# Free safe zone checker for Reels, TikTok and Shorts

Canonical URL: https://getvidiyo.app/tools/safe-zone-checker
Last updated: 2026-10-08

> TL;DR: Drop in a frame, thumbnail or video and this checker draws the parts that Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, the Instagram profile grid and YouTube's 16:9 player cover. Zones come from Meta, Google and SMPTE where they publish numbers. It runs in your browser, so your file never leaves the tab.

This checker shows you, before you post, which parts of your frame a phone app will hide. Pick a platform, drop in a still or a video, and the covered areas appear over your picture as tinted blocks with labels. If your hook, a face or a price sits under one, move it.

## What does the safe zone checker do?

The checker overlays each platform's interface zones on your own frame. Red blocks are covered by the app (account name, caption, buttons), yellow strips are edge margins, dark bands are what the Instagram profile grid crops, and blue dashed lines are broadcast safe areas for 16:9 video. A rule-of-thirds grid is one switch away.

It accepts PNG, JPG and WebP images, and video files your browser can play, such as MP4 and MOV. For a video, it grabs the first frame and gives you a slider to pick any other moment. Everything happens in the tab: no upload, no account.

## How do I use the safe zone checker?

Checking a frame needs no sign-up and no upload.

1. Choose a platform: Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram feed 4:5 or YouTube 16:9.
2. Drop a file on the box, or press **Choose a file**. Use a frame with your captions and titles already on it.
3. For a video, drag the **Frame** slider to the moment you want to check, such as the hook or the call to action.
4. Look for text, faces or logos inside a tinted block. Turn on the grid or the optional layers (profile grid crop, title safe, end screen) if they apply.
5. If your file's shape doesn't match the platform, the checker tells you, and you can switch between cropping to fill and fitting the whole frame.

## What are the safe zones for each platform?

The numbers below are for the platform's native size. Where a platform publishes its own figures we use them; where it only offers templates, we say so.

| Platform | Frame | Keep clear | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels | 1080 × 1920 | Top 14% (269 px), bottom 35% (672 px), 6% each side. Buttons in roughly the right 21% from 60% down | [Meta Ads Guide](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide/update/video/instagram-reels); button area estimated by [AdKit](https://adkit.so/tools/safe-zones/instagram) |
| TikTok | 1080 × 1920 | Top 240 px, bottom 660 px, 120 px each side, a 300 px button column on the right from 560 px down | In-feed overlay measured by [AdKit](https://adkit.so/tools/safe-zones/tiktok) |
| YouTube Shorts | 1080 × 1920 | Top 288 px, bottom 672 px, left 48 px, right 192 px | [Google Ads Help](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9128498?hl=en) |
| Instagram feed 4:5 | 1080 × 1350 | Nothing covers the post in the feed. The 3:4 profile grid trims about 34 px from each side | [Profile grid change, January 2025](https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/instagram-head-announces-big-changes-3-minute-reels-and-new-look-for-profile-grid-461527-2025-01-21) |
| YouTube 16:9 | 1920 × 1080 | Titles inside 90% (title safe), action inside 93% (action safe). End screens use the last 5 to 20 seconds | [SMPTE ST 2046-1](https://pub.smpte.org/doc/st2046-1/20091123-pub/st2046-1-2009.pdf), [YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6388789?hl=en) |

TikTok is the least settled. Its zone depends on caption length and ad format, and other published measurements are smaller (for example 130 px top, 484 px bottom and 140 px right in [Cadenus's template](https://cadenus.io/resources/blog/tiktok-safe-zone/)). We show the larger, cautious version so a frame that passes here should pass there.

The grid crop numbers are arithmetic. A 3:4 tile shows the centre 1012 × 1350 of a 4:5 post, and the centre 1080 × 1440 of a 9:16 Reel, so the Reels preset can also show the 240 px lost at the top and bottom of your profile grid.

## Why do safe zones matter?

Safe zones matter because people read the frame, not your timeline. A hook line hidden behind the username, a caption under the like button or a price cut off on the grid all fail silently: you never see it in your editor, and viewers just scroll on.

