Crop an image to 16:9
Crop a photo to 16:9 by dragging a locked widescreen frame over the band you want to keep. A 4000 x 3000 photo gives 4000 x 2250 pixels, but a portrait phone photo keeps only 42 percent of itself, so place the frame with care. Nothing is stretched or uploaded.
Jump to the toolYour workspace CROP · PREVIEW · DOWNLOADPrivate by default
Drag the frame on the photo, or the corners to resize it. Arrow keys nudge it.
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How much of my photo is left at 16:9?
The frame opens as the widest 16:9 band the photo holds, centred. On a landscape photo it spans the full width and trims the top and bottom. On a portrait photo far more has to go.
| Photo | Its size | Frame on opening | Kept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone photo, landscape (4:3) | 4000 x 3000 | 4000 x 2250 | 75% |
| Phone photo, portrait (3:4) | 3000 x 4000 | 3000 x 1688 | 42% |
| Camera photo (3:2) | 6000 x 4000 | 6000 x 3375 | 84% |
| Square post (1:1) | 1080 x 1080 | 1080 x 608 | 56% |
| Phone screenshot (9:16) | 1080 x 1920 | 1080 x 608 | 32% |
A portrait phone photo keeps well under half of itself, because the frame can be no wider than the photo. Decide which band matters before you drag.
If a tall photo has to stay tall, a 9:16 frame keeps far more of it. The crop tool has that lock too.
For 9:16, 4:3, 3:2 or a free shape, use Crop images online for free.
Why does the size say 1080 x 608?
Because 16:9 only comes out in whole pixels when the width is a multiple of 16. A photo 1080 pixels wide would need a height of 607.5, so the frame rounds to 608.
That is off 16:9 by less than a tenth of a percent, which nobody can see. It only matters to a form or a player that checks the ratio exactly.
1280, 1920 and 3840 are all multiples of 16, which is why those widths give 720, 1080 and 2160 exactly.
Which 16:9 size do I need?
Crop first, at your photo's own resolution, then scale to the size the destination asks for. These are the common 16:9 sizes.
| Use | Size in pixels |
|---|---|
| HD (720p) | 1280 x 720 |
| Full HD (1080p) | 1920 x 1080 |
| 4K UHD (2160p) | 3840 x 2160 |
| YouTube thumbnail (YouTube help page, read 25 September 2026) | 3840 x 2160 |
Many guides still give 1280 x 720 for a YouTube thumbnail. YouTube's own help page asks for 3840 x 2160, and our YouTube page quotes it with the link.
Making a thumbnail? See YouTube thumbnail size.
Crop here or resize to 1920 x 1080?
Both give 16:9. The 1920 x 1080 page always keeps the middle band of the photo and scales it to exactly Full HD, which suits a photo whose subject is already centred.
This page lets you choose which band survives, at the photo's own resolution. Use it when the subject sits near the top or bottom, or when you need more than 1920 pixels across.
For an exact Full HD frame in one step, try Resize an image to 1920 x 1080.
What happens to your photo?
Your selected photo is processed in your browser, without an image upload to a server. The page may download code and codecs needed for editing.
Save your result before closing the tab; unsaved edits are kept in memory rather than in an online account.
Common questions
How do I get exactly 1920 x 1080?
Place the frame here, then switch to Pixels and type 1920 as the width. The crop stays applied, so the height follows at 1080.
If it reads 1081, unlock the ratio and type 1080. The tool trims the extra pixel rather than stretching the picture.
Can I crop a vertical photo to 16:9?
Yes, but most of it goes. The frame spans the full width of the photo, so a 3000 x 4000 phone photo gives 3000 x 1688 and keeps 42 percent. Drag the band to the part that matters.
What is the difference between 16:9 and 9:16?
They are the same shape turned on its side. 16:9 is wide, for screens, slides and video. 9:16 is tall, for phone stories and reels, and the crop tool has a lock for it.
Need a square instead? See Crop an image to a square.
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