Instagram Reels Video Safe Zone Template & UI Margins
Instagram Reels operate under two distinct viewing dimensions. When viewed in the dedicated Reels tab, the video renders in fullscreen (9:16). However, when a Reel appears in the main Instagram Feed, it is cropped to a 4:5 aspect ratio. This layout shift makes safe zone checking critical for vertical video creators.
The 4:5 Feed Crop Danger
If you place text overlays at the very top or bottom of your 9:16 vertical video, those elements will be completely cut off when users view the content in their standard scroll feed. To keep elements safe in both views, all text and subtitles must remain inside the central 4:5 area:
- Vertical Safe Height: The middle 1350 pixels (from 285px to 1635px on a 1920px tall screen).
- Horizontal Safe Width: The middle 900 pixels (leaving 90px margins on both left and right edges).
Instagram Paid Ads vs. Organic Feed
Instagram Reels Ads overlay a larger, semi-transparent "Learn More" or call-to-action button at the bottom of the screen compared to organic content. This button covers the bottom 250px completely, requiring advertisers to push callouts higher up the canvas to prevent overlap.