What is vertical video?

Vertical video is video filmed and shown in a tall, portrait shape, made to fill a phone screen without needing to rotate the device.

Most people hold their phones upright, so vertical video feels natural and fills the whole screen. It is the standard format for TikTok, Reels, Shorts and stories, which are some of the most watched formats on social media. Filming vertically helps your content look native and professional.

Vertical video usually uses a tall aspect ratio, often described as 9:16. Each network may crop or display video slightly differently, and on-screen buttons can cover parts of the frame. Many networks also accept vertical or square video in regular feeds.

Film with your phone upright from the start rather than cropping wide footage. Keep key action and text near the center so captions and buttons do not hide them. Use good light and steady framing. Preview your video in the app before posting to check nothing important is cut off.

Example

A makeup artist films her tutorials vertically so they fill the screen on TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts.