Guide
9:16 aspect ratio means 9 wide for every 16 tall
Updated
9:16 is the vertical video shape: 9 units wide for every 16 units tall. At full HD that is 1080 by 1920 pixels, the size TikTok, Reels and Shorts fill from edge to edge.
In short
- 9:16 aspect ratio is a vertical frame: 9 units wide for every 16 units tall.
- The standard 9:16 size is 1080 x 1920 pixels. 720 x 1280 and 2160 x 3840 are 9:16 too.
- TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts use 9:16, so the video fills the whole phone screen.
- 16:9 is the same shape turned on its side. It is the wide format of TVs and regular YouTube videos.
- The apps put buttons and captions over the top and bottom of a 9:16 video, so keep text in the middle.
- The standard 9:16 size in pixels
- 1080 x 1920
- The width as a share of the height
- 56.25%
- The same frame, turned on its side
- 16:9
What does 9:16 mean?
An aspect ratio is always written width first, then height. So 9:16 is tall and 16:9 is wide.
- 9:16 is 9 wide and 16 tall. It is the vertical shape made for phones.
- 16:9 is 16 wide and 9 tall. It is the horizontal shape of TVs, laptops and regular YouTube videos.
- The two are the same rectangle. Turn a 16:9 frame 90 degrees and you get 9:16.
- As a number, 9 divided by 16 is 0.5625. The width is 56.25% of the height, at any resolution.
9:16 sizes in pixels
The ratio is the shape. The resolution is how many pixels fill that shape.
- To check a size, divide the width by the height. If you get 0.5625, the video is 9:16.
- TikTok asks for 9:16 ads of at least 540 x 960 pixels, and 1080 x 1920 is the usual size.
- Instagram asks for Reels of at least 720 pixels and 30 frames a second.
Common 9:16 sizes
All three are exactly 9:16. TikTok and Instagram minimums from their own help pages, 21 September 2026.
| Name | Width x height | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 720p | 720 x 1280 | Smaller files, less detail |
| 1080p (full HD) | 1080 x 1920 | TikTok, Reels and Shorts |
| 4K | 2160 x 3840 | The most detail, the biggest files |
Name: 720p
- Width x height
- 720 x 1280
- Good for
- Smaller files, less detail
Name: 1080p (full HD)
- Width x height
- 1080 x 1920
- Good for
- TikTok, Reels and Shorts
Name: 4K
- Width x height
- 2160 x 3840
- Good for
- The most detail, the biggest files
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
Where is 9:16 used?
9:16 is the shape of full-screen video on a phone held upright.
Where 9:16 video is used
From TikTok's ad specs, Meta's Reels ad specs and YouTube's Shorts help page, read 21 September 2026.
| Where | Shape | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 9:16 | TikTok recommends 9:16 for in-feed ads |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16 | Reels ads are 9:16 at 1080 x 1920 |
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16 or square | Shorts can be up to 3 minutes long |
| Instagram and Facebook Stories | 9:16 | Full screen, like Reels |
| Regular YouTube videos | 16:9 | A 9:16 video plays with wide bars on both sides |
Where: TikTok
- Shape
- 9:16
- Good to know
- TikTok recommends 9:16 for in-feed ads
Where: Instagram Reels
- Shape
- 9:16
- Good to know
- Reels ads are 9:16 at 1080 x 1920
Where: YouTube Shorts
- Shape
- 9:16 or square
- Good to know
- Shorts can be up to 3 minutes long
Where: Instagram and Facebook Stories
- Shape
- 9:16
- Good to know
- Full screen, like Reels
Where: Regular YouTube videos
- Shape
- 16:9
- Good to know
- A 9:16 video plays with wide bars on both sides
9:16 vs 16:9, 4:5 and 1:1
Only 9:16 fills an upright phone screen from edge to edge. Every other shape leaves part of the screen empty.
- 4:5 is a portrait shape for feed posts on Instagram and Facebook. Full screen, it fills about 70% of the height.
- 1:1 is square. It works almost everywhere, but full screen it leaves about 44% of the height empty.
