Make a vertical clip

Make a vertical video from a screen recording for Shorts, Reels and TikTok. The tall frame follows your cursor, so there’s no cropping by hand.

To make a vertical video from a screen recording, change its shape to 9:16: tall and narrow, for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok. ScreenCameo keeps your whole screen in the recording and follows your cursor inside the tall frame. Nothing needs cropping by hand, and your wide version stays as it is.

This recipe takes four stages. For every shape the app offers, see video shape. For bolder captions, see Captions that pop.

1. Change the shape to 9:16 #

1. Open your recording in the editor.
2. Click the shape button at the top of the preview. It shows the current shape, such as Auto or 16:9.
3. Choose Story (9:16). TikTok and YouTube Shorts under TikTok · Reels · Shorts, and Instagram’s Story & Reel, give the same shape.
4. Faster: press Cmd+K, type 9:16 and press Return.
5. Press Space to watch. The view follows your cursor, and your zooms still happen.

2. Fill the tall frame #

With Follow cursor on, the part of the screen you’re working in fills the tall frame. A device frame changes that. Choose how to use it.

1. To show it inside a phone, open Style (Cmd+1) → Device and pick iPhone.
2. Already using a laptop or display frame? The Device section shows Use iPhone on a vertical shape. Click it.
3. Press T to add a title at the top, so the empty space says what the clip is about. See text for styling it.

3. Add captions and camera inside the safe zones #

Most people watch Shorts and Reels with the sound off, so add captions. Each app also puts buttons and text over the video, and a safe zone keeps your captions out from under them.

1. Press Shift+Cmd+T to generate captions. Or open the Captions tab and click Generate Captions.
2. Under Position → Safe zone for vertical video, pick where you’ll post: TikTok, Reels or Shorts.
3. Pause to see the dashed frame that marks the safe area on the preview.
4. Recorded your camera? A Bubble at the top works well. Camera only is great for the first few seconds. See camera layouts.

For styles that light up word by word, follow Captions that pop. All the options are on the captions page.

4. Export it at 1080 × 1920 #

1. Press Cmd+E to open Export.
2. Click MP4 video. At the default 1080p, a vertical video exports at 1080 × 1920.
3. Or, under For a platform, click Shorts · Reels · TikTok: 1080 × 1920 at 30 fps. It warns you when a clip runs over 60 or 90 seconds.
4. Want the wide version too? All formats exports 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1 in one go. Pick other shapes in Export Settings.
5. Click Copy, then paste the video into the app you post from. Or AirDrop it to your phone.

Every export option is on the export page.

Shortcuts on this page#

See every shortcut

If something’s off#

The vertical video shows the whole screen, small

Turn on Follow cursor next to the shape button. With a laptop, display or window frame, switch the device to iPhone first.

Captions sit under the app’s buttons

Pick a Safe zone for vertical video under Captions → Position, for the app you post to.

The platform tile shows a length warning

Some apps show vertical clips over 60 seconds as regular posts, and Reels and Shorts may do so over 90 seconds. Cut it shorter, or post it as it is.