What size should a TikTok cover be?▼
1080×1920 pixels at 9:16. The profile grid crops it to ~3:4 (~1080×1440), cutting about 240 px from the top and bottom. Keep key content centered. Preview with the cover preview tool.
Your TikTok cover is the thumbnail that represents your video everywhere on the platform — the profile grid, search results, the For You page, and suggested feeds. It's the single image that determines whether someone taps to watch or keeps scrolling. But TikTok displays covers at two different crops, and most creators only design for one.
The fullscreen view shows the full 9:16 frame. The profile grid crops it to roughly 3:4, hiding the top and bottom. If your headline is at the top or your face is near the bottom, the grid cuts them off — and the grid is where most profile browsing happens. This guide covers the exact cover size, how both crops work, the safe zones to respect, and the mistakes that cost creators tap-through rate.
The correct TikTok cover size is 1080×1920 pixels at a 9:16 aspect ratio. This matches the fullscreen vertical format of TikTok videos.
| Context | Display Size | Ratio | What Happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fullscreen (tapped) | 1080×1920 | 9:16 | Full cover visible + UI overlays |
| Profile Grid | ~1080×1440 | ~3:4 | Center-crop + view count overlay |
| For You Feed | 1080×1920 | 9:16 | Full cover + caption/button overlays |
| Search Results | ~1080×1440 | ~3:4 | Same crop as profile grid |
| Suggested / Related | Varies | ~3:4 to 9:16 | Varies by placement |
When posting a TikTok, you can select a frame from the video or upload a custom cover image. Always use a custom cover. Auto-selected frames are almost never the strongest visual — they're often mid-motion, poorly lit, or badly composed. A designed cover with intentional text, framing, and contrast dramatically outperforms a random video frame.
Make sure your source video is also the correct size. A cover can only be as sharp as the video it comes from. Verify with the TikTok video size checker.
The core challenge with TikTok covers is the dual-crop problem: your 9:16 cover displays at two different aspect ratios depending on context.
When someone taps your TikTok, the cover displays at full 9:16. No cropping at this stage. But TikTok overlays UI elements on top:
In the profile grid, search results, and recommendation feeds, covers display at approximately 3:4. TikTok achieves this by center-cropping the 9:16 image:
Content near the top and bottom of your 9:16 cover — headlines, faces, logos — may be fully visible fullscreen but completely hidden in the grid. The grid is where most profile browsing happens, so it's the more important view to design for.
You need to design for two overlapping safe zones — one for the grid crop and one for fullscreen UI overlays.
The area safe in both views is approximately Y: 290 to Y: 1600, with the right 80 px avoided — about 1310 px of vertical space in the center. Place all headlines, faces, logos, and key visuals within this range.
Use the TikTok safe zone visualizer to check both zones on your actual content.
Text in the top 240 px of a 9:16 cover is visible fullscreen but hidden in the profile grid. Move headlines to the vertical center of the canvas.
A face near the top or bottom edge gets cut by the 3:4 grid crop. Center faces in the middle third of the canvas — not near any edge.
TikTok's auto-selected frames are almost never the best visual. They're often mid-motion, blurry, or poorly composed. Always select a sharp frame or upload a custom designed cover.
The profile grid overlays a view count at the bottom-left of each thumbnail. Text or logos in that area are obscured. Keep the bottom-left of the grid-visible area clear of important content.
Low-resolution source video or heavy compression produces blurry covers, especially at grid thumbnail scale. Use 1080×1920 source material and choose the sharpest available frame.
A profile grid with wildly different cover styles (random frames, varied text placement, inconsistent colors) looks chaotic. A cohesive visual style across covers makes your profile look professional and encourages viewers to browse more videos.
A cover that looks great fullscreen may be unrecognizable in the grid, and vice versa. Always preview both views before publishing. Use the TikTok cover preview tool.
Selecting a frame from your video is the fastest option, but it limits you to frames that exist in the footage. A custom uploaded cover lets you design specifically for the grid — with intentional text placement, composition, and branding that a random video frame can't match. If your content is text-based or educational, custom covers make a dramatic difference.
Check your cover in both views before publishing: