The standard vertical video dimensions for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels are a 9:16 aspect ratio at 1080 × 1920 pixels. That size is a common full-HD canvas that fills a phone screen on all three apps. None of the three platforms’ help pages lists 1080 × 1920 as a requirement, though, and their upload rules differ in ways that matter: which shapes they accept, how long a video can run, and the minimum resolution.
Below is what each platform’s official help documentation actually says, kept separate from the common practice creators follow.
Quick reference
| Platform | Common export | Official upload rules | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 9:16, 1080 × 1920 | MP4 or WebM, 720 × 1280 or higher, up to 30 minutes, under 10 GB (TikTok Studio on the web) | Help docs don’t state an aspect ratio for regular posts |
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16, 1080 × 1920 | Square or vertical, up to 3 minutes; app uploads max out at 1080p | Anything wider than square uploads as a regular video |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16, 1080 × 1920 | Between 1.91:1 and 9:16, at least 720 pixels, at least 30 FPS, up to 20 minutes | Reels over 3 minutes aren’t recommended to new audiences |
The “Common export” column is the widely used starting point, not an official spec. The “Official upload rules” column comes from each platform’s help center. Sources are linked in each section below.
TikTok video dimensions
TikTok’s support page for TikTok Studio lists the hard limits for videos uploaded in a web browser. The file must be MP4 or WebM, at 720 × 1280 resolution or higher, up to 30 minutes long, and less than 10 GB.
That page does not name a required aspect ratio for regular posts. TikTok’s In-Feed ad specs do label vertical 9:16 as the recommended shape, with horizontal 16:9 and square 1:1 also accepted for ads. That is ad guidance, but it points the same direction as common practice.
The practical aspect ratio for TikTok is 9:16. Export at 1080 × 1920 so you sit comfortably above the 720 × 1280 minimum, and keep the file under 10 GB if you upload from a computer.
YouTube Shorts dimensions
YouTube decides whether a video is a Short partly by its shape. Its help page on three-minute Shorts says videos with a square or vertical aspect ratio, up to three minutes long, are categorized as Shorts. A wider format such as 16:9 keeps a video out of Shorts. The desktop upload guide repeats the same two conditions: up to 3 minutes, square or vertical.
On resolution, YouTube’s getting-started page for Shorts notes that Short videos can be uploaded at a maximum resolution of 1080p. The Shorts help pages don’t give exact pixel dimensions, file size limits, or a recommended ratio. Google’s Shorts ad guidance says 9:16 vertical video is best suited to the Shorts format, and that horizontal ad assets appear with blurred bars above and below.
For YouTube Shorts dimensions, 9:16 at 1080 × 1920 fills the player and stays within the 1080p note. A 1:1 square clip will still count as a Short, but it won’t fill a vertical screen.
Instagram Reels dimensions
Instagram’s Reel size and aspect ratio page gives the widest accepted range of the three. You can upload a reel with an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16, so landscape, square, 4:5, and full vertical all fit. Reels need a minimum frame rate of 30 FPS and a minimum resolution of 720 pixels. The same page recommends a 420 × 654 pixel (1:1.55) cover photo.
Length is generous. Instagram’s recording guide says reels can run up to 20 minutes, but reels over 3 minutes won’t be recommended to new audiences. Instagram doesn’t publish a file size limit or a recommended pixel size for regular reels. Meta’s Reels ad spec recommends 9:16 at 1440 × 2560 pixels for ads, which is the same shape as 1080 × 1920 at a higher resolution.
For Instagram Reels dimensions, 9:16 is the shape that fills the Reels viewer. Use 1080 × 1920 as the default, and treat 1440 × 2560 as optional if your source footage has the detail to support it.
How to choose the right dimensions
If one clip is going to all three platforms, export a single 9:16, 1080 × 1920 file. It falls inside every accepted range, clears TikTok’s and Instagram’s minimum resolutions, and stays within YouTube’s 1080p note for Shorts.
Length is where the platforms split. A clip of 3 minutes or less works on all three. Past that, YouTube will treat it as a regular video, and Instagram won’t push it to new audiences.
Export a separate version only when you have a specific reason. A square cut makes sense if you want a Short that also reads well in a square layout, and a 4:5 version can suit Instagram placements outside the Reels viewer. If you need those extra ratios from a gaming clip, the free Eklipse AI Reframe browser tool exports 9:16, 4:5, and 1:1.
Before you export: quick checklist
- Canvas: Set the project to 9:16 at 1080 × 1920 before editing, not after. Changing the canvas at the end usually forces a second round of cropping.
- Safe areas: Each app places captions, buttons, and profile details over the video. Keep the important parts of a gaming clip, like the kill feed, scoreboard, facecam, and your own captions, away from the edges. For ads, Meta suggests leaving at least 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom, and 6% of each side free of text and key elements. TikTok publishes downloadable safe-zone files for ads that vary by format and caption length. None of the three platforms publishes fixed safe zones for regular posts.
- Black bars and cropping: Watch the full export on a phone before posting. Black bars mean the canvas and the footage don’t match. Cut-off HUD elements mean the crop is too tight.
- Frame rate: Instagram requires at least 30 FPS. Keep the frame rate your gameplay was recorded at, and don’t export below 30 FPS.
- Upload rules: Check the file against the platform’s current limits: format and size for TikTok, the square-or-vertical and 3-minute rules for Shorts, and the 1.91:1 to 9:16 range for Reels.
Frequently asked questions
What is the aspect ratio for vertical videos?
The standard aspect ratio for full-screen vertical video is 9:16, meaning the frame is 9 units wide for every 16 units tall. TikTok’s ad specs label 9:16 as recommended, Google says 9:16 is best suited for Shorts, and Instagram accepts 9:16 as the tallest ratio in its allowed range.
Is 1080 × 1920 the same as 9:16?
Yes. 1080 divided by 1920 equals 9 divided by 16, so 1080 × 1920 is a 9:16 frame at full-HD resolution. Other 9:16 sizes include 720 × 1280, which matches TikTok’s minimum, and 1440 × 2560, which Meta recommends for Reels ads.
Can I upload a video that is not 9:16 to Shorts, Reels, or TikTok?
On YouTube, square videos up to 3 minutes still count as Shorts, but anything wider uploads as a regular video. Instagram accepts reels anywhere from 1.91:1 to 9:16. TikTok’s help documentation doesn’t state an aspect ratio rule for regular posts, and its ad specs accept 16:9 and 1:1 alongside the recommended 9:16. A non-9:16 video won’t fill the screen on any of the three.
Should I export a separate version for each platform?
Usually not for dimensions. One 9:16, 1080 × 1920 file fits all three platforms’ published rules. Make separate versions when length or placement differs: trim to 3 minutes or less for Shorts, or create a 4:5 or 1:1 cut when you specifically want that shape.
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