Shorts frame
Recommended1080×1920 9:16
Standard vertical frame for Shorts video and cover stills. Design the mid-frame first.
Use in toolYouTube · Image size
YouTube Shorts Size
Shorts fill the phone at 1080×1920. Keep faces out of the top and bottom UI bands, export a sharp 9:16 cover frame in your browser, then match that framing in your editor—no signup.
Browser tool · nothing leaves your device
Crop your Shorts cover frame
Output 1080 × 1920
- 1Upload or try the sample
- 2Drag so the subject stays in the mobile guide
- 3Download 1640×624 (or your selected size)
Click to upload
Upload a vertical frame—or try the sample—then keep the subject between the UI risk bands before you download the cover still.
Drop an image onto the canvas, click inside it, or try the sample
Size specs
Export 1080×1920, but treat the top and bottom strips as unsafe. Title chips, captions, and action buttons cover the edges—design the mid-frame first, then bleed backgrounds full-bleed.
Publish
Export this for YouTube upload.
| Asset | Pixels | Ratio | Notes | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shorts frame Recommended | 1080×1920 | 9:16 | Standard vertical frame for Shorts video and cover stills. Design the mid-frame first. | Use in tool |
Shorts chrome is part of the composition
A Short fills the phone, then YouTube draws title rows, captions, channel chips, and right-side actions on top. Edges that look fine in a desktop editor can vanish on-device the moment captions turn on. Treat those bands as reserved space—not optional decoration.
Cover stills matter as much as the clip. The frame people tap in the Shorts shelf or your channel often comes from a single image. Export that still at 1080×1920 and keep the hero subject in the clear middle band so it still reads with UI overlays and at tiny card size.
Shorts are watched one-handed, often with sound off. Put the hook in the first second and keep on-screen text large enough to read without pausing. Dense paragraphs belong in the description, not stacked over the product. If you burn captions into the video, leave extra room under the mid-band.
When you repurpose TikTok or Instagram Reels, double-check YouTube’s chrome—same 9:16 pixels, different overlays. A layout that clears Reels buttons can still collide with Shorts title chips. Never stretch a 16:9 video thumb into a Short without a proper vertical re-crop from the source.
Good vs weak crop
Same 9:16 frame—captions and the right-side button stack hide edge-hugging subjects.
Readable with Shorts UI
- Subject mid-frame between UI bands
- Title in the clear center band
- Quiet top and bottom for chrome
Covered by chrome
- Headline under the title / username row
- CTA on the caption stack
- Detail clipped by right-side buttons
Before you upload
Tick these off against your crop preview—nothing is saved.
Related surfaces compared
Similar-looking slots often use different ratios—do not reuse one export for all of them.
Shorts video / cover
1080 × 1920
This page. Full-screen vertical with Shorts UI overlays.
Long-form thumbnail
1280 × 720
16:9 browse cards—re-crop; do not stretch a Short into this slot.
Channel banner
2560 × 1440
Wide channel art with a center safe zone—not a Shorts frame.
Channel profile photo
800 × 800
Circular avatar in chrome, not the Short art itself.
| Surface | Typical size | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Shorts video / cover | 1080 × 1920 | This page. Full-screen vertical with Shorts UI overlays. |
| Long-form thumbnail | 1280 × 720 | 16:9 browse cards—re-crop; do not stretch a Short into this slot. |
| Channel banner | 2560 × 1440 | Wide channel art with a center safe zone—not a Shorts frame. |
| Channel profile photo | 800 × 800 | Circular avatar in chrome, not the Short art itself. |
UI chrome to keep clear
Treat the top band as reserved for navigation and title chips, and the bottom band as reserved for captions and CTA stacks. The right edge often holds like, comment, and share controls. Exact padding varies by device—design with margin, not pixel-perfect assumptions.
Guides on this page are approximate. Always confirm once inside the Shorts player with captions enabled.
