TikTok Video Dimensions and Specs 2026

TikTok video dimensions and Instagram Reels specs are nearly identical — both use 9:16 vertical at 1080x1920px with H.264. The result: one upload works for both platforms. But the differences in how each algorithm distributes content matter more than the format specs.

Discovery algorithm: TikTok's For You Page is more aggressive about showing content to non-followers than Instagram Reels. New accounts with no audience grow faster on TikTok. Existing Instagram audiences engage more on Instagram.

Caption length: TikTok allows 2,200 characters. Instagram Reels captions are capped at 2,200 too, but the visible preview before "...more" is shorter on TikTok. Write the first 150 characters as a standalone hook.

H.265 codec support: TikTok accepts both H.264 and H.265 (HEVC). Instagram only accepts H.264. If you export in H.265 for TikTok, you need a separate H.264 export for Instagram. The safer default: always export H.264 and it works on both.

File size: TikTok's 287.6MB mobile limit is lower than Instagram's 1GB Reels limit. When cross-posting, export at TikTok's constraints and the file works on both.

The practical rule: export one H.264 file at 1080x1920px, under 287MB, under 10 minutes. Post to TikTok and Instagram simultaneously. The only exception is content over 90 seconds — that needs to go to Instagram as a feed video, not a Reel.

TikTok re-encodes every uploaded video. The re-encoding reduces file size for efficient delivery on mobile networks but also reduces quality. Understanding how this works lets you upload in a way that minimizes quality loss.

Resolution matters at source: If you upload 720p (1280x720px), TikTok re-encodes to its delivery format starting from 720p. If you upload 1080p (1080x1920px), the starting material is better and the output quality is noticeably sharper on high-resolution phones. Always upload at 1080p.

Bitrate and artifacts: TikTok's target delivery bitrate is roughly 1-2Mbps. If your source file is already at 1Mbps, re-encoding introduces blockiness, especially in motion and low-light scenes. Upload at 4-8Mbps and let TikTok compress — the algorithm has more information to work with and produces cleaner output.

Export settings that work: MP4, H.264, 1080x1920px, 8Mbps, AAC audio at 128kbps or higher. This is the setting that consistently produces the best visual quality after TikTok's re-encoding pipeline.

Frame rate: TikTok displays at 30fps or 60fps. If your content has a lot of motion (sports, action, product demos), 60fps is worth it — fast motion looks smoother and holds attention better. Static or talking-head content: 30fps is fine and saves on file size.

TikTok's algorithm ranks videos primarily by completion rate — what percentage of viewers watch to the end. A 15-second video that 80% of viewers finish outperforms a 2-minute video that 20% finish, even if the 2-minute video has more total watch time.

This means shorter, tightly edited content gets more distribution. The algorithm interprets a high completion rate as a signal that the content is worth pushing to more people. Start with a hook in the first 1-2 seconds, deliver the value fast, and end clearly.

If you use Xroad Studio to generate and post to TikTok, the video comes out at the correct 9:16 dimensions automatically. No re-exporting for each platform. For official guidance on TikTok video formats, see the TikTok Creator Portal.