Resize a video for Reels: crop, fit and captions

Choose the frame before polishing the edit

Use a 9:16 frame for a vertical composition, 1:1 for a square composition, or 16:9 for landscape. Aspect ratio describes the shape rather than image quality. A low-resolution source does not gain detail just because the export is larger. Pick the format that suits the destination and inspect its current upload requirements before publishing.

Crop when the subject stays in view

Cropping fills the frame by removing some of the source image. It can work well for a centered speaker or product, but inspect the whole clip: a person may walk out of the crop halfway through. Check hands, props, text and logos, not only faces. For a two-person conversation or screen recording, a narrow crop may remove the information that makes the clip useful.

Fit when you need the whole source

Fitting preserves the source frame inside the new shape. It may leave unused space, but it keeps slides, wide demonstrations and multiple speakers visible. Compare crop and fit on the same moment before choosing. Do not stretch the image to fill the screen; stretching changes proportions and can make faces or products look wrong.

Check captions after reframing

Captions that were readable in a landscape video may be too small or may overlap the subject in a vertical version. Keep lines short and use contrast against the footage. Preview text near the edges on the destination platform because interface elements can cover it. Captions already burned into the source cannot be removed simply by switching a caption setting.

Apply the edit in LazyClip

Choose Edit, upload your own footage and select the output aspect ratio in Settings. A prompt such as “Make this vertical using fit and keep the original audio” makes the intended change clear. Review the output in Studio, then adjust trim or captions as needed. Rendering depends on connected services, and the workspace shows whether the action is currently available.

Common questions