- 16:9 is wide. On an upright phone it fills only about a third of the screen.
- When a full-screen player gets another shape, it either adds empty bars or zooms in and cuts off the edges.
- Cropping a 16:9 video to 9:16 keeps only about a third of its width.
How much of a 1080 x 1920 screen each shape fills
Each shape shown at the full 1080-pixel width. The rest of the screen is empty bars.
- 9:16 vertical100%
- 4:5 portrait70%
- 1:1 square56%
- 16:9 horizontal32%
How to make a video 9:16
Film with the phone upright, or set the ratio in your editor before you export.
- On a phone, hold it upright when you record. The camera then films a vertical video.
- In CapCut, click Ratio and choose 9:16. CapCut also offers 1:1, 16:9 and other shapes.
- Export at 1080 x 1920 pixels for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
- If you only have a horizontal video, crop it to 9:16 and move the frame so the person or product stays in view.
Safe zones: what the apps cover on a 9:16 video
TikTok, Reels and Shorts put buttons, names and captions on top of your video. These are pixels on a 1080 x 1920 video, and all are approximate.
- The middle 900 x 1,280 pixels is clear on all three apps. Keep text, faces and products inside it.
- Reels covers the most at the bottom, about 420 pixels, so captions placed low get hidden there.
- TikTok's like, comment and share buttons sit on the right, so a logo in that corner gets covered.
- The apps change their layout now and then, so look at your video on a phone before you post it.
What each app covers, in pixels
Close estimates on a 1080 x 1920 video. The layouts differ between app versions and ad formats.
| App | Top | Bottom | Left | Right |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | ~108 | ~320 | ~60 | ~120 |
| Instagram Reels | ~220 | ~420 | 0 | 0 |
| YouTube Shorts | ~120 | ~360 | 0 | 0 |
App: TikTok
- Top
- ~108
- Bottom
- ~320
- Left
- ~60
- Right
- ~120
App: Instagram Reels
- Top
- ~220
- Bottom
- ~420
- Left
- 0
- Right
- 0
App: YouTube Shorts
- Top
- ~120
- Bottom
- ~360
- Left
- 0
- Right
- 0
Where Cutroom fits
Cutroom edits vertical ads, and every video it exports is 9:16.
- You upload one video of yourself talking, up to 3 minutes long.
- Cutroom adds captions timed to your voice, puts b-roll on the words you pick and, on the Punch and Native styles, shortens the pauses.
- You get a finished 9:16 MP4 for TikTok, Reels or Shorts. It does not make 16:9, square or 4:5 versions.
- Cutroom's free safe zone checker at /tools/safe-zone-checker shows what each app covers on your own video.
- Your first video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it. It carries a Cutroom mark; Lite at $19.99 a month removes it.
Questions people ask
- Is 9:16 the same as 1080x1920?
- Yes. 1080 x 1920 pixels is the standard 9:16 size. 720 x 1280 and 2160 x 3840 are 9:16 too; they just have fewer or more pixels.
- Is 9:16 vertical or horizontal?
- Vertical. The width comes first, so 9:16 is 9 wide and 16 tall. 16:9 is the horizontal version, like a TV screen.
- What aspect ratio do TikTok, Reels and Shorts use?
- 9:16, usually at 1080 x 1920 pixels. All three fill the phone screen with this shape. YouTube Shorts also accepts square videos.
- Does 9:16 work on YouTube?
- Yes, as a Short. YouTube treats vertical and square videos up to 3 minutes long as Shorts. Longer 9:16 videos play in the normal player, with wide bars on both sides.
- Is 4:5 the same as 9:16?
- No. 4:5 is a portrait shape for feed posts, and it is wider than 9:16. In a full-screen player it fills about 70% of the screen, with bars above and below.
- How do I change a video to 9:16?
- Set the ratio in your editor and export again. In CapCut, click Ratio and choose 9:16. A horizontal video loses about two thirds of its width when you crop it to 9:16.
Film one video of yourself talking and get a finished 9:16 video back. Your first video is free.