Horizontal to vertical video 16:9 into 9:16, ready for Reels, TikTok and Shorts.
To turn a horizontal video vertical, choose the file, drag the picture in the preview until the person sits in the middle of the 9:16 frame and create the MP4 at 1080 x 1920. If nothing can be left out, use blurred bars. The audio is kept. Free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Free, no sign-upWant the frame to follow whoever is speaking? We reframe it for you. Try it on my video
How to make a horizontal video vertical
- 01
Choose the horizontal video
Drag your MP4, MOV or WebM onto the area above. The preview opens in 9:16 already, cropped at the center of the picture.
- 02
Frame who matters
Drag the picture sideways until the person or object sits in the middle, or switch to fit with blurred bars to show the whole scene.
- 03
Create and post
Click make it vertical, watch the bar and download the MP4 at 1080 x 1920, the size Reels, TikTok and Shorts use.
What is left of a 16:9 video when it becomes 9:16?
Much less than it seems. The vertical frame has the same height as the horizontal one but only 31.6% of the width: from a 1920 x 1080 video, 606 x 1080 pixels remain. Almost 70% of the picture is left out, so the first decision is which strip to keep. In most videos of one person talking, they sit near the center and the center crop already works; when they do not, drag the picture in the preview until they do.
The cropped strip is enlarged to 1080 x 1920. From a 1080p original that makes the picture a little softer; from a 4K original the strip is 1214 x 2160 pixels and the vertical video comes out sharp. If you shoot with vertical clips in mind, recording in 4K gives you that headroom.
| 16:9 original | Cropped vertical strip | 9:16 output |
|---|---|---|
| 1280 x 720 | 404 x 720 | 720 x 1280 or 1080 x 1920 |
| 1920 x 1080 | 606 x 1080 | 1080 x 1920 |
| 3840 x 2160 (4K) | 1214 x 2160 | 1080 x 1920, no upscaling |
Crop or blurred bars for Reels, TikTok and Shorts?
Cropping fills the whole screen, which is what people expect in a vertical feed, and works with one person in the frame. Blurred bars show the whole horizontal scene in the middle of the screen, with the picture itself enlarged and blurred behind it, and suit wide shots, slide presentations, stages and gameplay.
An interview with two people sitting side by side is the hardest case: a static crop shows one and cuts the other. Here, the answer is fit with bars; in the product we solve it differently, with the camera switching to whoever is talking at each line.
- One person talking to the camera: crop, adjusted over the face.
- Two people, wide shots or slides: fit with blurred bars.
- Text or a logo near the sides of the original: check the preview, because the crop cuts those out.
Where do the app buttons sit on a vertical video?
In 9:16, the Reels, TikTok and Shorts interface sits on top of the video: name, post caption and music at the bottom, like, comment and share along the right edge. Faces, burned-in captions and key text should stay out of those areas. When framing, keep the face in the upper third and centered.
To check before posting, run a frame of the vertical video through the safe zone tool, which draws each platform's interface over the picture.
Static crop or a camera that follows the speaker?
This tool makes a static crop: the vertical window stays in the same place from start to finish. It is quick and predictable, and fits short clips where the person stays put. In long videos, like podcasts, church services, classes or interviews, the speaker changes position and a fixed crop ends up cutting someone out.
In the clips we make, the vertical frame follows whoever is speaking, switches people in a conversation and can split the screen when both are on camera. You upload the horizontal video or paste a YouTube link and get the best moments already in 9:16, captioned.
More than a video resizer. A frame that follows the speaker.
See also
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn a horizontal video into a vertical one?
Choose the video on this page: the preview opens in 9:16 already. Drag the picture until the person is in the middle, or pick fit with blurred bars to show everything. Click make it vertical and download the 1080 x 1920 MP4.
Can I make a video vertical without cutting off the sides?
Yes, with fit with bars. The horizontal video shows in full in the middle of the screen and the space above and below is blurred, black or white. The picture is smaller, but nothing disappears.
How do I make a YouTube video vertical for Shorts?
With the video file on your computer or phone, choose it here, frame it in 9:16 and download. Shorts takes this 1080 x 1920 MP4 as is. To pull several moments out of a long YouTube video, we do that from the link.
Does the vertical video lose quality?
It loses a little sharpness from a 1080p original, because the cropped strip is 606 pixels wide and is enlarged to 1080. From a 4K original there is no upscaling. The video is created again in H.264 at a high bitrate, and the audio is kept.
Does the framing follow the person if they walk?
No. Here the crop is static, wherever you put it, from start to finish. If the person moves across the frame, use blurred bars. In the clips we make, the vertical frame follows whoever is speaking.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, in current Android and iPhone browsers: drag the picture with your finger in the preview to frame it. Long videos take longer, and the bar shows the time left.
Vertical, with the camera on the speaker. No fixed crop.
Upload the horizontal video or paste a YouTube link. We find the best moments, make them 9:16 with the frame following whoever is speaking, and caption them, ready to review and download.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.