LIVE cover (practical)
Recommended1080×1920 9:16
Practical full-screen vertical for LIVE entry cards. Same pixels as many video stills—different chrome and job.
Use in toolTikTok · Image size
TikTok Live Cover Size
TikTok LIVE covers commonly use a full-phone 9:16 frame at 1080×1920. Keep faces out of chrome bands, then download in your browser—this is not your For You video cover.
Browser crop · stays on your device
Crop your TikTok LIVE cover
1080 × 1920
Add a photo to crop
Upload a vertical photo—or try the sample—then keep faces between the UI risk bands before you download.
Size specs
This is a LIVE-stream still—not the cover you attach to a normal TikTok video post. Keep the hook out of top and bottom UI bands.
Publish
Export this for TikTok upload.
| Asset | Pixels | Ratio | Notes | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIVE cover (practical) Recommended | 1080×1920 | 9:16 | Practical full-screen vertical for LIVE entry cards. Same pixels as many video stills—different chrome and job. | Use in tool |
LIVE covers invite people into a stream—video covers sell a clip
When you go LIVE on TikTok, the entry card is a vertical still that has to communicate “this room is open now.” Creator practice commonly ships 1080×1920 (9:16)—the same pixel box as many TikTok videos. The job is still different: LIVE chrome, badges, and viewer counts sit on top of your art in ways a finished For You post does not.
Reusing a viral video cover without re-checking LIVE UI is how titles vanish under the LIVE pill or sit under the bottom action stack. Reuse the photo if you want brand continuity; re-crop with quieter top and bottom bands for the stream card.
Profile pictures remain circular squares. They do not replace a LIVE cover. Offline Twitch-style 16:9 player art also does not belong here—TikTok’s LIVE habit is full-phone vertical.
Put one clear hook in the mid band: face, product, or short lockup. Paragraphs of on-image text die after compression and under overlays. Update the cover when the stream topic changes so returning viewers are not clicking yesterday’s art.
Good vs weak crop
Same full-screen frame—top and bottom UI chrome cover anything glued to the edges.
Survives LIVE chrome
- True 9:16 LIVE export
- Face in the clear mid band
- Quiet top and bottom
Video cover with covered type
- Title under the LIVE badge
- Only detail on the extreme edge
- 16:9 desktop still with black bars
Before you upload
Tick these off against your crop preview—nothing is saved.
Related surfaces compared
Similar-looking slots often use different ratios—do not reuse one export for all of them.
LIVE cover
1080 × 1920
This page. Stream entry / LIVE card still.
Video / cover still
1080 × 1920
For You post cover—same pixels, different chrome.
Profile picture
200 × 200+
Circular avatar—not LIVE art.
| Surface | Typical size | Note |
|---|---|---|
| LIVE cover | 1080 × 1920 | This page. Stream entry / LIVE card still. |
| Video / cover still | 1080 × 1920 | For You post cover—same pixels, different chrome. |
| Profile picture | 200 × 200+ | Circular avatar—not LIVE art. |
LIVE cover vs video cover still
Both are often 1080×1920. A video cover sells a finished clip in the For You feed. A LIVE cover sells an open room with different overlays and urgency. Export or at least re-check separately.
If your best frame is from a previous video, crop it again with LIVE chrome in mind instead of uploading the old cover file unchanged.
- TikTok video size — 1080 × 1920 For You / cover stills
- Profile picture size — Circular avatar
Leave the top and bottom quieter
LIVE UIs draw badges, viewer counts, and controls over your pixels. Treat the mid third as the only guaranteed message area.
- Bleed backgrounds full-bleed; protect only the hook.
- Avoid paragraphs of on-image text.
- Re-check after app updates—chrome moves.
File requirements
JPG for photos, PNG for flat graphics. Prefer sRGB. A sharp 1080×1920 usually beats a soft upscale.
- Practical LIVE cover
- 1080 × 1920 px (9:16)
- Formats
- JPG or PNG (sRGB)
- Same pixels, different job
- Video cover still page
- Not profile
- Circular avatar upload
Common mistakes
- Uploading a For You cover without checking LIVE badges.
- Putting the only CTA on the bottom chrome band.
- Shipping a landscape desktop screenshot with letterbox bars.
- Soft screenshots instead of a true 1080×1920 export.
How to use the crop tool
Upload a vertical photo, choose LIVE cover (1080×1920), keep the subject between the risk bands, then download. Cropping stays in the browser.
- Prefer JPG for photographs.
- Preview on a phone before you go live.
After you download
From this download to a live upload in a few minutes.
- 1
Download the 1080×1920 JPG or PNG from the tool.
- 2
In TikTok LIVE setup, set the cover / entry still before you go live.
- 3
Preview on a phone with LIVE UI in mind.
- 4
If type sits under chrome, re-crop toward the mid band.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a TikTok LIVE cover?
1080×1920 (9:16) is a practical default for LIVE entry stills. Keep the subject out of top and bottom UI bands.
Is the LIVE cover the same as a TikTok video cover?
Same pixels often, different job. Video covers sell a clip; LIVE covers invite people into a stream with different chrome—re-check before you publish.
Can I reuse an Instagram Reels still?
Often as a starting file—both are 9:16—but re-check TikTok LIVE overlays before you go live.
Can I crop LIVE covers here?
Yes. The in-browser crop stays on your device until you download and set it in TikTok LIVE yourself.