Guide
Video format for Reels, TikTok and Shorts
All three platforms use the same basic vertical format. Get it right once and the same clip works on all three.
9:16 aspect ratio, vertical
Reels, TikTok and Shorts are made for a phone held upright. The ratio is 9:16: nine wide by sixteen tall. Horizontal video (16:9) shows up small, with bars, and loses impact in the feed.
Resolution: 1080 × 1920
This is the resolution all three platforms recommend for vertical video. Lower can look blurry on good screens; higher does not improve the picture in the app and only makes the file bigger.
Safe zone
The interface covers parts of the video: profile, description and music at the bottom, like and comment buttons on the right. Keep faces, text and captions in the central area of the frame.
Length
Length limits change often and differ between platforms. Check the current limit before posting longer videos. For clips, what matters more is how long the idea needs.
Converting horizontal video
Simply cropping the center of a horizontal video works when the person stands still in the middle. In conversations, interviews or on stage, the speaker drifts out of frame. The right way is framing that follows the face of whoever is speaking throughout the video.