Video dimensions and aspect ratios for short-form (2026)
One vertical export covers almost every platform. Here are the exact dimensions, safe zones, and the settings that keep your clips sharp.
Short-form specs at a glance (2026)
| Platform | Aspect ratio | Resolution | Max length |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 3 minutes |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 3 minutes |
| TikTok | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 10 minutes |
| LinkedIn (vertical) | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 10 minutes |
| Facebook Reels | 9:16 | 1080x1920 | 90 seconds |
The one ratio that covers almost everything
For short-form video, 9:16 at 1080x1920 is the standard. YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and TikTok all take it natively, so a single vertical export usually serves every platform. Unless you have a specific reason to do otherwise, master your clips at 1080x1920 and you will rarely need to re-export per platform.
Mind the safe zones
Each app overlays its own UI — captions, usernames, buttons, the progress bar — on top of your video. Keep important content (faces, captions, key text) away from the very top and bottom ~15% and the right edge, where those elements sit. Content that looks centered in your editor can end up half-hidden behind a Subscribe button in the app.
Upload the highest quality the platform accepts
Every platform re-compresses your upload, so give it the cleanest source you can. Export at 1080x1920, a high bitrate (8–12 Mbps for 1080p is plenty), H.264 or H.265, and let the platform downscale if it needs to. Uploading an already-compressed or low-bitrate file just stacks compression artifacts.
Don't stretch — reframe
Turning a 16:9 video into 9:16 by stretching distorts faces; adding black bars wastes two-thirds of the screen. The right move is to reframe: crop into the action and follow the speaker, so the vertical frame is filled with the part of the shot that matters. This is exactly the problem AI reframe solves automatically.
FAQ
Is 9:16 the same as 1080x1920?
9:16 is the aspect ratio (shape); 1080x1920 is a specific resolution with that shape. 1080x1920 is the standard resolution for 9:16 short-form video and is what you should export.
Can I post a square or horizontal video as a Short or Reel?
You can, but it wastes screen space and usually underperforms. Vertical 9:16 fills the phone screen and is what these feeds are designed around. Reframe horizontal footage to vertical instead of posting it letterboxed.
What frame rate should short-form video be?
Match your source — 30fps is standard and universally supported; 60fps is fine for motion-heavy clips. Avoid changing frame rate unnecessarily, as conversions can introduce judder.