Instagram Reels safe zone (2026): where to put text so the app doesn’t eat it
By Cormac Moore. Updated 26 October 2026. 2 minute read.
The short answer
For Reels ads, Meta asks you to keep the top 14% (269 px), bottom 35% (672 px) and 6% on each side (65 px) of a 1080 × 1920 video free of text, logos and anything important. In practice the like, comment and share buttons sit wider than 6%, so give the right 160 px.
For organic Reels, Instagram covers a little less: about 220 px at the top, 420 px at the bottom (466 px with a two-line caption), 65 px on the left and 170 px on the right.
What is the Instagram Reels safe zone?
It’s the part of your 9:16 video that Instagram doesn’t paint over. Everything outside it shares space with the Reels header, the button rail, your caption, your handle, the audio label and, on ads, a call-to-action bar. Instagram didn’t ask your permission. It never does.
Reels safe zone in pixels
| Edge | Organic Reel | Reels ad | What sits there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top | 220 px | 269 px (14%) | The “Reels” header and camera icon |
| Bottom | 420 px, or 466 px with a 2-line caption | 672 px (35%) | Handle, Follow, caption, audio, and on ads the CTA bar |
| Left | 65 px | 65 px (6%) | Nothing, but tall phones crop a sliver |
| Right | 170 px | 160 px | Like, comment, repost, share, more, audio |
The ad numbers are Meta’s own. The organic numbers are AhCrop’s measurements of the current app, because Meta doesn’t publish organic guidance. Meta’s official 6% for the right edge is generous to Meta: the button rail is wider than that, which is why AhCrop uses 160 px.
Why your logo keeps disappearing
- Top left. The “Reels” header lives there now. Your logo isn’t shy, it’s just under the header.
- Bottom third. Subtitles burned into the bottom of the frame collide with the caption. Two lots of text, one winner, and it isn’t yours.
- Right edge. That price you put on the right? The like button is sitting on it. Which is the closest it will ever get to being liked.
Does caption length change the safe zone?
Yes. Instagram grows the caption block upwards, so each extra line pushes the bottom safe zone up by about 46 px. A one-line caption gives you more room than a three-paragraph manifesto. Choose accordingly.
What about the feed?
When a Reel appears in the main feed it’s shown at 4:5, which cuts 285 px off the top and bottom of a 9:16 video. Anything you keep inside the Reels safe zone survives that crop too, which is a nice bit of luck you didn’t have to plan for.
A quick checklist
- Export at 1080 × 1920, 9:16.
- Keep logos, supers, faces and offers inside the box above.
- Assume the caption is longer than you think.
- Check it in AhCrop before the client does.
Questions people ask
What size should an Instagram Reel be?
1080 × 1920 pixels at 9:16. Meta also accepts 1440 × 2560 for ads.
Is the Reels ad safe zone different from organic?
Yes. Ads add a call-to-action bar near the bottom, so Meta asks for 35% (672 px) clear at the bottom instead of roughly 420 px.
Do Facebook Reels use the same safe zone?
Almost. Facebook Reels ads use the same Meta guidance. Organic Facebook Reels need a little more at the bottom, about 460 px.
What percentage of a Reel is safe?
For ads, roughly the middle 51% of the height and 80% of the width once you allow for the button rail.
Sources
- Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Reels ads, keep 14% top, 35% bottom and 6% each side clear
- Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Feed, feed shows media between 1.91:1 and 4:5
Numbers are for a 1080 × 1920 frame and were last checked 26 October 2026. Platforms change their apps often, so check AhCrop for the current version.