Reel Aspect Ratio Checker
Check if your video or image dimensions work across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. Upload a file or enter dimensions manually.
Instagram reels and stories want 9:16 vertical video, feed posts take 1:1 square or 4:5 portrait, and the wrong ratio gets cropped or rejected. Drop a video or image in, or type the dimensions by hand, and check it against Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts requirements in one table.
Click to upload a video or image to read dimensions automatically
or enter dimensions manually below
How to use it
- Upload your video or image, or enter the width and height in pixels.
- Run the check to see your detected aspect ratio.
- Scan the results table: perfect means it fits, will crop means edges get trimmed, won't work means the ratio is too far off.
- Re-export at the recommended size for any platform that flags a problem.
What aspect ratio do Instagram reels use?
Reels are 9:16, full vertical, and the recommended export is 1080 x 1920 pixels. The same ratio covers Instagram stories, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, which is why one vertical master file can serve all four with no rework. If you shoot once and post everywhere, 9:16 at 1080 x 1920 is the format to standardize on.
Feed posts are different. Square is 1:1 at 1080 x 1080, and portrait is 4:5 at 1080 x 1350. Portrait 4:5 takes up more screen than square as people scroll, which is a quiet advantage, so most creators should default to it for feed content. Landscape 16:9 technically posts to the feed but gets shrunk into a letterboxed strip, and it's rarely worth it.
What happens if your ratio is wrong?
Instagram doesn't reject most files outright. It crops or scales them, which is worse, because it happens silently. A 16:9 clip posted as a reel either gets big black bars or a center crop that can slice off text and faces near the edges. The will crop status in the results table means exactly that: the platform will accept the file, then trim it to fit, and whatever lives near the edges is at risk.
The fix belongs in your edit, not in Instagram's hands. Keep text, captions, and anything important inside the middle of the frame, since reels also overlay their own UI along the bottom and right edge. If you're converting horizontal footage to vertical, reframe it deliberately in your editor instead of letting the platform guess where to crop.
Can one export cover every platform?
Mostly, yes. A 1080 x 1920 vertical file passes as perfect for reels, stories, TikTok, and Shorts in this checker, so vertical-first creators only need one master. The exception is the feed: a 9:16 file posted as a regular feed post gets cropped toward 4:5, so if a video matters as a feed post too, export a second 1080 x 1350 version with the framing adjusted. Two exports covers essentially everything.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best resolution for Instagram reels?
1080 x 1920 pixels at 9:16. Higher resolutions get downscaled by Instagram anyway, and lower ones can look soft after compression, so 1080 x 1920 is the practical target.
Does this tool upload my video to a server?
No. Your browser reads the file's dimensions locally and the file never leaves your device. That's also why the check is instant even for large videos.
Can I post a horizontal 16:9 video as a reel?
Instagram will take it, but it displays with large empty bars or an automatic center crop, and horizontal video generally underperforms in a vertical feed. Reframing to 9:16 in your editor is almost always worth the ten minutes.
Why does my video show as will crop when it looks vertical?
Some phones record at 3:4 or other near-vertical ratios that don't match 9:16 exactly. The checker allows a small tolerance, but beyond it, Instagram trims the excess. Check the detected ratio banner to see what your file actually is.
Is 4:5 or 1:1 better for feed posts?
4:5 portrait occupies more vertical screen space in the feed, which means more time in front of the viewer's eyes. Unless your composition demands a square, 4:5 at 1080 x 1350 is the better default.
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