Vertical or square video: which should you post?

Updated October 21, 2026 · Reviewed by The Rift team

Short answer

Pick vertical for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, because it fills the phone screen and is what people scroll through. Pick square for feed posts and places where a clip sits among text and photos. When unsure, vertical is the safer default for short video. In Rift, Spark, Rift's video agent, plans the clip with you, so check the framing in the Draft before you tap Make.

Shape decides how much of the screen your video fills and what gets cropped. Choose it before you make the clip, not after.

What you need

Your idea and where you will post it.
Photos where the subject has room around them.

Step by step

Decide where it goes: a full-screen feed or a mixed feed.
Tell Spark in your line, “vertical” or “square”.
Check the Draft and the framing.
Tap Make.
Find it in Library and post.

Lines to try with Spark

“Vertical: me walking toward the camera in a market.”
“Square: my cake on a turntable, close up.”
“Vertical: my dog running along a beach.”
“Square: my new car in an empty garage.”

Tips

Leave breathing room. Keep faces away from the very top and bottom.
Plan the crop. A square cut from a tall frame loses the sides.
One shape per idea. Don’t try to fit every feed with one clip.

Questions people ask

What is vertical video?

A tall frame, usually 9:16, made for holding your phone upright.

Is square still worth using?

Yes, for feed posts and for clips that will sit next to text or photos.

Can I turn a vertical video into a square one?

You can crop it, but you may cut off the subject. Plan the shape before you make the clip.

Which shape does Rift make?

Check the framing in the Draft before you tap Make. Vertical is the usual choice for short video.