What video size is best for social media?

1080 × 1920 pixels (9:16) if you only make one version. It fills the screen on TikTok, Instagram Reels and Stories, YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels, and crops acceptably to 1:1 or 4:5 for feed posts. Standard YouTube is the one place you still want 1920 × 1080 (16:9).

Is 4:3 or 16:9 better for social media?

Neither is the default anymore. 9:16 vertical wins on the mobile-first surfaces (TikTok, Reels, Stories, Shorts); 16:9 is for standard YouTube and landscape players. 4:3 has no major native placement, so a 4:3 upload gets padded or cropped almost everywhere.

Do all platforms use the same vertical size?

Yes: 1080 × 1920 (9:16) is the vertical size for TikTok, Instagram Reels and Stories, YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels, so one master file posts everywhere. What differs is the safe zone, because each app lays its own captions and buttons over different parts of the frame.

What size is a TikTok video?

1080 × 1920 pixels, 9:16. Recording in the app caps at 10 minutes and web uploads allow up to 60. Keep text and logos clear of the bottom caption block and the right-hand action column, roughly the bottom 22% and right 13% of the frame.

What size is an Instagram Reel?

1080 × 1920 pixels, 9:16, up to 3 minutes. The caption, audio ticker and action buttons crowd the bottom ~32% and right ~11%, and Reels appear cropped to about 4:5 in the feed grid, so keep the key action centred.

What size is a YouTube Short?

1080 × 1920 pixels, 9:16 (4K vertical is supported). Any vertical video up to 3 minutes qualifies as a Short, up from 60 seconds before October 2024. The title and channel name sit bottom-left and the action buttons run down the right, so keep the bottom ~20% and right ~12% clear.

What size is a regular YouTube video?

1920 × 1080 pixels, 16:9, which is the default player shape. Upload 3840 × 2160 when you have a true 4K master. Uploads run up to 12 hours or 256 GB, whichever comes first.

What is a safe zone and why does it matter?

A safe zone is the part of the frame the platform’s own interface sits on top of: captions, username, the like/comment/share buttons, and the progress bar. Anything you place in those margins can be covered, which is what actually ruins otherwise correctly sized videos. The per-platform pages below shade the safe zone visually so you keep text, logos and faces where they stay visible.

What social media image sizes matter most?

The highest-leverage image sizes are Instagram portrait posts at 1080 × 1350, YouTube thumbnails at 16:9, YouTube banners at 2560 × 1440, LinkedIn banners at 1584 × 396 and X landscape images at 1600 × 900. The image pages below include the exact ratios, file limits and crop guidance.

Do these sizes change?

Resolutions and aspect ratios are stable. 1080 × 1920 / 9:16 has been the short-form standard for years. What shifts is maximum length (YouTube Shorts went to 3 minutes, TikTok to 60 on web) and the exact safe-zone margins as the apps redesign. The figures here reflect the apps as of 2026; confirm in-app for anything high-stakes.

Social Media Video Sizes for 2026

Dimensions, aspect ratios, length limits and safe zones for every short-form platform, plus the image, thumbnail and banner sizes.

Updated July 2026

What size should social media videos be in 2026?

Most short-form video uses one size: 1080 × 1920 pixels, a 9:16 vertical frame. That single master covers TikTok, Instagram Reels and Stories, YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels. Standard YouTube video is 1920 × 1080 (16:9), or 3840 × 2160 from a 4K master. Instagram feed posts also take 4:5 (1080 × 1350) and 1:1 (1080 × 1080).

Sizes are only half of it. Each platform lays its own captions and buttons over your video, so text and logos have to stay inside the safe zone. As a share of a 9:16 frame:

TikTok In-feed video — top 8%, bottom 22%, left 6%, right 13%
Instagram Reel — top 12%, bottom 32%, left 6%, right 11%
Instagram Story — top 13%, bottom 20%, left 6%, right 6%
YouTube Short — top 9%, bottom 20%, left 6%, right 12%

Full per-platform specs, length limits, file limits and safe-zone previews are below.

Video sizes

Format	Resolution	Ratio	Length limit
TikTok In-feed video	1080 × 1920	9:16	10 min in-app · up to 60 min on web upload
Instagram Reel	1080 × 1920	9:16	Up to 3 minutes
Instagram Story	1080 × 1920	9:16	60 sec per segment (longer auto-splits)
YouTube Short	1080 × 1920	9:16	3 minutes (raised from 60s in Oct 2024)
YouTube Standard video	1920 × 1080	16:9	12 hours or 256 GB, whichever comes first

Image and banner sizes

Format	Resolution	Ratio	File limit
Instagram post Portrait post	1080 × 1350	4:5	30 MB image upload
Instagram post Square post	1080 × 1080	1:1	30 MB image upload
Instagram post Landscape post	1080 × 566	1.91:1	30 MB image upload
YouTube thumbnail Recommended thumbnail	3840 × 2160	16:9	2 MB mobile · 50 MB desktop
YouTube thumbnail Common legacy thumbnail	1280 × 720	16:9	Keep compressed for fast upload
YouTube banner Channel banner	2560 × 1440	16:9	6 MB or smaller
YouTube banner Minimum upload	2048 × 1152	16:9	6 MB or smaller
LinkedIn banner Profile background	1584 × 396	4:1	8 MB or smaller
LinkedIn banner Company page cover	4200 × 700	6:1	3 MB or smaller
LinkedIn post Landscape image	1200 × 627	1.91:1	Keep under 8 MB
LinkedIn post Square image	1080 × 1080	1:1	Keep under 8 MB
LinkedIn post Portrait image	1200 × 1500	4:5	Keep under 8 MB
X / Twitter image Landscape post image	1600 × 900	16:9	5 MB image · 15 MB animated GIF
X / Twitter image Square post image	1080 × 1080	1:1	5 MB image · 15 MB animated GIF
Facebook cover 2x Page cover canvas	1640 × 624	2.63:1	Keep compressed for fast load
Facebook cover Profile cover	851 × 315	2.7:1	Keep compressed for fast load

Resolutions and aspect ratios are stable; durations, file-size limits, crops and safe-zone margins reflect the major social platforms as of June 2026 and shift over time. Confirm in-app before a high-stakes upload.

