Turn a horizontal 16:9 video into a vertical 9:16 clip for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels or TikTok. Keep the whole picture with a blurred or colored background, or zoom in and pan to crop it, then export a 1080×1920 video right in your browser.
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Format
Background
Add a title (optional)
Your vertical video
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How to use the Landscape to Vertical Video
Choose a landscape video by dropping it on the box or clicking to browse.
Pick the format: 9:16 for Shorts, Reels and TikTok, 4:5 for feed posts or 1:1 for square.
Choose the background: a blurred copy of the video or a solid color, and adjust blur and brightness.
Zoom and position the video with the sliders, or drag the preview. Press Fill to crop to the full height.
Press Convert to vertical, wait while the video plays through once, then press Download video.
Fit, fill or something in between
A 16:9 video and a 9:16 screen are exact opposites, so you have to choose between showing the whole picture and filling the screen. The zoom slider moves smoothly between the two.
Zoom (16:9 → 9:16)
Video size in a 1080×1920 frame
Picture kept
Screen covered
100% (Fit)
1080 × 608
100%
32%
150%
1620 × 911
67%
47%
200%
2160 × 1215
50%
63%
250%
2700 × 1519
40%
79%
316% (Fill)
3413 × 1920
32%
100%
The fill zoom for any source is the ratio of the two aspect ratios: (16 ÷ 9) ÷ (9 ÷ 16) = 3.16, so a full-screen vertical crop keeps 1 ÷ 3.16 ≈ 32% of the width. For a 4:5 frame the fill zoom is 2.22, and for 1:1 it is 1.78.
Format guide for vertical platforms
Platform
Aspect ratio
Recommended size
YouTube Shorts
9:16
1080 × 1920
Instagram Reels and Stories
9:16
1080 × 1920
TikTok
9:16
1080 × 1920
Facebook and Instagram feed (portrait)
4:5
1080 × 1350
Square feed posts
1:1
1080 × 1080
Tips for good-looking vertical clips
Blurred background looks best with a blur of 25–40 and brightness around 50–70%, so the sharp video stands out from the soft copy behind it.
Leave room for app buttons. Shorts, Reels and TikTok cover the bottom and right edge with captions and icons, so keep faces and text away from the lowest fifth of the frame.
Use the empty space. With Fit zoom there is a band above and below the video; a short title in that band tells viewers why to keep watching.
Talking heads and single subjects work well with Fill: drag the preview so the person stays centered.
Wide shots, slides and gameplay usually need Fit or a gentle zoom so nothing important is cut off.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a horizontal video to vertical without cutting anything off?
Keep the zoom at 100% (Fit). The whole 16:9 picture is placed across the width of the 9:16 frame, and the empty space above and below is filled with a blurred, darkened copy of the same video or a solid color. Nothing is cropped.
How do I crop a landscape video to fill the vertical screen?
Press Fill. The video is zoomed until it covers the full height of the 9:16 frame, which keeps about a third of the original width. Drag the preview or use the horizontal position slider to keep the subject in view.
What resolution should a YouTube Short, Reel or TikTok be?
All three use a 9:16 vertical frame, ideally 1080 × 1920 pixels. 720 × 1280 is a smaller, faster option that still looks good on phones. Shorts must be 3 minutes or less; Reels and TikTok allow longer clips.
Why does a fitted 16:9 video look small in a 9:16 frame?
A 16:9 picture placed across a 1080-pixel-wide frame is only 608 pixels tall, about 32% of the 1920-pixel height. Zooming to around 150–180% is a popular middle ground: a little is cropped from the sides and the video fills more of the screen.
Why does converting take as long as the video?
Browsers encode video in real time with the MediaRecorder API, so the video is played once in the background while each vertical frame is drawn and recorded. Keep the tab open and visible during export.
Will I get MP4 or WebM?
Chrome, Edge and Safari can record MP4, which uploads directly to YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Firefox records WebM, which YouTube accepts; for Instagram or TikTok convert it to MP4 first. The Format list only shows what your browser supports.
Is my video uploaded?
No. The video is read, redrawn and encoded on your own device. Nothing is sent to a server, and no watermark is added.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.