TikTok cover size: 1080 × 1920 and the safe zone nobody tells you about

TikTok will tell you the cover is 1080 × 1920 and leave it at that. The dimensions aren't what trips people up. It's that half the frame ends up hidden behind TikTok's own interface. You design a clean cover, post it, and your text is sitting under the caption or behind the share button.

The size

A TikTok cover is **1080 × 1920 pixels** at a **9:16** aspect ratio. That's the full vertical video frame, same as the video itself. Export at that size and the cover is pixel-perfect.

That's the easy part. The safe zone is what matters.

The safe zone

TikTok layers its interface on top of every cover in the feed. Roughly:

**Right edge:** the like, comment, share, and spinning sound buttons.

**Bottom:** your username, the caption, and the scrolling music title.

**Top:** sometimes a search bar or the For You / Following tabs.

Anything you put in those areas gets covered. So keep your **subject and text in the middle third of the frame, pulled slightly left** to clear the button stack on the right. Treat the top and bottom fifth as bleed: fine for background, bad for anything that has to be seen.

A simple test: imagine a box in the center of the frame, a bit narrower than full width. If your face and your words fit inside that box, they'll survive the interface. If they don't, move them in.

How to set or change your cover

When you post:

On the final screen before sharing, tap **Select cover**.

Scrub the slider to a frame, or tap to **upload an image** for a custom cover.

Position it, then post.

To change it later, open the video, tap the **three dots**, and look for the option to edit the cover. Whether you can swap it after posting depends on your app version, so it's worth getting it right the first time.

How it looks on your profile

Your profile shows covers in a three-column grid, cropped to a taller thumbnail from the center of your cover. This is where a consistent set of covers pays off. A profile that reads as a clean, intentional grid keeps new visitors scrolling and clicking. And because the grid crops from the center, the same "keep it centered" rule does double duty.

If you'd rather not eyeball the safe zone every time, [Thumbly's TikTok cover maker](/tiktok-thumbnail-generator) builds covers sized for it. Posting the same clip to other platforms? The [Shorts thumbnail guide](/blog/youtube-shorts-thumbnail-size) and [Instagram Reels cover guide](/blog/instagram-reels-cover-size) cover those.

FAQ

**What size is a TikTok cover?** 1080 × 1920 (9:16). Keep text and faces in the middle third.

**Where do the buttons cover the cover?** Right side (action buttons), bottom (username, caption, sound), sometimes the top. The middle, slightly left, is safe.

**How do I change my cover?** Tap Select cover on the post screen to scrub to a frame or upload an image. After posting, use the three-dot menu if your version allows it.

**What size shows in the grid?** A center crop of your 1080 × 1920 cover, shown as a tall tile in a three-column grid.