Vertical apps cover far more than most people expect. On Reels, nearly half the frame height is spoken for once you add the top and bottom zones. Checking one frame at the hook and one at the call to action catches most problems. See the [safe zone glossary entry](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/safe-zone) for the background, and [caption styles for Reels and Shorts](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/caption-styles-for-reels-and-shorts) for placement advice.

## Does Vidiyo keep captions out of these zones?

Yes, for 9:16 projects. When Vidiyo places [captions](https://getvidiyo.app/features/auto-captions), it keeps them clear of faces, on-screen text, titles and the Reels, TikTok and Shorts interface. Its quality check flags any caption that sits under the app's buttons or wraps into the bottom overlay, and the AI's review sheet outlines those overlay areas in red so you can see them.

For 16:9 and 1:1 projects, it keeps a plain margin from the edges instead. This checker is still useful for frames made elsewhere, for thumbnails, and for anything you want to confirm before posting.

Interactive tool: open https://getvidiyo.app/tools/safe-zone-checker in a browser to use it. It runs on the page and uploads nothing.

## Honest limits

- Zones are guides. Apps change their interface, and long captions push the bottom zone higher.
- The Reels action-button area and the TikTok zones are measured from overlay templates, not published as numbers by Meta or TikTok.
- The checker shows one frame at a time. It does not scan a whole video.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the safe zone for Instagram Reels?

Meta suggests leaving at least 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% of each side free of text, logos and other key elements. On a 1080 × 1920 frame that is about 269 px at the top and 672 px at the bottom.

### What is the safe zone for YouTube Shorts?

Google's safe zone for vertical video ads on a 1080 × 1920 frame keeps 288 px clear at the top, 672 px at the bottom, 48 px on the left and 192 px on the right, where the action buttons sit.

### Does TikTok publish an official safe zone?

TikTok offers downloadable safe zone templates inside Ads Manager rather than one published number, and the zone grows with caption length. This checker uses the in-feed ad overlay as measured by AdKit, which is on the cautious side.

### Is my video uploaded anywhere?

No. The file opens as a local object URL, video frames are drawn on a canvas in your browser, and nothing is sent to a server. Closing the tab discards it.

### Can I check a horizontal YouTube video?

Yes. The YouTube 16:9 preset shows the SMPTE title safe (90%) and action safe (93%) areas, plus an example end-screen layout so you can see what the last 5 to 20 seconds need to leave room for.

## Related

- [Safe zone](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/safe-zone)
- [Vertical video](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/vertical-video)
- [The best caption styles for Reels and Shorts](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/caption-styles-for-reels-and-shorts)
- [Video aspect ratios for social media](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/video-aspect-ratios-for-social-media)
- [Auto captions that are transcribed on your Mac](https://getvidiyo.app/features/auto-captions)
- [End screen](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/end-screen)

## Sources

- [Instagram Reels video ads specifications (Meta Ads Guide)](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide/update/video/instagram-reels) (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [Use square and vertical video to engage mobile customers (Google Ads Help)](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9128498?hl=en) (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [TikTok ad safe zones (AdKit)](https://adkit.so/tools/safe-zones/tiktok) (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [Instagram safe zones (AdKit)](https://adkit.so/tools/safe-zones/instagram) (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [TikTok safe zone: the exact template in pixels (Cadenus)](https://cadenus.io/resources/blog/tiktok-safe-zone/) (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [Instagram head announces 3-minute Reels and a new look for the profile grid (Business Today)](https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/instagram-head-announces-big-changes-3-minute-reels-and-new-look-for-profile-grid-461527-2025-01-21) (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [SMPTE ST 2046-1:2009 Safe areas for 16:9 television systems](https://pub.smpte.org/doc/st2046-1/20091123-pub/st2046-1-2009.pdf) (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [Add end screens to videos (YouTube Help)](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6388789?hl=en) (accessed 2026-10-08)

Download Vidiyo for Mac (free during the beta): https://getvidiyo.app/download