Vertical Video Safe Zone Calculator (9:16)
Find out which parts of a 1080 × 1920 frame TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts cover with buttons, captions and title bars, and get one safe box that works on all three
Canvas & Platform
Enter values from 100 to 8192 px
Preview on your own frame
1,080 × 1,920 px
Optional. The file opens on your device only and is never uploaded.
TikTok buttons: below 840 px, keep content left of 780 px.
This is not a 9:16 frame. Platforms crop or zoom such videos, so these values are only scaled proportionally.
Zone values last updated on October 7, 2026 from each platform's published ad guidance. Layouts can change at any time. These are estimates based on published ad templates, not a guarantee for organic posts; platforms change their apps without notice, so always test a draft in the app on your phone.
All Platforms at a Glance
| Platform | Top | Bottom | Left | Right |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 240 | 660 | 120 | 120 |
| Instagram Reels | 269 | 672 | 65 | 65 |
| YouTube Shorts | 288 | 672 | 48 | 192 |
| All three platforms (universal) | 288 | 672 | 120 | 192 |
Pixels on a 1080 × 1920 frame; other sizes scale proportionally
How to use this tool
- Choose a canvas size (1080 × 1920 is recommended) or enter a custom width and height from 100 to 8192 px.
- Pick TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts or All three to see which edges each app covers.
- Optionally load an image to see the zones drawn over it.
- Read the safe box values, download the overlay as a PNG, or copy the result.
Worked example
For a 1080 × 1920 frame the All three option uses the largest margin of each side: 288 px at the top, 672 px at the bottom, 120 px on the left and 192 px on the right. That leaves a safe box of 768 × 960 px starting at X 120, Y 288, which is 35.6% of the frame. On a 720 × 1280 canvas every margin scales by 2/3, giving a 512 × 640 px box at X 80, Y 192. The numbers come from the platforms' published advertising guidance, not from official guidance for organic posts, and app layouts change with caption length and app updates, so treat the box as a conservative margin rather than a pixel-exact map.
Methodology
None of the three platforms publishes safe-zone numbers for organic posts. The only official figures sit in their advertising guidance, so this tool uses those as a conservative margin for every vertical video. Real layouts shift with caption length, app version and screen shape, so treat the result as a margin, not a pixel-exact map.
Safe boxes by platform and canvas size
Here is what the tool returns for the common 9:16 sizes. The first four rows are a 1080 × 1920 frame; the last two show the “All three” box on smaller and larger canvases.
| Platform | Canvas (px) | Margins top / bottom / left / right (px) | Safe box (px) | Share of frame |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 1080 × 1920 | 240 / 660 / 120 / 120 | 840 × 1020 | 41.3% |
| Instagram Reels | 1080 × 1920 | 269 / 672 / 65 / 65 | 950 × 979 | 44.9% |
| YouTube Shorts | 1080 × 1920 | 288 / 672 / 48 / 192 | 840 × 960 | 38.9% |
| All three | 1080 × 1920 | 288 / 672 / 120 / 192 | 768 × 960 | 35.6% |
| All three | 720 × 1280 | 192 / 448 / 80 / 128 | 512 × 640 | 35.6% |
| All three | 2160 × 3840 | 576 / 1344 / 240 / 384 | 1536 × 1920 | 35.6% |
Read each row as: keep faces, captions and logos inside the safe box. “All three” always takes the largest margin per side, so it is the safest choice if you post the same file everywhere, at the cost of using about a third of the frame. The share stays at 35.6% on any 9:16 canvas because margins scale with width ÷ 1080 and height ÷ 1920. TikTok also has a 300 px button column on the right from y = 840 (1080 × 1920), so keep content left of x = 780 below that line. The margins come from the platforms' published ad guidance, not organic-post rules, and apps change; test a draft on your phone.
Gear for Cleaner Vertical Videos
Audio, light and a steady phone setup for creators filming in 9:16
DJI Mic Mini Wireless Lavalier Microphone (2 Transmitters + Receiver + Charging Case)
Two ultralight transmitters and a receiver with a charging case, built for clean voice audio on a phone or camera, with noise canceling and automatic limiting.
UBeesize 12-Inch LED Ring Light with 62-Inch (1.57 m) Tripod Stand, Phone Holder and Remote
Dimmable ring light with a phone holder, remote and 62-inch stand, so your face is evenly lit inside the safe zone.
EUCOS 62-Inch (1.57 m) Phone Tripod with Remote and Selfie Stick
Extendable phone stand with a remote shutter, to lock your 9:16 framing and keep faces and text inside the safe box.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the safe zones for TikTok, Reels and Shorts on a 1080 × 1920 video? ▼
Based on each platform's ad guidance: TikTok keeps 240 px top, 660 px bottom and 120 px per side clear; Instagram Reels keeps 269 px top, 672 px bottom and 65 px per side; YouTube Shorts keeps 288 px top, 672 px bottom, 48 px left and 192 px right.
Can one safe zone work for TikTok, Reels and Shorts at the same time? ▼
Yes: keep everything between X 120 and 888 and between Y 288 and 1248, a 768 × 960 px box. TikTok also stacks buttons on the right below 840 px, so in that lower half keep content left of 780 px.
Do these numbers apply to organic posts or only to ads? ▼
TikTok, Meta and Google publish pixel guidance only for ads. Normal posts show the same kind of interface (name, caption, sound and a button column), so the ad figures work as a safe margin for both, but none of the three guarantees them for organic content.
Is my image uploaded when I preview it? ▼
No. Your browser opens the file through a temporary local link and draws it on your device; nothing is sent to a server, and closing the tab discards it.