Jun 21, 2024 • Updated Oct 10, 2026

YouTube Shorts Size (2026): 1080x1920 Pixels, 9:16 Aspect Ratio and Full Specs

YouTube Shorts size is 1080x1920 pixels with a 9:16 aspect ratio. See full specs, safe zones, thumbnail size, max length, and how to resize to vertical.

The YouTube Shorts size is 1080 x 1920 pixels (1080 wide, 1920 tall) with a 9:16 vertical aspect ratio. Export as MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio, keep it under 3 minutes, and keep text away from the edges of the frame.

YouTube Shorts size and specs at a glance

Spec	Recommended value
Resolution	1080 x 1920 (Full HD vertical)
Aspect ratio	9:16 (vertical); 1:1 square also qualifies
Frame size in pixels	1080 px wide x 1920 px tall
Maximum length	3 minutes (for uploads on or after 15 Oct 2024)
Minimum resolution	720 x 1280 as a practical floor; 1080 x 1920 preferred
File type	MP4 (MOV also uploads fine)
Video codec	H.264, progressive scan, same frame rate as the recording
Audio codec	AAC-LC, 48 kHz
Bitrate (1080p)	About 8 Mbps at 24–30 fps, 12 Mbps at 48–60 fps
Safe zone	Keep text and faces in the center; leave space at the top, bottom, and right edge for YouTube’s interface

If you only remember one rule: export a 1080 x 1920 vertical MP4 and keep captions inside the safe zone.

Why 1080 x 1920 and 9:16 is the right size

Shorts are watched on phones held upright. A phone screen is roughly 9:16, so a 1080 x 1920 video fills it edge to edge with no black bars and no cropping. Smaller vertical files (for example 720 x 1280) will play, but they look softer on modern phones. Larger files such as 2160 x 3840 (4K vertical) are accepted, but they make uploads slower without a visible gain for most viewers.

What changed with Shorts length

According to YouTube Help, videos uploaded on or after October 15, 2024 that are square or vertical and up to 3 minutes long are categorized as Shorts. Videos uploaded before that date keep their original classification.

That means:

9:16 vertical still works best for most Shorts
1:1 square can still qualify as a Short
videos can now be up to 3 minutes, not just 60 seconds

For most growth-focused Shorts, shorter still tends to be better for retention. The technical limit and the performance sweet spot are not always the same thing.

Export settings that usually work best

YouTube’s recommended upload settings support a simple Shorts export:

Container: MP4
Video codec: H.264
Audio codec: AAC-LC, 48 kHz sample rate
Frame rate: keep the same frame rate as the source recording (24, 25, 30, 50, or 60 fps)
Scan type: progressive, not interlaced
Color: standard SDR (Rec. 709) unless you know you need HDR

If your editor offers too many settings, do not overcomplicate it. A clean vertical MP4 export at 1080 x 1920 is enough for most Shorts workflows.

YouTube Shorts thumbnail size

Shorts thumbnails work differently from long-form thumbnails:

In the YouTube mobile app, you choose a frame from the video as the thumbnail when you upload.
Custom image thumbnails for Shorts need a verified YouTube account. You upload them in YouTube Studio on desktop, and they cannot be A/B tested. The rollout started with Partner Program creators in 2026, so check the thumbnail section of your Short in Studio. If you do not see the upload option, use frame selection.
Design size: make the image vertical at 1080 x 1920 so it matches the video, and keep the file under 2 MB in JPG or PNG.

Because the Shorts feed autoplays, most viewers never see the thumbnail. It matters more on your channel’s Shorts tab and in search. Pick a frame with a clear face or a short text label in the center, because some surfaces crop the edges.

For a regular horizontal video, the long-standing recommended thumbnail size is 1280 x 720 (16:9).

Safe zones for captions and UI

Even if the file is the right size, text near the edges can be hidden. YouTube overlays the channel name, caption text, and subscribe button at the bottom, and the like, comment, share, and remix buttons down the right side. The search and menu icons sit at the top.

YouTube does not publish exact pixel values, so use a conservative rule for a 1080 x 1920 frame:

Top: leave about 250 px clear
Bottom: leave about 400 px clear (this is where the title and channel name appear)
Right: leave about 150 px clear for the action buttons
Left: leave about 60 px clear

That leaves a central area of roughly 870 x 1270 px for headlines, captions, lower thirds, and CTAs. Place burned-in captions in the lower-middle of that area, not at the very bottom of the frame.

Youtube Shorts Safe Zone Guide

Why this matters:

the mobile interface overlaps content near the edges
subtitles become harder to read on smaller screens
edge-heavy layouts feel cramped even when they are not cropped

If you add captions, see open vs closed captions to decide whether to burn them in, and use the Podcast Subtitle Generator to create them.

Shorts vs Reels vs TikTok size

All three vertical platforms use the same base size, so one 1080 x 1920 export can usually go everywhere. The differences are length and interface placement.