TikTok video size

Aspect ratio, resolution, length and the safe zone for the action column.

TikTok safe zone

A frame guide for keeping text clear of TikTok buttons and captions.

Instagram dimensions

Reels, Stories and feed posts: every Instagram size in one place.

Instagram Reels length

Reels length limits and practical pacing targets by goal.

Instagram Reels safe zone

A frame guide for captions, buttons and feed-grid cropping.

Instagram Story size

Story dimensions, safe-zone margins and export settings.

YouTube Shorts size

Shorts resolution, the new 3-minute limit and the safe zone.

YouTube Shorts length

The current Shorts time limit plus pacing targets by goal.

YouTube Shorts safe zone

A frame guide for keeping text clear of Shorts controls.

YouTube video size

Standard YouTube video dimensions, ratio and upload limits.

Instagram post size

Feed post dimensions for portrait, square and landscape images.

YouTube thumbnail size

Thumbnail dimensions, file limits and 16:9 export guidance.

YouTube banner size

Channel banner dimensions with the cross-device safe area.

LinkedIn banner size

Profile background and company cover dimensions.

LinkedIn post size

Feed image dimensions for landscape, square and portrait posts.

X / Twitter image size

Post image dimensions for landscape and square uploads.

Facebook cover photo size

Page and profile cover dimensions with crop guidance.

Frequently asked

What video size is best for social media?: 1080 × 1920 pixels (9:16) if you only make one version. It fills the screen on TikTok, Instagram Reels and Stories, YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels, and crops acceptably to 1:1 or 4:5 for feed posts. Standard YouTube is the one place you still want 1920 × 1080 (16:9).
Is 4:3 or 16:9 better for social media?: Neither is the default anymore. 9:16 vertical wins on the mobile-first surfaces (TikTok, Reels, Stories, Shorts); 16:9 is for standard YouTube and landscape players. 4:3 has no major native placement, so a 4:3 upload gets padded or cropped almost everywhere.
Do all platforms use the same vertical size?: Yes: 1080 × 1920 (9:16) is the vertical size for TikTok, Instagram Reels and Stories, YouTube Shorts and Facebook Reels, so one master file posts everywhere. What differs is the safe zone, because each app lays its own captions and buttons over different parts of the frame.
What size is a TikTok video?: 1080 × 1920 pixels, 9:16. Recording in the app caps at 10 minutes and web uploads allow up to 60. Keep text and logos clear of the bottom caption block and the right-hand action column, roughly the bottom 22% and right 13% of the frame.
What size is an Instagram Reel?: 1080 × 1920 pixels, 9:16, up to 3 minutes. The caption, audio ticker and action buttons crowd the bottom ~32% and right ~11%, and Reels appear cropped to about 4:5 in the feed grid, so keep the key action centred.
What size is a YouTube Short?: 1080 × 1920 pixels, 9:16 (4K vertical is supported). Any vertical video up to 3 minutes qualifies as a Short, up from 60 seconds before October 2024. The title and channel name sit bottom-left and the action buttons run down the right, so keep the bottom ~20% and right ~12% clear.
What size is a regular YouTube video?: 1920 × 1080 pixels, 16:9, which is the default player shape. Upload 3840 × 2160 when you have a true 4K master. Uploads run up to 12 hours or 256 GB, whichever comes first.
What is a safe zone and why does it matter?: A safe zone is the part of the frame the platform’s own interface sits on top of: captions, username, the like/comment/share buttons, and the progress bar. Anything you place in those margins can be covered, which is what actually ruins otherwise correctly sized videos. The per-platform pages below shade the safe zone visually so you keep text, logos and faces where they stay visible.
What social media image sizes matter most?: The highest-leverage image sizes are Instagram portrait posts at 1080 × 1350, YouTube thumbnails at 16:9, YouTube banners at 2560 × 1440, LinkedIn banners at 1584 × 396 and X landscape images at 1600 × 900. The image pages below include the exact ratios, file limits and crop guidance.
Do these sizes change?: Resolutions and aspect ratios are stable. 1080 × 1920 / 9:16 has been the short-form standard for years. What shifts is maximum length (YouTube Shorts went to 3 minutes, TikTok to 60 on web) and the exact safe-zone margins as the apps redesign. The figures here reflect the apps as of 2026; confirm in-app for anything high-stakes.

Sized right, but stuck on the edit? Bevyl turns your footage into finished, on-brand cuts exported to spec for every platform. No resizing, no guesswork.

Try Bevyl free

More free tools

LengthLab

The right length and pace for each platform and goal, with a hook → value → payoff timeline.

Audio Editor

Drop in audio, trim the useful part, remove the dead air, fade the edges and download the result.

Username Ideas

Type a word, pick a vibe, and copy clean handle ideas for TikTok or Instagram.

HookHacker

Pick a style and niche, and get opening lines ready to paste into your next video.

Engagement Rate

Enter your numbers to see your engagement rate and how it compares by platform.

Terms of Engagement

What TikTok, Reels and Shorts each call the same metric: watch time, retention, hook rate.

ScriptSkeletons

Beat-by-beat script structures by format: UGC review, product demo, founder story.

Aspect Ratio Calculator

Simplify dimensions, scale an image or video to a new width, and match the ratio to platform sizes.