Free safe zone checker

Instagram Reels Safe Zone Checker

Drop in up to three videos and see exactly where the app’s buttons and caption land.

Looked after by Buoy, a lifebuoy.

Drop up to three images or videos to compare them.

Drop or click
to upload

Phone 1

Drop or click
to upload

Phone 2

Drop or click
to upload

Phone 3

Keep inside

  • Faces and key subjects
  • Important text and logos
  • Call-to-action elements
  • Product shots

Keep clear of

  • Bottom 15% (caption zone)
  • Right edge (action buttons)
  • Bottom left (profile area)
  • Top edges (status bar)

Other platforms

TikTok Safe Zone →YouTube Shorts Safe Zone →

Take the template with you

Transparent 1080×1920 overlays. Drop the PNG on a timeline in Premiere, DaVinci, Final Cut or CapCut, or bring the SVG into Figma. There is a dark version to look at too. No sign-up.

Measured from the live apps, and kept in step with the preview above. Checked again in October 2026: Instagram added a Repost button to the right-hand buttons in 2025, so that column now starts higher, and the overlay shows it. The green safe area is the biggest space nothing covers, so it never runs into the caption or the buttons.

See it as a real post →
Making Reels from a podcast, stream or long video?Shorts by Slice finds the moments worth posting and cuts them into captioned vertical clips, with the Reels safe zone shown while you edit. Free to try, no card.Try Shorts

How it works

  1. 1Drop in your videoAn image or a vertical video, up to three at once.
  2. 2See the Instagram UI on topButtons, caption and profile, where they really sit.
  3. 3Move what is coveredKeep faces and text inside the clear area.

Questions

Can I download the Instagram Reels safe zone template?
Yes. The transparent overlay downloads as a 1080x1920 PNG or SVG, with no sign-up. Drop the PNG straight onto a timeline in Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut or CapCut, upload it to Canva as a layer, or drag the SVG into Figma. A ZIP with every platform is there too. You can also download your own picture or video with the zones drawn on it. Templates and images are free with no sign-up; for video downloads we email you the link.
What is the Instagram Reels safe zone?
The Instagram Reels safe zone is the area of your video that remains visible when Instagram overlays UI elements like the like button, comments, share button, profile picture, username, caption, and music info. Content outside this zone may be hidden or partially obscured by these interface elements.
What dimensions should I use for Instagram Reels?
Instagram Reels use a 9:16 vertical aspect ratio. The recommended resolution is 1080x1920 pixels. This is the standard vertical video format used across Instagram Reels, Stories, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
Where should I avoid placing important content?
Avoid the bottom 250-300 pixels for captions and music info, the right side where like/comment/share buttons appear, and the area where your profile picture and username display. Keep text, faces, and important visuals in the center safe zone.
Does this work with videos?
Yes! You can upload both images and videos. For videos, the overlay shows in real-time while your video plays, giving you an accurate preview of how your content will appear on Instagram.
Is my content uploaded to any server?
Checking is done entirely in your browser: the pictures and videos you drop in never leave your device. The one exception is a video you download with the safe zones and ask us to email: it is sent to us only so we can email you the link, and it is deleted after 7 days.
Why check the Reels safe zone

Compare Side by Side

Upload up to 3 different videos to compare how they look with the Instagram UI overlay.

Video & Image Support

Test vertical videos and images to see exactly how they’ll appear in the Reels feed.

Real-time Preview

See your content with the Instagram interface overlay in real-time as you upload.

This tool is looked after by Buoy.The lifeguard. Watches the edges so nothing important drowns under the buttons.

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Shorts by Slice

From the team behind these free tools

One video. A week of posts.

Upload an episode and get back the moments worth posting, cut and captioned.

  • Reads the whole episode, then picks the excerpts worth posting
  • Captions burned in and framed vertical, ready to post
  • Your first video and first 3 clips are free, no card
Try Shorts by Slice

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