The Right Video Sizes for TikTok, Reels, YouTube and Facebook (2026 Guide)
Posting a video in the wrong size means black bars, a cropped face or caption, and lower reach. Every platform has a preferred format, but the rule is simple: vertical for short-form, horizontal for YouTube.
Quick size chart
- TikTok: 9:16 at 1080×1920.
- Instagram Reels: 9:16 at 1080×1920.
- YouTube Shorts: 9:16 at 1080×1920.
- Instagram & Facebook Stories: 9:16 at 1080×1920.
- Regular Facebook / Instagram post: 4:5 at 1080×1350 (takes more screen space than a square).
- Square post: 1:1 at 1080×1080.
- Standard YouTube: 16:9 at 1920×1080.
Why 9:16 matters most
Most views now come from phones, and phones are held upright. A vertical video fills the whole screen, viewers stay longer, and that watch time is exactly what the algorithms reward.
I have a horizontal video — how do I make it 9:16?
There are three ways, all available in the Resize Video tool:
- Blurred background (usually best): the whole video stays in the middle and the empty space is filled with a blurred copy of it. Looks professional and nothing is cut off.
- Crop to fill: fills the screen but trims the sides. Good when your subject is centered.
- Black bars: the simplest, but the least appealing.
The safe zone: keep the edges clear
On TikTok and Reels, the like and comment buttons and the caption cover part of the screen. Keep roughly the bottom 15% and the right 10% free of important text and logos.
Length and file size
- Open with your strongest shot — the first three seconds decide whether people keep watching. Cut slow intros with Trim Video.
- File too big and slow to upload? Use Compress Video at 1080p or 720p — on a phone screen the difference is barely visible.
The bottom line
Shoot vertically whenever you can. If you already have a horizontal clip, turn it into 9:16 with a blurred background in a minute and post it everywhere.