Upload a video that's the wrong shape for TikTok, and you'll know immediately. The edges get cropped, black bars creep in on the sides, or your captions end up hidden behind the like button. None of that is a TikTok problem - it's a specs problem, and it's fixable before you ever hit export.
This guide covers the exact dimensions, aspect ratio, length, and file requirements TikTok expects, plus safe zones and ad specs for anyone running paid campaigns. If you'd rather skip the shoot entirely, IMG Search's free video library has ready-to-use clips already sized for vertical platforms like TikTok.
TikTok Video Size Cheat Sheet
Here's every number in one place. If you only need one thing from this page, it's this table.
| Spec | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 (vertical) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Also supported | 1:1 (square), 16:9 (landscape) |
| File format | MP4 or MOV |
| Codec | H.264 video, AAC audio |
| Minimum length | 3 seconds |
| Maximum length | Up to 60 minutes for uploaded video (in-app recording caps are shorter) |
| Frame rate | 30fps minimum, 60fps for smoother motion |
| Max file size | Varies by upload method - see below |
Treat this table as a starting point, not a substitute for checking TikTok's own current specs before a big upload - the platform updates these numbers more often than most guides admit.
TikTok Aspect Ratio and Dimensions Explained
So what is TikTok video size, in plain terms? It's the pixel dimensions and shape TikTok's app is built to display without cropping or adding bars around your footage. The short answer: 1080 x 1920 pixels at a 9:16 TikTok video size ratio. Here's why, and what else is technically supported.
Vertical (9:16) - The Format TikTok Is Built For
TikTok's entire interface is designed around full-screen vertical video. The TikTok video size in pixels you want is 1080 x 1920 - width times height, in that order, which is where much of the confusion around TikTok video size width and height comes from. Get the two numbers backwards, and you've made a video that's twice as tall as it is wide, not the other way around.
Shoot vertically from the start if you can. Vertical footage fills the screen edge to edge - exactly how the platform is meant to be watched, one thumb, one hand, no rotating the phone.
Square (1:1) and Landscape (16:9) - When They're Supported
TikTok will accept square and landscape video without rejecting the upload. It just won't look great. A 1:1 or 16:9 video plays inside the vertical frame with black bars filling the rest of the screen, which shrinks your content and makes it easy to scroll past.
If landscape or square is all you have - repurposed YouTube content, for example - it's better than nothing, but plan to crop or reframe it to vertical when you can.
There's no fixed answer for TikTok video size in inches, since inches aren't a meaningful unit here - TikTok, like every screen-based platform, works in pixels, not physical measurements. If you ever see an "inches" figure quoted for on-screen video, treat it as a print-design leftover, not a real spec.
TikTok Video Length - Minimum, Maximum, and What Performs Best
TikTok videos need to run at least 3 seconds. On the upper end, the platform has raised its maximum upload length over several updates, with longer uploads now possible for many accounts through the web uploader and app, while in-app recording still caps out shorter.
That's the technical ceiling, though - what performs well is a separate question. TikTok itself and most creators point to short-form as the sweet spot: many high-performing videos land somewhere between 15 and 60 seconds, long enough to make a point, short enough to hold attention through a full watch. Longer formats work for tutorials or storytimes, but they compete against a feed built for quick hits. If you're unsure, shorter is the safer default - you can always post a part two.
File Size and Format Requirements
This is the part of TikTok's specs where you'll see the most disagreement online, so it's worth being upfront about it: published maximum file sizes for TikTok video range enormously depending on the source, from around 500MB up to figures as high as 30GB.
What's consistent across sources, even where the exact figure isn't, is the shape of the limit:
- The mobile app tends to have the tightest ceiling, and it can differ between Android and iOS.
- The web version or desktop uploader usually allows a noticeably larger file than the mobile app.
- Business and ad accounts often work under a separate limit from personal, organic uploads.
Rather than build your export settings around a number that might already be outdated by the time you read this, check TikTok video size limit details directly in the app (Upload screen) or on TikTok's official Help Center right before a large upload, especially if you're exporting raw, uncompressed 4K footage that could easily land in gigabyte territory.
For format: MP4 is the safest TikTok video size format, with MOV as a solid second choice, particularly for anything exported straight from an iPhone. Stick to the H.264 codec for video and AAC for audio - it's the combination TikTok's compression pipeline handles most predictably.
Safe Zones - Keeping Text and Captions Visible
TikTok's interface sits on top of your video, not beside it. The caption, username, sound title, and the row of engagement icons (like, comment, share) all overlap the frame - mostly along the bottom third and the right-hand edge.
That means anything you place too close to the edges (captions, logos, calls to action, key faces) risks being covered by the UI or clipped by the app's autoplay crop. This is the TikTok video size safe zone problem, and it's one of the most common complaints from creators who swear their video "looked fine" in the editor and got cropped on the platform.
