TikTok safe zone where captions stay clear of the description.
On TikTok, on a 1080 x 1920 video, the interface covers about 130 pixels at the top, 484 at the bottom, where the name, description and sound sit, and 140 on the right, where the buttons are. Load a frame of your video and see where text stays visible, on a regular post or under the stricter ad template.
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At 4:5 and 1:1, the app shows your video centered with bars above and below. The overlay marks only what the interface covers inside your frame.
Approximate reference, reviewed October 2026: every app moves its buttons between versions, phones and account types. Use this as a guide, not an official spec.
How to check the TikTok safe zone
- 01
Open it with TikTok selected
The overlay starts on TikTok at 9:16. Switch to Ad if the video will run as a paid ad.
- 02
Load a frame of the video
Use an image or the video itself and pick the moment with the most text on screen, like the hook or the longest caption.
- 03
Adjust and download the overlay
If anything touches the bands, raise the caption or move text away from the right column. Download the transparent PNG overlay for your editor.
What is the TikTok safe zone in 2026?
TikTok plays the video full screen, 1080 x 1920 pixels, and draws its interface on top. At the top are the Following and For You tabs, the LIVE shortcut and the search icon. On the right, top to bottom: the profile picture with the follow button, like, comment, save, share and the spinning sound disc. At the bottom, the @handle, the post description, the sound name and, on longer videos, the scrub bar.
The overlay uses the margins creator guides attribute to TikTok's own safe zone files, reviewed October 2026. The interface changes with the app version and screen size, so treat these numbers as a minimum and leave some room.
| Part of the screen | Margin at 1080 x 1920 | What sits there |
|---|---|---|
| Top | 130 px | Following, For You, LIVE, search |
| Right | 140 px | Profile, like, comment, save, share, sound |
| Bottom | 484 px | @handle, description, sound, scrub bar |
| Left | 44 px | Rounded screen edge |
Where should captions go on TikTok?
TikTok's bottom block is the tallest of the short video apps, so a caption that works on a landscape video, pinned to the bottom, disappears behind the description. On TikTok, keep captions above y = 1436, ideally between 1100 and 1350 pixels, centered, with at least 140 pixels clear on the right. That keeps them close to where people look, the speaker's face, and away from the buttons.
A hook in the first seconds works in the top third, just below the tabs, from about 150 pixels down. Don't start text at the left edge: the 44 pixel margin already sits on the rounded screen corner on many phones.
- Captions: centered, between 1100 and 1350 px high.
- Hook: top third, below 150 px.
- Nothing important within 140 px of the right edge.
- Speaker's face: center of the frame, where nothing covers it.
What mistakes hide text on TikTok?
The first is reusing the landscape YouTube caption at the bottom of the frame: there it sits under the @handle and description. The second is a long description: when someone taps more, the post text expands and covers even more of the video. The third is right-aligned titles, exactly where the buttons and sound disc are.
It's also easy to forget that TikTok takes 4:5 and square video. Then it centers the video with bands above and below, and the overlay marks only what the interface still covers inside your frame. Switch the format in the tool to check.
Is the TikTok ad safe zone different?
Yes, and much stricter. In the Ads Manager safe zone files, a vertical In-Feed ad keeps 240 pixels at the top, 660 at the bottom and 120 on each side clear, and the button column reaches 300 pixels in from a height of 840. The difference comes from what an ad adds: the sponsored label, the call to action button and text that can run longer.
Pick Ad (official guide) as the type of post to see those areas on your frame. TikTok itself notes that the longer the ad caption, the smaller the safe zone, so use the overlay as a starting point and check the ad preview before publishing.
| Margin (1080 x 1920) | Regular post | In-Feed ad |
|---|---|---|
| Top | 130 px | 240 px |
| Bottom | 484 px | 660 px |
| Right | 140 px | 120 px, 300 px below y = 840 |
| Left | 44 px | 120 px |
More than a safe zone template. Vertical clips that come out framed right.
See also
Frequently asked questions
What is the TikTok safe zone in pixels?
On a 1080 x 1920 frame, keep about 130 pixels clear at the top, 484 at the bottom, 140 on the right and 44 on the left. That's what a regular post's interface covers today. For ads, the official template asks for much more: 240 at the top and 660 at the bottom.
Where do captions stay visible on TikTok?
Centered, above the name and description block, between 1100 and 1350 pixels high on a 1920 video. Pinned to the bottom, like on a landscape video, they sit under the @handle and the post description.
Does a long description cover the video on TikTok?
Collapsed, it takes a few lines. When someone taps more, it expands and covers a bigger part of the video. Keep the description short and put the important information in the video itself, inside the safe zone.
What size should a TikTok video be?
1080 x 1920 pixels, 9:16, fills the whole screen. TikTok also takes 4:5 and square, shown with bands above and below. For the feed, 9:16 is what uses the full screen.
Does the TikTok overlay work for Reels and Shorts?
As a starting point, but each app covers different parts. Reels has a taller top bar, and Shorts has a slightly shorter bottom block. Switch the platform in the tool, or use the Reels and Shorts safe zone pages.
How do I use the transparent overlay in my editor?
Download the overlay only as a transparent PNG and put it on a layer above the video, at 1080 x 1920. Keep text outside the marked areas and turn the layer off before exporting.
Vertical clips with captions in the right spot. We make them.
Upload the long video. We find the best moments, reframe them to 9:16 following whoever is speaking and add animated captions where you choose, clear of TikTok's description and buttons.
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.