- Top: title chips, close / more controls, status areas.
- Bottom: captions, branded CTAs, and lower chrome.
- Right: action buttons that sit over your art during playback.
- Center band: safest place for faces, products, and short hooks.
Cover frames and opening seconds
People decide to watch from a tiny card and the first beat of motion. Design the cover like a poster: one subject, one short line, high contrast. Then make sure the opening shot of the video matches that framing so the transition does not feel like a bait crop.
Brand accounts often overstuff the first frame with three headlines and a logo lockup. On a phone, that collapses into noise. One word or a clear product beat beats a flyer—especially when captions appear underneath.
- Prefer a still that works with captions on—not only muted in an editor.
- Keep motion behind the subject, not over the hook text.
- Avoid letterboxing a 16:9 thumb into 9:16; re-crop from the source.
- If you burn captions into the video, leave extra space under the mid-band.
- Test dark-mode contrast—grey type on busy footage disappears after compression.
File requirements
This tool crops still frames. For motion, match the same 1080×1920 safe zone in your video editor. JPG is fine for photo covers; PNG helps for flat graphics. Keep sRGB so colors do not shift after upload.
- Frame size
- 1080 × 1920 px (9:16)
- Cover still
- Same ratio, JPG or PNG (sRGB)
- Safe content
- Keep critical elements between the UI risk bands
- Video
- Export vertical video to match; follow in-app length limits
- Color
- sRGB preferred
- Tip
- Preview with captions enabled before publishing
Common mistakes
- Using a 16:9 thumbnail and letterboxing it into a Short.
- Putting the hook text at the very top under title chrome.
- Placing CTAs where the caption stack or right buttons land.
- Low contrast on busy footage that fails with sound off.
- Picking a cover frame that does not match the opening shot.
- Exporting only the cover correctly while the video still uses a center crop from landscape.
How to use the crop tool on this page
Upload a vertical (or any) still, lock the Shorts preset at 1080×1920, then drag until the subject clears both UI risk bands. Download when only background sits in the unsafe top and bottom strips.
- Bleed backgrounds to the full frame; protect only the message.
- Nothing leaves your device while cropping.
- Guides are approximate—confirm once inside YouTube Shorts with captions on.
- For long-form thumbs next, open the Thumbnail guide; the ratio is different.
After you download
From this download to a live upload in a few minutes.
- 1
Download the 1080×1920 JPG for a cover still—or match this frame when editing video.
- 2
Open YouTube → create a Short (or upload vertical video that qualifies as a Short).
- 3
Set the cover / custom frame if Studio prompts you.
- 4
Preview once with captions on—auto captions can cover what looked safe in the crop tool.
- 5
Scrub the first second on your phone: the opening shot should match the cover framing.
Frequently asked questions
What size are YouTube Shorts in 2026?
1080×1920 pixels (9:16). That is the standard full-screen vertical frame for Shorts video and cover stills—keep important content out of the top and bottom UI bands.
Where should text go on a Short?
Keep it in the middle band. Top title chrome, bottom captions, and right-side buttons commonly cover edge text. Leave extra room if you will burn captions into the video.
Is Shorts size the same as Instagram Reels or TikTok?
Same pixels (1080×1920), different chrome. Always re-check safe zones for each app before you publish a shared master edit.
Can I use a horizontal video for Shorts?
YouTube will pillarbox or crop it. Shoot or crop vertical 9:16 when you can so you control what stays in frame instead of letting the app decide.
Does this tool edit video?
It crops still cover frames. Match the same framing and safe zone when you export video from your editor so the opening shot matches the cover.
What makes a good Shorts cover?
A clear mid-frame subject, short readable type, and a frame that still works with captions on. Avoid faces only in the top or bottom UI bands.
JPG or PNG for a Shorts cover still?
JPG for photographs; PNG for hard-edged graphics or type-heavy covers. Prefer sRGB either way, and keep the file light enough for mobile upload.