Where the 9:16 aspect ratio is used
9:16 is 16:9 turned on its side. It fills a phone held upright, which is why short-form video apps use it as their full-screen canvas.
- TikTok and Reels: The native full-screen shape for short vertical video.
- YouTube Shorts: The vertical shape the Shorts feed is designed for.
- Stories: Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat stories without cropping.
- Mobile ads: Full-screen vertical ad placements on social platforms.
9:16 resolution cheat sheet
| Name | Width × height | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 720p HD vertical | 720 × 1280 px | Smaller uploads when bandwidth is limited |
| 1080p Full HD vertical | 1080 × 1920 px | The usual size for TikTok, Reels and Shorts |
| 1440p QHD vertical | 1440 × 2560 px | High-resolution vertical editing |
| 4K UHD vertical | 2160 × 3840 px | Future-proof vertical masters |
Tip: Keep text, faces and logos away from the outer edges, especially the bottom and right side, where app captions and buttons sit. Check your frame with the safe zone checker.
How to calculate 9:16 dimensions
Height = width × 16 ÷ 9. Width = height × 9 ÷ 16. Round to whole pixels; many video encoders also need even numbers.
CSS for a 9:16 box
.media { aspect-ratio: 9 / 16; width: 100%; }