Instagram Pictures Get Bigger, Sharper With New Support For 1080 x 1080 High-Resolution Images For iPhone, Android

Instagram has made the jump to high-definition images. The photo-sharing social network will now support pictures in 1080 x 1080 pixel format -- a drastic increase from the previous 640 x 640 pixel standard. If you aren't a super techie, this simply means the photos you and your friends share are going to look even better than before.

Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger announced the change Monday over Twitter, saying the higher-quality images will be visible on the Apple iOS and Android versions of Instagram.

Instagram's previous 640 x 640 size worked when smartphones were much smaller -- 2011's iPhone 4s had just a 3.5-inch screen, for example. Over time though, smartphone screens have gotten larger. The latest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens respectively, and they are now at the point where the resolution doesn't take advantage of the high-quality screens many users have. By supporting higher resolution 1080 x 1080 photos, Instagram is rectifying that issue.

Instagram began rolling out its picture quality improvements last week, the company told The Verge. Instagram users should begin seeing high-resolution images without having to download an update for their app. For now, however, the improvement will be restricted to phones. According to a company release, "Right now we are focused on mobile, with no plans to share on Web."