Free browser tool
16:9 to 9:16 Crop Preview
See how a horizontal video looks as a Short, Reel or TikTok before you edit. Pick a file and drag the frame. The video never leaves your device.
Free · Runs in your browser · No sign-upNothing is uploaded. Your files and text stay on this device.
MP4, MOV or WebM from your device. It plays on this page and is never uploaded.
Source
Vertical preview
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ClipX finds the best moments in a long video, cuts them to 9:16, follows faces and adds captions. One video a day is free, up to 3 hours long. Pro is $4.99 for the first month, then $20/month.
A 16:9 video turned into 9:16 keeps only about a third of each frame. Whether that third holds the speaker's face or an empty wall decides if the clip works. This tool shows you the answer in seconds: open a video from your device, pick the shape, and drag the box to the part that should stay.
Your browser plays the file from your own disk. It is not uploaded, so large files open at once and private footage stays private.
How it works
Pick a video
Choose an MP4, MOV or WebM file. It plays inside the page.
Choose the shape and the framing
Pick 9:16, 4:5 or 1:1, then drag the box over the video. Use zoom to crop tighter.
Check it and keep the numbers
Play the clip to see if the subject stays in frame, turn on the safe zones, and note the crop size and position or save a still.
What you get
- Live 9:16, 4:5 and 1:1 previews next to the source
- Drag to place the crop, zoom up to 2×
- A safe-zone overlay for captions and app buttons
- The exact crop size and position in source pixels
- The current vertical frame saved as a PNG
What a 16:9 to 9:16 crop really keeps
A 1920 × 1080 frame cropped to 9:16 keeps a window 608 pixels wide and the full 1080 pixels high, a little under a third of the picture. A 4:5 crop keeps 864 pixels of width, and a square keeps 1080. The tool shows the exact numbers for your file and how much of the frame each shape keeps.
If two people sit at opposite edges of the frame, no single 9:16 window holds both. Then you choose: follow whoever is talking, stack the two people in a split screen, or fit the whole frame over a blurred background.
Leave room for captions and buttons
On Shorts, Reels and TikTok the bottom of the screen holds the caption, the account name and the music line, and the right side holds the like and share buttons. Faces and on-screen text placed there get covered. Turn on the overlay to see the rough areas to keep clear; the exact size changes with each app and phone.
When the subject moves
A fixed crop works when the speaker sits still. When people walk, lean or take turns, a fixed box loses them. ClipX tracks faces through each shot and moves the crop with the speaker, switches to a split layout when two people talk, and changes the framing only on a cut, so the clip does not drift. Try it on one video a day for free.
Frequently asked questions
Is the crop preview free?
Yes. It is free, needs no sign-up and works with any file your browser can play. Nothing is uploaded.
Does this tool export the cropped video?
No. It is a preview: it shows the framing, the exact crop numbers and a still frame. For finished vertical clips with captions, use ClipX, which crops, follows faces and renders the clips for you.
Which video files work?
Any file your browser can play. In practice that means MP4 with H.264 and WebM everywhere, and MOV in Safari. If a file does not play, convert it to MP4 first.
Should I use 9:16 or 4:5?
Use 9:16 for Shorts, TikTok and Reels, which fill the phone screen. Use 4:5 for feed posts on Instagram and Facebook, where a taller frame takes more of the feed than a square.
Will cropping to 9:16 lower the quality?
A 1080p video cropped to 9:16 keeps 608 × 1080 real pixels and is scaled up to 1080 × 1920, so it looks softer than footage filmed vertically. Film in 4K, or crop less with 4:5, when sharpness matters.
Related guides
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