes. SkedCast schedules Telegram photos, albums, videos, GIFs and documents to channels and groups, with silent sending, content protection and a first comment.