What aspect ratio do Shorts, TikTok and Reels use?
In short: The shape of a video, written as width:height. Shorts, TikTok and Reels use 9:16 vertical video.
Aspect ratio is the relationship between a video's width and height. A standard YouTube video is 16:9 (wide). Shorts, TikToks and Reels are 9:16 (tall), usually exported at 1080 × 1920 pixels. Square 1:1 and 4:5 portrait are common for feed posts.
Turning a wide video into a vertical one means cropping most of the frame or adding bars. AI clipping tools automate this by tracking the speaker and keeping them in frame.
Example
Say you crop a 1920 × 1080 (16:9) video to 9:16. The vertical slice is 608 × 1080 pixels, about 32% of the original width, and scaling it up to 1080 × 1920 makes it look softer. Record in 4K (3840 × 2160) instead, and the same crop is 1215 × 2160, sharp enough to export at 1080 × 1920 without upscaling. For a 4:5 Instagram feed post from the same footage, export at 1080 × 1350.
Tips for creators
- Film upright from the start when the video is meant for Shorts, TikTok or Reels. Cropping a wide shot later throws away resolution and framing.
- Crop to fill works for one speaker near the center. For two people or wide action, fit the frame with bars and use the empty space for a title or captions.
- A 16:9 upload counts as a regular video on YouTube, not a Short. Shorts must be square or vertical and up to 3 minutes long.
Common questions
Can a YouTube Short be square?
Yes. YouTube says videos up to 3 minutes long with a square or vertical aspect ratio can be classified as Shorts. Vertical 9:16 fills the phone screen, so it is the usual choice, but a 1:1 video still counts as a Short.
What aspect ratio should Instagram Reels be?
Meta's developer documentation recommends 9:16 for Reels to avoid cropping or blank space, with video up to 1920 pixels wide. In practice that means exporting at 1080 × 1920, the same file you would use for Shorts and TikTok.
Go deeper
Aspect ratio and crop calculatorRead →How long can YouTube Shorts be?Read →Related terms
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All 29 glossary terms · Reviewed on 2026-11-05.