Aspect ratios for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, explained
4 min read · Updated
TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are built for tall, vertical video. Here is what the common ratios mean and how to reframe footage that wasn’t shot for them.
The common ratios
An aspect ratio is the width relative to the height.
- 9:16 is full-screen vertical, usually 1080×1920 pixels. It is the standard for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
- 4:5 is a taller-than-wide portrait used in feeds.
- 1:1 is square.
- 16:9 is standard landscape, like most cameras and monitors.
Why landscape footage is a problem
Cutting a 16:9 frame down to 9:16 keeps only about a third of the width. If the subject moves, or two people sit apart, a fixed centre crop can cut someone out.
Two ways to reframe
Crop (fill): zoom in so the frame is filled, choosing where to centre it. Fit: keep the whole picture, scale it down and fill the space around it with a blurred copy or a solid colour. Crop is more immersive; fit is safer when everything in the frame matters.
Mind the safe area
Apps cover parts of the screen with buttons, names and descriptions. Keep text and faces away from the very top, the bottom and the right edge.
Export at a proper size
Aim for a full 1080×1920 frame for vertical. Making a small video bigger can’t add detail that isn’t there, so start from the best-quality footage you have.
Quick reference
Typical full-resolution sizes for each ratio:
- 9:16 vertical: 1080 × 1920
- 4:5 portrait: 1080 × 1350
- 1:1 square: 1080 × 1080
- 16:9 landscape: 1920 × 1080
A rule of thumb for safe areas
Keep important text and faces out of roughly the top tenth and the bottom fifth of a vertical frame, and leave a margin on the right edge where buttons sit. Platforms redesign their interfaces, so treat this as a starting point and check a real post on your own phone.
Common mistakes
The usual problems when reframing:
- Cropping so tightly that the subject leaves the frame when they move
- Stretching a video to fill the screen, which distorts faces
- Posting a letterboxed landscape video as vertical, leaving small picture and large empty bars
- Burning captions in a spot the app’s interface will cover