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Safe zones for vertical video: where captions go on Shorts, TikTok and Reels

On a 1080 x 1920 frame, keep captions, titles and graphics between x 120 and 960 and between y 288 and 1248, and left of x 888 below y 840, where the like, comment and share buttons sit. That box sits inside the ad safe zones Meta, TikTok and YouTube publish at the top, the bottom and the left side. On the right it is looser than two ad figures: above y 840 it runs to x 960, where Google's Shorts ad box stops at x 888, and below it to x 888, where TikTok's ad button column starts at x 780. For ads, use each app's own box.

Updated October 23, 20264 min read
On this page
  1. What the apps draw over the video
  2. What the platforms publish
  3. Where to put each element
  4. Check before you post
  5. Questions
  6. Sources

What the apps draw over the video

All four apps lay the same kinds of controls over a vertical video, in roughly the same places. Their exact sizes change with the phone, the app version and the length of the post text, so the useful question is which parts of the frame are ever covered.

  • The top 160 px (8% of the height): the feed tabs and the search or camera icons.
  • The right 180 px from y 880 to 1400: the like, comment, share and save buttons, and on some apps the audio disc.
  • The bottom 520 px (27% of the height): the account name, the post text, the audio line and, on YouTube, the title and subscribe button.

Captions under any of these are either hidden or fighting the interface for attention, and a face under the button column looks cramped. The box in the answer above is what is left when all three are cleared.

What the platforms publish

  • Meta, for Instagram Reels ads: leave roughly 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% on each side free of text, logos and other key elements, so the profile icon and the call-to-action button do not cover them (Meta Ads Guide). On a 1080 x 1920 frame that is 269 px at the top, 672 px at the bottom and 65 px at each side.
  • TikTok, for In-Feed ads: its safe-zone file keeps 240 px at the top, 660 px at the bottom, 120 px on each side and a 180 px button column from y 840 down, at 1080 x 1920 (TikTok Business Help). We found no pixel figure TikTok publishes for organic posts.
  • Google, for vertical video ads, which run in Shorts: 288 px at the top, 672 px at the bottom, 48 px on the left and 192 px on the right (Google Ads Help). We found no figure YouTube publishes for organic Shorts.

Organic posts carry no ad button, so the bottom needs less room than Meta's ad figure. For paid placements, use Meta's margins as the stricter box: x 65 to 1015 and y 269 to 1248, and still keep clear of the button column on the right.

Where to put each element

Positions on a 1080 x 1920 frame, from the top left
ElementWhereWhy
Hook titley 300 to 650, centredBelow the feed tabs and readable in the first frame
Eyesy 500 to 800Leaves room for captions under the chin, never across the mouth
Captionsy 1000 to 1190 (52 to 62% of the height)Mid-chest, near the face, above the post text
Graphics and labelsInside x 120 to 960, y 288 to 1248, and left of x 888 below y 840Clear of each app's buttons on regular posts, and never over the face

Check before you post

  • Preview the export with the app's interface on top, on a phone, before posting. A long caption expands and covers more of the bottom.
  • Keep anything a viewer must read out of the bottom quarter, even when it looks empty in your editor.
  • Export full-bleed at 1080 x 1920. Borders and letterboxing waste the space you kept clear, and Instagram makes bordered reels less visible (Instagram).
  • Check a frame or a video against each app, or download a transparent template, with the safe zone checker.
  • ViewGum keeps captions, titles and graphics inside this box on every export, and faces clear of the buttons and the post text. The editor's preview can show the covered parts.

Questions

What is the safe zone for Instagram Reels?

For Reels ads, Meta asks you to leave about 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% of each side free of key elements. On 1080 x 1920 that is 269 px, 672 px and 65 px. Organic reels need less at the bottom, since they carry no ad button.

What is the TikTok safe zone?

For In-Feed ads, TikTok's safe-zone file keeps 240 px at the top, 660 px at the bottom, 120 px on each side and a 180 px button column from y 840 down, on 1080 x 1920. It publishes no figure for organic posts; keeping text inside x 120 to 960 and y 288 to 1248, and out of the right button column, clears the controls.

Does YouTube publish a safe zone for Shorts?

Only for ads. Google's guide to vertical video ads, which run in Shorts, keeps 288 px at the top, 672 px at the bottom, 48 px on the left and 192 px on the right of a 1080 x 1920 frame. For organic Shorts, plan for the title, channel name and subscribe button along the bottom and the action buttons down the right.

Sources

  1. Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Reels image adsChecked October 18, 2026
  2. TikTok Business Help: In-Feed safe-zone file, in the video ad specifications (updated June 2026)Checked October 23, 2026
  3. Google Ads Help: Use square and vertical video to engage mobile customers (safe zone for 1080 x 1920)Checked October 23, 2026
  4. Instagram: Instagram Ranking Explained (May 31, 2023)Checked October 18, 2026

Make a short that stays clear of the buttons

ViewGum keeps captions and graphics clear of each app's own buttons, sized for each one.

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