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The right video formats for TikTok, Instagram and Facebook in 2026

Updated October 9, 2026

A badly framed video loses views fast: black bars, cropped faces, text hidden behind the app's buttons… The good news is that you only need to remember four formats to post cleanly almost everywhere.

The most important format: 9:16 (vertical)

9:16 is the full-screen format of a phone held upright. Use it for:

The recommended size is 1080 × 1920 pixels. Smaller videos are still accepted, but they'll look less sharp on large phones.

For a regular Instagram post: 4:5 or 1:1

In the Instagram feed, a 4:5 video (1080 × 1350) takes up more of the screen than a square one, which draws more attention. The 1:1 square (1080 × 1080) is still a safe choice, especially for visuals with centered text.

For YouTube and wide screens: 16:9

16:9 (1920 × 1080) is the horizontal format of TVs and YouTube. On Facebook, it works well for longer videos watched on a computer. For a mostly mobile audience, go vertical.

Quick summary

Leave room for the interface

On TikTok and in Reels, the account name, caption and buttons (like, comment, share) sit on top of the bottom and right side of your video. Keep subtitles and key elements toward the center, avoiding roughly the bottom fifth of the frame and the right edge.

How to change the format of an existing video

If you filmed horizontally and want to post a Reel, you need to crop the video. The simplest approach is to keep the center of the frame, which is exactly what Klipoo's video editor does. Pick 9:16, 1:1, 4:5 or 16:9, optionally trim the start and end, and the video is processed right on your device without being uploaded anywhere.

Tip: if your subject isn't in the center, cropping to 9:16 may cut it off. In that case, shoot vertically next time.

Length: what to remember

Length limits change regularly depending on the platform and the account. In practice, short videos (15 to 60 seconds) are still the ones people watch to the end. If your video is long, cut the slow parts: a shorter, punchier video holds attention better.

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