How to use the safe zone checker
- Pick the platform you are posting to, or All platforms if you cross-post the same video.
- Load a still frame, a thumbnail or the video itself. For a video, drag the slider to the moment your text appears.
- Look for anything important inside the shaded areas. Faces, captions, prices and calls to action should sit inside the dashed box.
- Download the preview to share with an editor or client, or download the blank overlay to use as a guide layer in your editing app.
Safe zone sizes for a 1080 × 1920 video
These are the margins the checker uses. They follow each platform’s published ad safe-zone guidance, measured on a full 1080 × 1920 vertical frame.
| Platform | Top | Bottom | Left | Right |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | 240 px | 660 px | 120 px | 120 px |
| Instagram Reels | 269 px | 672 px | 65 px | 65 px |
| YouTube Shorts | 288 px | 672 px | 48 px | 192 px |
| All platforms | 288 px | 672 px | 120 px | 192 px |
That leaves a combined safe area of about 768 × 960 pixels, centered slightly above the middle of the frame. It is smaller than most people expect, which is exactly why text placed “low and to the side” so often disappears.
What each platform hides
TikTok
The For You and Following tabs sit across the top, the profile picture, like, comment, bookmark and share buttons stack down the right edge, and the username, caption and sound name fill the bottom third. Long captions expand upward, so the bottom margin is the one to respect most.
Instagram Reels
Reels keeps the top lighter but places the action buttons low on the right and the caption, audio and username across the bottom. Text placed in the lower quarter of the frame is the most common casualty.
YouTube Shorts
Shorts has the widest right-hand column of the three, with like, dislike, comment, share and remix buttons, plus the channel name, title and subscribe button at the bottom. That is why the combined safe zone is tighter on the right than on the left.
Tips for designing inside the safe zone
- Keep burned-in captions between roughly a quarter and two thirds of the way down the frame.
- Frame faces slightly above center. The eye line lands naturally in the safe area.
- Put calls to action on the left half of the frame on Shorts, where the button column doesn’t reach.
- Export the blank overlay and drop it on a top layer in CapCut, Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve while you edit.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is a safe zone on TikTok, Reels and Shorts?
It is the part of a vertical 9:16 frame that stays visible once the app draws its interface on top. Outside it, your content can be hidden by the like, comment and share buttons on the right, the caption and username at the bottom, or the tabs and search bar at the top.
What size should a vertical video be?
1080 × 1920 pixels, a 9:16 aspect ratio. The checker scales any image to that frame, and it warns you if your file is a different shape or a lower resolution.
Is there one safe zone that works on all three apps?
Yes. Choose All platforms in the checker. It combines the largest margin on every side, roughly 288 px at the top, 672 px at the bottom, 120 px on the left and 192 px on the right of a 1080 × 1920 frame. Content inside that box is safe everywhere.
Where do these numbers come from?
The margins follow the safe-zone guidance published in each platform’s ad specifications. Organic posts, different phones and app updates can shift the interface slightly, so keep a little breathing room and preview the final upload in the app.
Are my images or videos uploaded?
No. The file is opened locally by your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, so you can check unreleased content safely.
Can I check a video, not just an image?
Yes. Load an MP4, MOV or WebM file and use the timeline slider to scrub to any moment, such as the frame where your text or call to action appears.