Instagram Safe Zone — design reels and stories correctly

Check whether your content gets hidden behind buttons or captions in reels and stories. Free, no upload.

How it works

  1. 1

    Upload an image or still

    Upload your cover or a still from your video. It stays on your device — nothing is sent to a server.

  2. 2

    Check the overlay

    The red areas show what the Instagram interface covers. Everything inside the dashed line stays visible.

  3. 3

    Adjust your composition

    If text or a face sits under red, move it inwards in your video edit — before you publish.

Popular use cases

  • Content creators

    No text under buttons

    Check before uploading whether your on-screen text gets hidden behind like and comment icons.

  • Advertising

    Keep your call-to-action visible

    A prompt nobody can read costs you clicks. Check the position before budget goes out.

  • E-commerce

    Product in view

    Make sure your product does not disappear behind the caption but sits in the centre of frame.

  • Cross-posting

    One video, several platforms

    The covered areas differ per platform. Check the same video against each one separately.

  • Video editing

    Check before rendering

    Test a still from your editing software before exporting the finished video.

  • Subtitles

    Place subtitles correctly

    Subtitles easily slip into the lower area covered by the caption and music row. Move them up.

Reels and stories have different critical areas. Reels put interaction icons on the right and the username plus caption at the bottom. Stories have the progress bar and profile name at the top and the reply field at the bottom.

That is why you can switch between both placements here and check the same shot against each. Worth doing whenever you run the same clip as a reel and a story.

Everything inside the dashed line stays visible. The check runs entirely in your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Do reels and stories have different safe zones?

Yes, noticeably. Reels have an icon bar on the right and a caption at the bottom; stories have the progress bar on top and the reply field below. Switch between them above.

How much room do I need top and bottom?

As a guideline at 1080 × 1920: for reels around 120 pixels top and 400 bottom, for stories around 250 pixels each.

Does this apply to ads too?

Yes, and there especially — a hidden call-to-action costs you budget directly.

Is my image uploaded?

No, everything stays in your browser.

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