Video size
YouTube Shorts size
YouTube accepts square and vertical videos up to three minutes as Shorts under its current upload rules. A 9:16 composition fills a portrait frame, but square video can also qualify.
Compare pixel sizes · Calculate a crop or fit
- Resolution
- 1080x1920
- Aspect ratio
- 9:16
- Also accepted
- 1:1 · 4:5
File: MP4 or MOV, H.264 video, AAC-LC audio at 48 kHz.
Length: Up to 3 minutes for square or vertical uploads under the current Shorts rules. Checked September 2026.
Export suggestions, not a guarantee of how every upload will display. Rules checked: 12 September 2026. Platform docs.
YouTube Shorts dimensions in pixels
Width comes first, then height. These are example square and vertical exports. Current uploads in these shapes can qualify as Shorts when they are no longer than three minutes.
| Width x height | Ratio | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 | Portrait composition |
| 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 | Square composition |
| 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 | Vertical, wider than 9:16 |
A 1920x1080 landscape frame is 16:9, so it is not the same shape as a 1080x1920 Short. YouTube guidance.
Need to keep the whole scene? Read our guide to resizing without cropping.
Crop or fit calculator
Enter your source dimensions. Crop fills the output by trimming edges; fit keeps the whole scene and adds space around it. No file upload needed.
Enter whole-pixel dimensions from 1 to 32768.
- Source crop box
- —
- Source offset
- —
- Trimmed away
- —
- Export at
- —
The outline shows the crop or fitted picture. Shaded bands are rough layout guides for vertical output, not official safe-zone dimensions. Actual controls vary by device, captions and player state; check the upload preview.
YouTube Shorts dimensions: crop or keep the whole scene?
1080x1920 is a practical 9:16 export for a vertical Short. YouTube also classifies square or vertical uploads up to three minutes as Shorts under its current rules. A square 1080x1080 composition can preserve more of a wide shot. YouTube's Shorts requirements.
Example: a 1920x1080 landscape recording
A 9:16 crop keeps about 608x1080 source pixels and removes about 68% of the original frame. Exporting that crop at 1080x1920 enlarges it; the extra pixels do not restore detail. Fitting the full shot into the same canvas keeps everything, but leaves space above and below the picture.
Switch to a square crop to keep 1080x1080 source pixels: about 44% of the wide frame is removed. Try both shapes in the calculator before cutting off a second speaker, subtitles or an object near the edge.
For the editing steps, follow our guide to cropping landscape video to vertical on Android. Fractional crop coordinates may need rounding in your editor.
Do the crop on your phone
Cropzen crops, trims and resizes video to these ratios on Android. No watermark or sign-up. 1080p exports are free; Pro adds 4K.
What to watch out for on YouTube
- Use a square crop when it keeps more of the scene visible than 9:16.
- 1080x1920 is a practical vertical export size. Increasing resolution cannot restore detail missing from the source.
- Check the upload preview for captions and controls covering the bottom or right of the picture.
Questions people ask
What size should a YouTube Shorts video be?
A suggested export is 1080 by 1920 pixels at 9:16. YouTube accepts square and vertical videos up to three minutes as Shorts under its current upload rules. A 9:16 composition fills a portrait frame, but square video can also qualify.
Which aspect ratio does YouTube accept besides 9:16?
Square and vertical uploads up to three minutes can qualify as Shorts. Use 9:16 for a tall composition or 1:1 when a square frame keeps more of the scene.
Where does the YouTube interface cover the video?
Controls and captions can cover the picture differently across devices and viewing modes. The shaded calculator preview is an illustrative margin, not an official safe-zone specification. Check your upload preview before placing important text near an edge.
How do I crop a video I already shot to this size?
Use the calculator on this page to get the exact crop box, then apply it in any editor. On Android, Cropzen does it in a few taps with no watermark and no sign-up.
Is 1080x1920 the same as 1920x1080?
No. Dimensions are width first, then height. 1080x1920 is portrait 9:16; 1920x1080 is landscape 16:9. To make a landscape clip square or vertical, compare cropping its sides with fitting the whole frame.
Can a YouTube Short be three minutes long?
Current square or vertical uploads can be up to three minutes. Older uploads have separate classification dates in the platform guidance. Duration alone does not turn a landscape video into a Short.