TikTok Safe Zone Template: Free PNG and Size Guide (2026)

TikTok puts buttons, your username and your caption on top of every video. If your text sits underneath them, viewers can't read it. A safe zone is the part of the screen that stays clear.

Which parts of the screen get covered

On a standard 1080 by 1920 video:

• Top: the Following and For You tabs and the search icon.
• Right side: your profile picture, then the like, comment, save and share buttons.
• Bottom: your username, the caption, and the sound name. On ads, a button sits here too.

How much room to leave

TikTok doesn't publish one fixed set of pixel numbers. Its own ad guidance says the safe zone changes with the shape of the video, how long the caption is, and the ad format. It offers overlay files instead of measurements. That is why different guides quote different numbers.

Use these as working margins on a 1080 by 1920 canvas.

For normal posts (what our template uses):

• Top: keep text at least 180 pixels down.
• Right: keep text at least 150 pixels in.
• Bottom: keep text at least 420 pixels up.

For ads, or posts with long captions:

• Top: 240 pixels.
• Bottom: 660 pixels.
• Left and right: 120 pixels each, with extra room on the right where the buttons stack.

A long caption grows upward and covers more of the video. If in doubt, use the larger numbers.

Download the free PNG overlay

Get the transparent file from the TikTok Safe Zone Overlay page. It is 1080 by 1920 with the covered areas marked.

How to use the overlay

Canva

1. Create a 1080 by 1920 design.
2. Upload the PNG and stretch it to fill the page.
3. Build your design underneath it.
4. Delete the overlay before you download.

CapCut

1. Add your video to the timeline.
2. Add the PNG as an overlay on the track above.
3. Move your text until it sits in the clear area.
4. Remove the overlay before you export.

Photoshop, Figma or Premiere Pro

Put the PNG on the top layer, lock it, design below it, then hide the layer before exporting.

Your cover gets cropped too

On your profile, TikTok shows each video's cover as a tall rectangle of roughly 3:4, trimming the top and bottom. Put your cover title in the middle of the frame, not near the top.

Check a finished video without the overlay

Upload a frame to the TikTok Safe Zone Checker and switch the buttons and caption on and off to see what they cover.

Common questions

Is the safe zone the same for ads and normal posts?

No. Ads add a button at the bottom, so they need more room there.

Does the safe zone change on different phones?

Slightly. Screens vary in shape, so the edges shift a little. Leaving a margin wider than the minimum covers this.

What size should a TikTok video be?

1080 by 1920 pixels, which is 9:16. See Best TikTok Size (2026 Guide) for more.

References

• TikTok Ads Help: In-Feed Ads specifications