Resize and crop
Why does TikTok or Instagram crop my video or add black bars?
Short answer
Because the video's shape doesn't match the screen. TikTok, Reels and Shorts fill a 9:16 vertical screen, so a horizontal or square video either shows with black bars or gets zoomed and cropped to fill it, and profile grids show a cropped preview. Fix it before uploading: export the video in 9:16, choosing crop, a blurred background or a solid background yourself, so the app has nothing to change.
4 min read
Why does this happen?
Every app shows video in a frame of a fixed shape. When your video's shape, its aspect ratio, doesn't match, the app has two choices:
- Fit it, showing the whole video with empty space around it, usually black bars.
- Fill it, zooming in until there's no empty space and cutting off what falls outside.
Neither changes your file; it's how the app displays it. The fix is to upload a video that already has the right shape.
How does each platform handle it?
| Platform | What you see with the wrong shape | What the platform recommends |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok | Black bars around horizontal or square videos | Full 9:16 portrait; TikTok says letterboxed landscape videos don't perform as well (TikTok) |
| Instagram Reels | Empty space around shapes wider or squarer than the screen; the profile grid crops each post to a tall tile, widely reported as 3:4 | Reels from 1.91:1 to 9:16, with 9:16 filling the screen (Instagram Help) |
| YouTube | A 16:9 video is a regular video, not a Short | Square or vertical up to three minutes for Shorts (YouTube Help) |
Platforms change their players often, so check the preview screen before you post.
How do I fix black bars?
Export the video in the shape the platform expects before you upload it:
- Choose the target shape: 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts; 16:9 for regular YouTube videos.
- Choose how to fill it: crop when the subject is centered; a blurred or solid background when you need the whole frame. See how to turn a horizontal video into 9:16.
- Check the preview in the app before posting.
Why is my video cropped on my profile but not in the feed?
Profile grids show every post in the same tile shape, so taller or wider videos are cropped in the grid even when they play in full. On Instagram that tile has been a tall rectangle since January 2025, widely reported as 3:4 (Engadget), so a 9:16 reel loses about an eighth of its height at the top and at the bottom of the grid. Keep the important part, and any cover text, in the middle of the frame, and choose a cover image that still reads when its edges are cut.
Why do my videos look stretched?
An app never stretches on purpose. A stretched or squashed picture usually means the editing app exported it at the wrong size, or the file's display settings are wrong. Re-export it at the right size, for example 1080×1920 for 9:16, without stretching; see how to change a video's aspect ratio without stretching it.
How to do it in CaptionBolt
To give the app a video that already fits, CaptionBolt's free Video Resizer converts it to 9:16, 1:1, 4:5 or 16:9 in your browser, with crop, blurred background or solid background, and exports an MP4 without a watermark.
- Upload the video and choose the platform's shape.
- Pick the fill and check the preview.
- Export and upload the new MP4.
If you're adding captions, choose the shape under Resize in the CaptionBolt editor, so captions are placed for the final frame and clear of the app's buttons; see where to put captions so the buttons don't cover them.
When another approach is better
If the app crops a video that already has the right shape, the cause is usually the cover image or the grid preview, not the video. Change the cover in the app instead of re-exporting.
Related questions
How do I resize a video for Instagram Reels, feed posts and Stories?
Use 9:16 at 1080×1920 for Reels and Stories, which fill the phone screen, and 4:5 at 1080×1350 when you want a video that takes less space in the feed. Instagram accepts Reels from 1.91:1 to 9:16, and new video posts are shared as reels. Convert a horizontal video with a blurred or solid background to keep the whole frame, or crop when one person is centered.
How do I turn a horizontal video into a vertical 9:16 video for TikTok without cutting anyone off?
Put the horizontal video on a 9:16 canvas and choose how to fill it. Crop to the middle only when one person sits in the center; when people or text are near the edges, keep the whole frame and fill the space above and below with a blurred or solid background. Never stretch the video. Export at 1080×1920 and check that faces and captions stay clear of the app's buttons.
How do I turn a vertical video into a horizontal 16:9 video for YouTube without black bars?
Put the vertical video in the middle of a 16:9 canvas and fill the sides with a blurred copy of it or a solid color, so nothing is cut off and there are no black bars. Cropping to 16:9 keeps only a thin band of the picture, often cutting off the head. YouTube treats vertical or square videos up to three minutes as Shorts, so convert to 16:9 if you want a regular video.
What size should my video be for TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts?
Use 9:16 vertical video at 1080×1920 pixels for TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts; it fills the phone screen on all three. Instagram accepts Reels from 1.91:1 to 9:16, and YouTube treats square or vertical videos up to three minutes as Shorts. Shoot or export at 1080p or higher, and keep faces and captions away from the bottom and right edges, where each app puts its buttons.