Published safe-zone percentages vary from source to source, and TikTok hasn't consistently published one universal figure, so treat any specific percentage as a community-derived guideline rather than an official rule. The practical takeaway holds regardless: keep faces and text centered in the frame, and leave breathing room - roughly the top and bottom 15-20%, plus a similar margin on the right - clear of anything you need someone to read. Preview your export at actual size on a phone with the TikTok UI overlay before you publish, not just in your editor's clean preview window.
TikTok Video Ad Specifications
If you're running paid TikTok content instead of (or alongside) organic posts, the specs tighten up. Ad formats include In-Feed Ads, TopView, Spark Ads (which boost existing organic posts), and a few branded formats sold through TikTok's ad platform.
General guidance for TikTok video ads:
- Aspect ratio: 9:16 vertical is strongly recommended; 1:1 and 16:9 are technically accepted but perform worse in the native feed placement.
- Resolution: aim for 1080 x 1920 at minimum; don't go below roughly 540 x 960, the low end most ad specs cite.
- Duration: ad formats generally run from around 5 to 60 seconds, with 9-15 seconds cited repeatedly as the range that holds attention best.
- File size: ad-specific limits are typically stricter than organic upload limits and are managed separately in TikTok Ads Manager - confirm the current cap there before a campaign goes live rather than reusing an organic-upload figure.
Ad specs sit inside TikTok's business tools rather than the consumer app, and they update on their own schedule - check Ads Manager directly before every campaign.
How to Export a Video at the Right TikTok Size?
Once you know the target (1080 x 1920, 9:16, MP4, safe zones respected), getting there is mostly a matter of exporting with the right settings rather than re-shooting anything.
- Start with vertical footage whenever possible. Cropping horizontal video down to 9:16 loses the sides of the frame; going the other way isn't possible without adding bars.
- Set your export resolution to 1080 x 1920.
- Choose MP4 with H.264/AAC as your export codec.
- Check captions and key visuals against the safe zone before exporting - nudge anything too close to the bottom or right edge toward the center.
- Preview the file on an actual phone, ideally inside the TikTok app itself, so you catch any cropping the desktop preview missed.
If you need footage to start from rather than shoot yourself, IMG Search's video library is built around exactly this - free, AI-generated clips already available in vertical formats, so you're not starting the resize process from a mismatched aspect ratio. And if you're working with still images alongside your video - thumbnails, cover frames, promotional posts - IMG Search's Photo Editor has export presets that handle the same platform-specific resizing without extra software.
FAQ
What is the TikTok aspect ratio?
The recommended aspect ratio is 9:16, vertical, at 1080 x 1920 pixels. This is the shape TikTok's interface is designed around, and it's what fills the screen without black bars or cropping.
Does TikTok support 16:9 and 1:1 videos?
Yes, both are technically accepted. Square (1:1) and landscape (16:9) videos will upload and play, but they display smaller within the vertical frame, with empty space filling the rest of the screen. For the best on-platform experience, 9:16 is still the format to shoot and export for.
What's the maximum file size for a TikTok video?
It varies by upload method (mobile app vs. web/desktop) and account type (personal vs. business/ads), and published figures range widely across sources - from around 500MB to as high as 30GB. Check the limit shown in your specific upload flow, or TikTok's official Help Center, at the time you're exporting rather than relying on a fixed number.
Does TikTok compress or downscale 4K video?
TikTok's upload pipeline compresses video during processing regardless of the resolution you upload at, which is standard across nearly every social platform. Uploading above 1080 x 1920 generally won't hurt, but it won't guarantee a sharper result either, and it does increase file size for no real benefit. Exporting at 1080 x 1920 keeps quality predictable without the extra weight.
Why do parts of my TikTok video get cropped, and how do I avoid it?
Cropping usually happens for one of two reasons: the source video wasn't shot or exported at 9:16 to begin with, or key elements were placed too close to the edges where TikTok's on-screen UI - captions, icons, username - overlaps the frame. Shooting vertically, exporting at 1080 x 1920, and keeping key content away from the bottom and right edges solves most cropping complaints.
What's the best video size for TikTok ads?
The same 9:16, 1080 x 1920 format used for organic content is also recommended for TikTok video ads, since it matches the native in-feed placement. Square and landscape are supported for certain ad types but tend to underperform vertical. Duration and file-size limits for ads are managed separately in TikTok Ads Manager and are worth confirming there before launch, since ad specs update on their own schedule.
Final Thoughts
Most TikTok upload problems trace back to the same handful of specs: wrong aspect ratio, text too close to the edges, or a file that's bigger or smaller than what the app expects. Get 1080 x 1920, 9:16, MP4 right from the start, respect the safe zones, and double-check file size limits at upload time rather than from memory - and the guesswork mostly disappears.
Need a faster starting point than shooting from scratch? Browse free, ready-to-use TikTok-sized clips at IMG Search and drop them straight into your next edit.
