To make a video vertical, crop the landscape frame down to a 9:16 strip around your subject, or place the whole landscape video inside a 9:16 frame with bars or a background above and below. Cropping fills the screen and works best for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. The MobileStudio Crop Video tool's 9:16 preset does it in your browser and keeps the sound.
The short answer
| Method | Looks like | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Crop to 9:16 | Fills the whole phone screen | The subject stays in one area |
| Fit with bars | Small landscape video, black bars | Everything in the frame matters |
| Fit with a blurred background | Landscape video over a blurred copy | Social posts that need context |
| Rotate 90° | Sideways content | Only if the video was filmed sideways |
Is rotating the same as making a video vertical?
No. Rotating turns the picture on its side, so people end up lying down. Use rotation only when a video was recorded sideways by mistake; see how to fix a sideways video. To reframe a landscape video for vertical platforms, crop it.
How do I crop a landscape video to 9:16?
- Open Crop Video.
- Drop in the landscape video.
- Choose 9:16.
- Drag the vertical box over the subject. Watch the preview to make sure they stay inside it the whole time.
- Click Crop & download.
A 1920×1080 landscape video becomes about 608×1080. Starting from 4K gives a sharper vertical result, because you have more pixels to crop from.
How do I make a video vertical on iPhone?
Open the video in Photos, tap Edit > Crop, tap the aspect ratio button, and choose 9:16. Drag the video to frame your subject and tap Done. Apple's crop guide covers the steps. Details in how to crop a video on iPhone.
How do I make a video vertical on a computer?
In Clipchamp on Windows, set the project's aspect ratio to 9:16 from the ratio button, add your video, and either crop it with the crop tool or choose Fill to zoom it to the frame. On Mac, iMovie projects are 16:9, so use the browser tool or another editor that supports vertical projects.
How do I keep the whole landscape video in a vertical frame?
Use an editor with a 9:16 project, such as Clipchamp or a phone editor like CapCut, add the video, and set it to Fit. The empty space above and below can be black, a color, or a blurred copy of the video. It's a good choice for screen recordings of a desktop app, where cropping would cut off half the interface.
Which platforms need vertical video?
| Platform | Ideal ratio |
|---|---|
| TikTok | 9:16 |
| Instagram Reels and Stories | 9:16 |
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16 |
| Snapchat | 9:16 |
Instagram accepts Reels from 1.91:1 up to 9:16, according to its Reels help, but 9:16 fills the screen. See video aspect ratios explained and how to crop a video for TikTok.
How do I make future videos vertical?
Hold the phone upright while recording. It sounds obvious, but recording vertically from the start gives you the full resolution in the right shape, with nothing to crop away.
Where MobileStudio fits
Crop Video is one of our free tools. MobileStudio itself turns phone screen recordings, which are already vertical, into polished app demos with device frames and zooms. Get MobileStudio.
Quick FAQ
How do I change a video from landscape to portrait?
Crop it to 9:16 with Crop Video or iPhone Photos.
Will cropping to vertical lose quality?
It keeps about a third of a 1080p frame's width, so start from the highest resolution you have.
What size is a vertical video?
1080×1920 pixels is the common size for 9:16.
Can I make a video vertical without cropping?
Yes. Fit it into a 9:16 frame with bars or a blurred background.
Does TikTok accept horizontal videos?
Yes, but vertical 9:16 videos fill the screen and usually perform better.
