How to Crop Video for TikTok, Reels and Shorts (9:16)

To crop a video for TikTok, Reels or Shorts, open the free Crop Video tool, drop in your video, keep the 9:16 shape selected, drag the crop box over the part you want to keep, and press Export. You'll get a vertical MP4 ready to upload. It runs in your browser with FFmpeg, so there's no upload and no watermark.

What size do TikTok, Reels and Shorts use?

All three short-video platforms show video full-screen in a vertical 9:16 frame. The usual upload size is 1080 × 1920 pixels. If you upload a landscape (16:9) video, the apps either add black bars or zoom in and cut off the sides themselves, often not where you want. Cropping it yourself lets you choose exactly what stays in the frame.

Shape	Typical size	Best for
9:16 TikTok / Reels / Shorts	1080 × 1920	Full-screen vertical video
4:5 Instagram post	1080 × 1350	Feed videos that take up more screen
1:1 Square	1080 × 1080	Feed posts, ads, chat apps
16:9 YouTube	1920 × 1080	Regular YouTube videos, landscape

How do I crop a video to 9:16?

1. Add the video. Open Crop Video and drag in an MP4, MOV, WebM or MKV file, or click to choose. The Crop tab opens with 9:16 TikTok / Reels / Shorts selected.
2. Place the box. A crop box appears on the video. Drag it to frame your subject. Resize it from a corner; it stays 9:16 while you do. You can also select the box and nudge it with the arrow keys.
3. Trim (optional). On the Trim tab, cut the clip to the best moments. Short videos tend to keep viewers watching to the end.
4. Check Export settings. MP4 at 1080p and High or Balanced quality is a good default for uploads.
5. Export. Press Export MP4, wait for the progress bar, then press Download.

How do I get a sharp vertical crop?

When you crop a landscape 1080p video to 9:16, you keep a slice roughly 608 pixels wide and 1080 tall. The apps then stretch that to fill the phone screen, so it can look slightly softer than the original. To keep it sharp:

• Record in 4K if you plan to crop. A 4K landscape video gives a 9:16 slice about 1,215 pixels wide, sharper than a standard vertical 1080p video.
• Don't upscale too much. Exporting at 1080p from a small crop doesn't add detail; it's fine, but 720p may look identical and give a smaller file.
• Use High quality for the upload copy, as each app will compress the video again.

Tips for better vertical videos

• Keep the subject in the middle third. Captions, buttons and the username cover the bottom and right side of the screen on every app.
• One crop position per clip. The box stays where you place it for the whole clip. If the subject moves across the frame, trim the video into parts and crop each part, then join them in the app.
• Speed it up. A little faster (1.25×) in Speed & sound can make long shots feel snappier.
• Add captions and hashtags. Our Caption & Hashtag Generator writes titles and hashtags from your script.

Is it private?

Yes. The crop runs inside your browser with FFmpeg. Your video never leaves your device, which keeps personal and client footage private, and there's no watermark on the result.

Troubleshooting

• The preview is black. Your browser may not preview that codec, but export usually still works.
• The crop box won't go to the edge. It stops at the video's edges; resize it smaller to move it further.
• The video is sideways. Fix it on the Rotate tab first; see how to rotate a video.

Crop your video for TikTok now, or see how to edit videos in your browser for every other tool.