Shorts preview checker: one video, four apps, one look
See your vertical video in YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok and Facebook Reels at the same time, with the buttons and captions each app draws on top. Free, private, no sign-up.
By Amardeep Pawar · Last updated 14 November 2026
The overlay follows each app's current layout from the apps' own App Store screenshots, with placeholder names and counts. No platform publishes exact safe zones for normal posts, so the shaded areas are approximate, set near the middle of several third-party guides and reviewed 14 November 2026. Apps change their layouts often, so always check a test post on a real phone. The whole 9:16 frame is shown here. On tall phones like the iPhone Pro, some apps fill the screen and trim a little from the sides.
Why use it
- Catch covered faces and text before you post. Each app puts buttons on the right and a title and caption along the bottom. Text placed there gets hidden.
- Compare every app in one place. The four apps cover different amounts of the screen, so a layout that works on one can fail on another.
- Save time. You do not need to upload four private test posts to see how a clip will look.
- Private. The video stays on your device, and there is nothing to install.
How to use it
- Export your edit as a 9:16 video, for example 1080 by 1920 pixels.
- Press “Choose a vertical video or image”, or drag the file onto the box.
- Watch all four frames play together. Use “Pause all” to stop on a frame you want to check.
- Turn on “show safe zones” to shade the areas the apps usually cover.
- Move any text, logo or face that sits under a button or caption, export again and re-check.
How much of the screen each app covers
These are the approximate shares of the frame the tool shades. They are a starting point, not official numbers.
- YouTube Shorts: about 8% at the top, 19% at the bottom and 12% along the right edge.
- Instagram Reels: about 13% at the top, 22% at the bottom and 10% along the right edge.
- TikTok: about 12% at the top, 30% at the bottom and 12% along the right edge.
- Facebook Reels: about 13% at the top, 27% at the bottom and 10% along the right edge.
TikTok and Facebook Reels tend to cover more of the bottom because of longer captions and sound lines. Shorts covers the least at the top. Keep your key content in the clear middle and it will survive all four.
Who it is for
Short-form creators who post the same clip to several apps use it to check one export works everywhere, instead of making a separate version for each.
Editors and freelancers use it to show a client how a video will look in each app before it goes live, which cuts down on revision rounds.
Social media managers use it to check captions and on-screen text sit clear of the buttons, especially for branded clips with a logo or a call to action.
Filmmakers and gear reviewers who shoot horizontally and reframe to vertical use it to confirm the subject stays in frame after the crop.
Common mistakes it helps you avoid
- Subtitles under the caption. Burned-in subtitles near the bottom often end up behind the title and caption. Move them up into the clear area.
- Logos in a corner. A watermark in the bottom right sits under the action buttons on every one of these apps.
- Posting a landscape clip. The apps crop it to fill the screen, so the sides are lost. Reframe it to 9:16 first.
- Trusting one app. A clip that looks fine in Shorts can still be covered in TikTok, which uses more of the bottom.
What this tool does not do
It does not edit, trim or convert your video, and it does not post anything for you. It does not check length, file size or audio, which differ by app. The shaded zones and the app buttons are approximate stand-ins, so a final test on a real phone is still worth doing.
Frequently asked questions
Does it upload my video?
No. The file is played from your own device using your browser, and it is never sent to us or anyone else. If you close the page, it is gone.
Which platforms does it show?
YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok and Facebook Reels, side by side, so you can compare them in one look instead of posting four test clips.
How accurate are the shaded safe zones?
They are approximate. No platform publishes exact safe zones for normal posts, and the third-party guides disagree. We set each zone near the middle of several guides, reviewed on 14 November 2026. Apps also change their layouts, so check a test post on a real phone before you rely on them.
Are the buttons and captions the real app interface?
No. They are generic stand-ins with placeholder names and counts, placed where each app usually draws its own. They show you what could cover your picture, not an exact copy of the app.
What size should my video be?
The standard is 9:16 vertical, most often 1080 by 1920 pixels. If your file is a different shape, the tool warns you, because the apps will crop it to fill the screen and the edges will be cut off.
What file types work?
Any video or image your browser can open. MP4 with H.264 video is the safest choice. If a file will not play, convert it to MP4 and try again.
Why is there no sound?
The previews are muted on purpose, because four videos playing at once would be noise. This tool checks framing, not audio.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes. The four frames stack to fit a narrow screen. A large video file may load slowly on a phone, so a short exported clip works best.
Built to be private
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your video is opened from your own device and played back there. It is not uploaded, stored or shared, and we do not ask you to sign up. When you close or refresh the page, the preview is gone.
Try our other tools
The tools work as a set: write the prompt, work out the cost, then check how the clip will look in each app.
- AI video cost calculator: Pick a model, enter how many seconds you need and how many takes you expect, and see the cost on each platform.
- AI video prompt generator: Build a ready-to-paste prompt for Veo, Sora, Kling or Runway, with presets for a neon open-world game look.