	YouTube Shorts	Instagram Reels	TikTok
Recommended size	1080 x 1920	1080 x 1920	1080 x 1920
Aspect ratio	9:16 (1:1 also qualifies)	9:16	9:16
Maximum length	3 minutes	3 minutes	10 minutes in the app; longer uploads are supported
File type	MP4 or MOV	MP4 or MOV	MP4 or MOV
UI overlap	Bottom and right side	Bottom and right side	Bottom and right side

Practical tips for cross-posting:

Keep the hook, captions, and faces in the shared center safe area so the same file works on all three.
Remove another platform’s watermark before reposting.
If a video runs longer than 3 minutes, cut a shorter version for Shorts and Reels.

For platform-specific advice, see how to create podcast video clips for TikTok and promoting podcast clips on Instagram Reels.

How to resize a horizontal video to 9:16

Most podcasts, webinars, and YouTube videos are recorded at 16:9 (1920 x 1080). Uploading that file as-is gives you a small strip in the middle of a tall screen. You have three options:

Crop and reframe (best for single speakers). Cut a 9:16 window out of the 16:9 frame and move it to follow whoever is talking. From a 1920 x 1080 source, a full-height 9:16 crop is only about 608 x 1080, so it gets upscaled. If you can, record in 4K: a 9:16 crop of 3840 x 2160 is about 1215 x 2160, which scales down cleanly to 1080 x 1920.
Split screen (best for two-person podcasts). Stack the host on top and the guest below, each in a 1080 x 960 panel. Everyone stays visible and there is no constant reframing.
Fit with a background (best for slides and screen recordings). Place the full 16:9 video in the middle and fill the space above and below with a blurred copy, a brand color, or a large caption block. Nothing is cropped out, which matters for charts and on-screen text.

Doing this by hand in an editor works, but it is slow when you publish several Shorts a week. The AI Shorts Generator finds the strongest moments in a long video, reframes them to 1080 x 1920, and adds captions. If you already know which section you want, the YouTube Clip Maker cuts a clip from a YouTube link and exports it vertically. For audio-first shows, the Podcast Shorts Generator turns episodes into vertical clips.

Best aspect ratio by use case

Use 9:16 if the content is made specifically for Shorts
Use 1:1 only if you are intentionally reusing a square asset and it still reads well on mobile
Avoid republishing 16:9 landscape videos as Shorts without reframing

Square can qualify as a Short, but if your goal is the best presentation in the Shorts feed, vertical still wins.

Common mistakes

Exporting landscape video and hoping YouTube will fix it
Placing captions too close to the bottom edge
Overloading the first frame with too much text
Using long intros before the hook appears
Reusing one version without checking how it looks on mobile

Quality checklist before publishing

Video is exported at 1080 x 1920
Aspect ratio is 9:16 unless you intentionally chose square
Length is 3 minutes or less
Text stays inside safe margins
Hook appears in the first 1 to 3 seconds
Captions are readable on a phone screen
Final export looks clean in vertical preview before upload

How Recast helps

If you produce Shorts regularly, the biggest time saver is not remembering the dimensions. It is avoiding repetitive resizing, reframing, and subtitle cleanup every time you publish.

Recast generates vertical Shorts from longer recordings, keeps output at Shorts-friendly dimensions, and makes subtitle styling easy to review, so one recording becomes several short-form assets.

That is especially useful if you turn podcasts, webinars, or longer interviews into repeatable Shorts content. For a comparison of tools, see the best AI Shorts makers.

FAQ

What size is a YouTube Short (YT Shorts size)?

A YouTube Short is 1080 x 1920 pixels in a vertical 9:16 frame. That is the YouTube Shorts size to use for almost every upload.

What is the YouTube Shorts video size width and height?

The width is 1080 pixels and the height is 1920 pixels. Width always comes first, so a vertical Short is 1080 x 1920, not 1920 x 1080.

What is the YouTube Shorts ratio (YT Shorts ratio)?

The YouTube Shorts ratio is 9:16, meaning the video is 9 units wide for every 16 units tall. Square 1:1 videos also count as Shorts.

What is the YouTube Shorts aspect ratio for 3-minute Shorts?

The same: 9:16 vertical or 1:1 square. Since October 15, 2024, square or vertical videos up to 3 minutes are categorized as Shorts.

What is the YouTube Shorts frame size?

The YouTube Shorts frame size is 1080 x 1920 pixels. Keep important content inside the central safe zone, roughly 870 x 1270 pixels, so the interface does not cover it.

What is the YouTube short video size, and does it work on other platforms?

The YouTube short video size is 1080 x 1920 at 9:16, and the same short video size works for Instagram Reels and TikTok. Keep text in the center so each platform’s interface does not cover it.

Ukuran short YouTube berapa?

Ukuran video YouTube Shorts adalah 1080 x 1920 piksel dengan rasio 9:16 (vertikal), dengan durasi maksimal 3 menit. (In English: the YouTube Shorts size is 1080 x 1920 pixels, 9:16, up to 3 minutes.)

Can square videos be YouTube Shorts?

Yes. YouTube Help says square or vertical videos up to 3 minutes can be categorized as Shorts, but vertical is still the better default for mobile.

Can YouTube Shorts be 3 minutes long?

Yes. Videos uploaded on or after October 15, 2024 that are square or vertical can be Shorts up to 3 minutes long.

Sources

Next Step

If you already have long-form video or audio to repurpose, use AI Shorts Generator to produce 1080 x 1920 vertical clips faster and check the first frame on mobile before publishing.