Safe zone checker for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
Drop in a vertical video or a screenshot and see it under each app's buttons, captions and tabs before you post. It runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.
Safe zone sizes.
Space to keep clear on a 1080 × 1920 video, in pixels. The right-hand buttons only cover part of the edge, so the right margin applies between the heights listed.
| Platform | Top | Bottom | Right | Left | Safe area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 150px | 440px | 140px from 720 to 1480px down | 60px | 880 × 1330 |
| Instagram Reels | 200px | 420px | 130px from 1000 to 1500px down | 50px | 900 × 1300 |
| YouTube Shorts | 140px | 380px | 180px from 760 to 1540px down | 50px | 850 × 1400 |
| All three | 200px | 440px | 180px | 60px | 840 × 1280 |
Sizes last updated 6 October 2026. They approximate each app on a typical phone, and positions vary a little between phones and app versions.
Free safe zone templates.
Transparent 1080 × 1920 PNGs with the interface and unsafe zones marked. Put one on the top track of any editor as a guide, then hide it before you export.
Check a video in three steps.
Add your video
Choose or drop an MP4, MOV or WebM, or paste a screenshot. Your browser opens it on your device.
Scrub to each caption
Play or drag through the video. Captions and hook text appear at different moments, so check each one.
Mark what matters
Drag a box over text, a face or a product. Each phone says whether that app covers it, and the combined view shows the space that is clear everywhere.
The usual collisions.
Subtitles in the bottom third
The TV position for subtitles is exactly where every app puts the username, caption and sound. Raise them to around two thirds of the way down.
Faces on the right edge
The like, comment and share buttons sit over the right side, about halfway down. Frame people and products centre or left.
Hook text at the very top
TikTok's tabs and the Reels header cover the top of the frame. Start opening text a little lower, under the top 200 pixels.
Horizontal footage
A 16:9 clip shows as a thin strip with bars, or loses its sides when cropped. Reframe it for 9:16 before you add text.
What is a safe zone on TikTok, Reels and Shorts?
It is the part of a vertical video that the app does not cover with its own interface. Each app lays buttons down the right edge, a caption and username along the bottom and tabs or a header across the top. Text, faces and products outside the safe zone can end up hidden behind them.
What size should a vertical video be?
Export at 1080 × 1920 pixels, which is a 9:16 aspect ratio. All three apps fill the screen with a 9:16 video. Other shapes are shown with bars or cropped, which moves your content relative to the interface.
Can I use one safe area for every platform?
Yes. Switch the checker to the combined view. It keeps everything clear of the TikTok, Reels and Shorts interface at once, which is the safest choice when you post the same video to all three.
Is my video uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is opened by your browser and drawn on your screen. It never leaves your device, which is also why large files load instantly.
Why does my video not load?
Your browser has to be able to play the file. Some browsers cannot decode HEVC or ProRes, which phones and cameras often record. Drop in a screenshot of the frame instead, or export an H.264 MP4 copy.
How accurate are the overlays?
They follow each app's layout on a typical modern phone. Exact positions shift between phone sizes and app updates, so treat the zones as the space to keep clear rather than pixel-exact measurements.
Make the video too.
ZXN Studio records your screen and camera, edits on a multi-track timeline and adds animated titles, background removal and colour. Free to download for Mac.