Reels and Shorts Safe Zone Checker
Drop in a frame or a clip and see which parts the app covers with its buttons, caption, and profile row.
Free. No account. Runs in your browser.
A 9:16 frame or clip. It stays on your device.
Overlay
Shaded areas are where Instagram Reels usually places its controls. Keep words and faces in the clear part of the frame.
- Header: Header and camera
- Buttons: Like, comment, share, and more
- Caption: Profile, caption, and audio
The zones are approximate and generous. Each app changes its layout between versions, devices, and languages. Other shapes are cropped to fill the frame.
Choose a file to see it under the overlay.
Keep the words where nothing covers them
Reels and Shorts stack their buttons down the right side, the caption and profile row along the bottom, and a header across the top. Text under any of them is hard to read. The shaded areas are approximate and deliberately generous, because each app moves its controls between versions, devices, and languages. Keep titles, faces, and captions in the clear middle of the frame.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the safe zone on Instagram Reels?
Roughly the middle of the frame. Keep text out of about the top tenth, the bottom third, and a column down the right side. Instagram changes this layout from time to time.
Where is the safe zone on YouTube Shorts?
Keep text out of about the top tenth, the bottom quarter, and a column down the right side, where the like, comment, and share buttons sit.
Are the zones exact?
No. They are conservative estimates. Each app places its controls a little differently by device, language, and version, so leave extra room for anything that must be read.
Is my text or image uploaded anywhere?
No. The tool runs in your browser. Nothing you type or choose is sent to Distinctful or stored.