Instagram Reels Safe Zone Checker

Upload a Reel or cover frame to see where Instagram's caption, audio label, and like, comment, and share buttons cover it — so on-screen text and CTAs stay readable.

Instagram Reels UI

Camera & audio header
Like, comment, share rail
Username, caption & audio

Everything stays in your browser — nothing is uploaded to a server.

Where Instagram Reels covers your video

Instagram recommends keeping text and logos out of the top 108px and bottom 420px of a 1080×1920 Reel.

The caption block grows with longer captions — assume the bottom fifth of the frame is covered.

Reels shared to the feed get cropped to 4:5, so keep the essential action in the center 1080×1350 region too.

Covered regions (1080×1920)
Camera & audio header108px tall
Like, comment, share rail806px tall
Username, caption & audio420px tall

Keep faces, captions, and CTAs inside the uncovered middle band.

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Checking another platform? TikTok · YouTube Shorts

How to check your Instagram Reels safe zone

  1. Export your video or a still frame at 1080×1920 (9:16). Other sizes work, but the overlay assumes a vertical 9:16 frame.
  2. Click Upload file and pick the video or image. It opens locally in your browser — nothing is sent to a server.
  3. Leave the overlay on and look for faces, captions, logos, or calls to action sitting under the red Instagram Reels UI regions.
  4. Toggle the overlay off to see the clean frame, move anything that was covered into the middle band, then re-export and check again.

What is the Instagram Reels safe zone?

A Reel is a 1080×1920 (9:16) video, but not all of that frame is visible once Instagram draws its interface on top. The top strip holds the Reels header and camera icon, the right edge carries the like, comment, share, and audio buttons, and the bottom fifth shows your username, follow button, caption preview, and audio label. The safe zone is what's left: the middle of the frame, a little left of center.

Where should text go on an Instagram Reel?

Keep titles, subtitles, and product shots in the center of the frame, away from the right edge. In this checker the covered areas are about 108px at the top and 420px at the bottom of a 1080×1920 Reel, plus a rail roughly 144px wide on the right. Long captions expand the bottom block, so if you write more than a line or two, leave extra room.

Reels in the feed and on your profile grid

The same Reel appears in more than one shape. Full-screen in the Reels tab it is 9:16, but in the home feed it can be shown cropped closer to 4:5, and on your profile grid Instagram shows a vertical 3:4 thumbnail. Keep the key action and any cover text in the center 1080×1350 area so it survives every crop. You can pick a separate cover image when you publish if the first frame doesn't work as a thumbnail.

Stories vs Reels

Stories use the same 9:16 canvas, but the covered areas differ: your profile picture and progress bar sit at the top and the reply field sits at the bottom. Leaving about 250px clear at the top and bottom of a Story is a safe rule of thumb.

Safe zone margins compared: TikTok vs Reels vs Shorts

Approximate areas covered by each app's interface on a 1080×1920 frame, as used by the overlays in these checkers. Caption length, ads, and app updates shift them slightly, so leave a little extra room.

PlatformTopRight railBottom
TikTok~140px~200px~484px
Instagram Reels~108px~144px~420px
YouTube Shorts~121px~144px~307px

If you post one clip to all three, design for the strictest edges: TikTok's bottom and right rail, and the tallest top bar. Keeping text roughly between 15% and 70% of the frame height, away from the right edge, clears every app.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Instagram Reels safe zone?

The area of a 1080×1920 Reel that Instagram's interface doesn't cover. Instagram recommends keeping text and logos out of the top 108px and the bottom 420px, plus the right edge where the like/comment/share rail sits.

Why does the bottom of my Reel get covered?

Instagram overlays your username, caption, and audio attribution on the bottom fifth of every Reel — and the block grows with longer captions. Put burned-in captions in the middle band instead.

Does the safe zone change when a Reel shows in the feed?

Yes — in the home feed, Reels are cropped to 4:5 (1080×1350). Keep the essential action centered so it survives both the 9:16 full-screen view and the 4:5 feed crop.

Does this tool upload my video anywhere?

No. The preview runs entirely in your browser using a local object URL. Your file never leaves your device.

Do these zones apply to Instagram Stories too?

Mostly. Stories reserve about 250px at the top (profile ring) and 250px at the bottom (reply box), so the same keep-it-centered rule applies — with a bit more top clearance than Reels.