Threads Video Dimensions Guide 2026

Threads video dimensions default to 1080x1920 pixels at a 9:16 vertical aspect ratio, the same format Instagram uses for Reels, since Threads runs on Meta's shared video infrastructure. This is unsurprising given Threads is built by the Instagram team, but it is worth confirming directly since Threads-specific documentation is thinner than Instagram's own.

The recommended format: 9:16 vertical

A 1080x1920 vertical video fills the screen edge to edge on mobile, which is how the large majority of Threads is consumed. This matches the vertical standard set by Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels, so a video already formatted for either of those platforms will drop into Threads without any resizing.

Other supported ratios

Threads also accepts square (1080x1080, 1:1) and landscape (1920x1080, 16:9) video, but neither is the default recommendation. Horizontal video in particular ends up letterboxed on a vertical mobile screen, using less than half the available frame, which puts it at a visible disadvantage against a full-screen vertical post in the same feed.

Quick reference

Ratio	Dimensions	Notes
9:16 (recommended)	1080x1920	Fills the mobile screen
1:1	1080x1080	Supported, less common
16:9	1920x1080	Letterboxed on mobile, weakest fit

What happens if you upload the "wrong" ratio anyway

Threads will not reject a landscape or square video for being the wrong shape, it simply displays it with black bars filling the unused space rather than cropping or stretching the footage to fit. That is a safer failure mode than some platforms, which forcibly crop mismatched video and can cut off part of the frame you wanted visible, but it still means a letterboxed video looks visibly smaller and less immersive than a properly sized vertical post sitting right above or below it in the same feed.

Format and encoding

Export as MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio, which is the format Threads re-encodes everything to internally anyway. Uploading already in that format avoids a second layer of compression degrading your video's quality after Threads processes it.

Why landscape performs worse here specifically

On a platform built around a fast, single-column scrolling feed, a letterboxed landscape video hands over less real screen space at the exact moment you need to earn someone's attention in the first second or two. Since the majority of Threads sessions happen on a phone, the gap between a full-bleed vertical video and a boxed-in landscape one is more visible here than on a platform like X, where horizontal video is still common and does not feel out of place. If you are choosing between reformatting an existing landscape video and shooting new vertical content, vertical is worth the extra effort on Threads specifically.

Repurposing existing vertical content

Since Threads shares Instagram's video pipeline, any Reel, Story, or TikTok export already sized at 1080x1920 works on Threads without changes. Check video length against the Threads video length limit before uploading, and schedule your posts through the Threads scheduler. Create a free account to manage Threads video alongside nine other platforms.