# TikTok Video Specs Cheat Sheet 2026 (Full Per-Platform Breakdown)

Free from DollarWise — the complete 2026 video specs for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and WhatsApp Status, plus the universal export preset and safe-zone margins.

## TikTok

- Resolution: 1080 x 1920 (9:16 vertical)
- Also accepted: 720 x 1280 minimum
- Max length: 10 minutes
- Max file size: 287.6 MB (iOS), 72 MB (Android)
- Recommended codec: H.264 in MP4 container
- Recommended bitrate: ~10 Mbps
- Frame rate: 30 fps (60 fps supported but doubles file size)

## Instagram Reels

- Resolution: 1080 x 1920 (9:16 vertical)
- Max length: 3 minutes
- Max file size: 4 GB
- Recommended codec: H.264 in MP4 container
- Recommended bitrate: 10-12 Mbps
- Frame rate: 30 fps
- Watch out: the bottom ~250 px and right side are covered by the caption, like, and share buttons

## YouTube Shorts

- Resolution: 1080 x 1920 (9:16 vertical)
- Max length: 3 minutes
- Max file size: 256 GB
- Recommended codec: H.264 in MP4 container
- Recommended bitrate: 10-12 Mbps
- Frame rate: 30 fps (24 fps also fine for a cinematic look)
- Watch out: the title and description overlay the bottom of the video

## WhatsApp Status

- Resolution: 1080 x 1920 (9:16 vertical)
- Max length: 90 seconds per status
- Max file size: 16 MB
- Recommended codec: H.264 in MP4 container
- Recommended bitrate: ~5 Mbps (720p is usually enough)
- Frame rate: 30 fps
- Watch out: anything over 16 MB gets aggressively recompressed and looks terrible

## Universal export preset (works everywhere)

When you do not want to render four versions, use this one setting in any editor:

- Resolution: 1080 x 1920, 9:16
- Frame rate: 30 fps
- Codec: H.264, MP4 container
- Bitrate: 10 Mbps (or 5 Mbps at 720p for WhatsApp)
- Audio: AAC, 128 kbps, 48 kHz

## Safe-zone margins

Keep important text, captions, and faces inside the center **1080 x 1420** area:

- Top: keep clear the first ~150 px (app headers and progress bars)
- Bottom: keep clear the last ~350 px (captions, buttons, like/share icons)
- Sides: keep clear ~60 px on each side on Reels and TikTok

## Common mistakes to avoid

1. Exporting landscape 1920 x 1080 and letting the app crop it — you lose control of the framing.
2. Uploading 4K files to TikTok or Reels — the platform recompresses them anyway, so you only waste upload time.
3. Burning captions into the bottom 350 px — they end up hidden behind the app UI.
4. Sending WhatsApp a 50 MB file and wondering why it looks like a flip phone video.

Free resource from DollarWise (dollarwise.xyz) — export once, post everywhere.