Safe-zone problems
Text covered by the player UI: use the safe zone
Short answer
Safe zone overlap is not a crop: the platform draws its caption, buttons and progress bar over your video, so the content underneath is hidden. Each platform publishes its own guidance. Meta says to keep the edges of 9:16 creative free of key elements, text and logos, and that on screens taller than 9:16 it may zoom the creative. TikTok's ad help says the safe zone depends on the format and caption length and offers downloadable safe-zone files. Pinterest publishes pixel margins. LinkedIn gives the instruction without numbers.
Key takeaways
- Overlap is a cover, not a crop: the frame is intact, the content is hidden.
- Meta publishes edge guidance for 9:16 creative and a 40% bottom rule for Reels ads with disclaimers.
- Pinterest publishes margins: top 270 px, left 65 px, right 195 px, bottom 790 px.
- TikTok publishes safe-zone files rather than fixed numbers, because the zone depends on format and caption length.
- LinkedIn publishes the rule without measurements: keep the edges free of key elements, text and logos.
Covered, cropped or zoomed: three different failures
Covered means the interface is drawn over your video and the pixels are still there. Cropped means the player resized and cut them away. Zoomed means the player scaled up to fill the screen, which cuts the sides of a 9:16 frame on a taller device. Only the first two are avoidable by moving your content.
| What you see | Cause | Can you fix it in the file |
|---|---|---|
| Content hidden, frame intact | Interface drawn over the video | Yes: move it into the safe area |
| Content cut at the edge | Player cropped to fit the surface | Yes: export the surface's shape |
| Sides gone, full screen | Player zoomed to fill the height | Partly: keep the subject central |
Find your case
| What you see | What it usually means | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| Text hidden behind the caption line | Bottom of the frame is interface | Move text above the bottom 35% (step 1) |
| Text hidden behind the button column | The right edge is interface on vertical surfaces | Keep text inside 6% (step 1) |
| Text hidden behind the progress bar | Very bottom of the frame | Keep a full bottom band clear (step 1) |
| Content hidden only on some devices | Taller screens zoom, which crops outside the safe zone | Design for the zoom option (step 2) |
| Nothing overlaps but it feels crowded | Your margins are smaller than the published ones | Measure against the table (step 4) |
| Different overlap on each platform | Each platform has its own layout and zone | Check per platform (step 3) |
Fix it step by step
Move text inside the published zone
Meta's guidance for 9:16 creative is to keep the top, bottom and side edges free of key creative elements, text and logos so they are not cropped out or covered by the user interface, such as the profile icon or a call to action. On a 1080 × 1920 frame that means below the top 14%, above the bottom 35%, and at least 6% from each side.
Design for the zoom option as well
Meta states that on devices with screens taller than 9:16 it may either zoom the creative, which crops areas outside the safe zone, or show it in its original 9:16 with a black background. Anything you place in the safe area survives both; anything outside it survives at most one.
Check each platform's own numbers
Pinterest publishes safe zones of top 270 px, left 65 px, right 195 px and bottom 790 px for its Pin and video Pin specs. TikTok's ad help says the safe zone depends on the dimension, the ad caption length and any additional formats used, and provides downloadable safe-zone files. LinkedIn's video help says to keep the edges free of key elements, text and logos and publishes no measurements.
Compare your margins with the table
The safe-area table on this page lists each edge as a percentage and in pixels of a 1080 × 1920 frame. If your text sits inside every published number and is still covered, the interface on that surface is larger than the published guidance, which happens with very long captions.
Keep the very bottom band clear when captions are long
Meta publishes one hard number: if you are including disclaimers on a Reels ad, leave the bottom 40% of the ad free from text, logos and other key creative elements. Long captions push the caption block upward, so treat that as the worst case when you plan placement.
Re-check after you reposition
Repositioning is an export change, so re-export from the original project and re-check the frame in the player with the interface on:
ffmpeg -i original.mp4 -vf "crop=in_h*9/16:in_h,scale=1080:1920" -c:a copy vertical.mp4gives you the frame you should be placing text inside.
Safe area for a 1080×1920 video
| Edge | Keep text out of | Pixels |
|---|---|---|
| Top | 14% | 269 px |
| Bottom | 35% | 672 px |
| Left | 6% | 65 px |
| Right | 6% | 65 px |
Official guidance (approximate). Source: Sales Video Ad Specs on Instagram Reels (Meta Ads Guide), checked 2026-10-05. Meta publishes this for Reels ads; organic Reels can differ.
Published safe-zone guidance, by platform
| Meta, 9:16 creative | Keep top, bottom and side edges free · covered by the user interface otherwise |
|---|---|
| Meta, Reels ads with disclaimers | Bottom 40% free |
| Pinterest Pin specs | Top 270 px, left 65 px, right 195 px, bottom 790 px |
| TikTok ads help | Zone depends on format and caption length; safe-zone files provided |
| Keep the edges free of key elements, text and logos · no numbers published | |
| This page | Top 14%, bottom 35%, 6% each side of 1080 × 1920 |
A placement routine that holds on every surface
- Export the frame first: 1080 × 1920, or the ratio the surface publishes.
- Mark the safe area from the table above and keep text and faces inside it.
- Read the caption you will actually write, at its real length: long captions push the interface upward.
- Preview with the interface on, on a phone, in the full-screen player.
- Re-export from the original project after any change.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my text hidden on a Reel?
The platform draws its caption, buttons and progress bar over the video. Meta's guidance is to keep the edges of 9:16 creative free of key elements, text and logos so they are not cropped out or covered by the user interface.
What is the safe zone for a 1080 × 1920 video?
For Meta's 9:16 creative guidance, keep content below the top 14%, above the bottom 35% and at least 6% from each side, which is the table shown above in pixels.
Does Pinterest publish safe-zone numbers?
Yes: top 270 px, left 65 px, right 195 px and bottom 790 px in its Pin specs, for both image and video Pins.
Why does my text look fine on one device and covered on another?
Meta documents that on screens taller than 9:16 it may zoom the creative, which crops areas outside the safe zone, or fit it with a black background. Only content inside the safe area survives both.
Sources
- Meta Business Help: About text overlays and the safe zone for ads (official, checked 2026-10-07)
- Pinterest Help: Review Pin specs (Video Pin specs and safe zones) (official, checked 2026-10-07)
- TikTok Ads Help: Auction In-Feed Ads (formats, safe zone) (official, checked 2026-10-07)
- LinkedIn Help: Video sharing troubleshooting (formats, limits, safe zones) (official, checked 2026-10-07)
- FFmpeg Documentation: Video filters (crop, pad, scale, setsar, subtitles) (official, checked 2026-10-07)
Reviewed 2026-10-07. Steps not attributed to a source are general video practice or computed above.