Safe Zones, Captions and UI: Composing Around the Phone Screen
A vertical frame is never seen alone. Buttons, captions and usernames sit on top of it. Here is how to compose so nothing important gets covered.
When you export a 1080×1920 video, you see the whole frame. Your audience usually does not. On TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, the video sits under a layer of interface: a caption and username at the bottom, like and share buttons down the right side, and sometimes a header at the top.
Anything important that lands under that interface is effectively invisible.
The general shape of the safe area
Each platform's layout is a little different and changes over time, so it is worth checking the current guidelines before a big campaign. But the overall pattern is consistent:
The bottom of the frame is the most crowded area. Captions, account names, music credits and buttons all live here.
The right edge carries the stack of action buttons.
The top may hold a search bar, tabs or a progress indicator.
The center of the frame, slightly above the middle, is the area you can trust.
What this means when reframing
Keep faces in the upper-middle. Eyes roughly a third of the way down the frame sit clear of both the top interface and the bottom captions.
Avoid the right edge for key detail. When choosing where to place the vertical window, it can help to keep the subject slightly left of center.
Keep your own text inside the safe area. Titles, lower thirds and subtitles you add in the edit should stay well clear of the bottom of the screen.
Check on a real phone
The most reliable test is also the simplest. Before publishing, upload a private or draft version and watch it on a phone the way your audience will. You will spot a covered face or a hidden caption in seconds.
Cropper shows your vertical frame as you work, so you can keep the subject inside the area that will stay visible once the platform interface goes on top.