Why are TikTok videos oriented vertically?

So they fit full screen on a phone.

TikTok is a mobile phone app, I agree with @ragingloli !

If they filmed holding the smart phone side ways it would be full screen, but most people don’t do that.

Thanks a lot.

My drone and GoPro cameras can film in either configuration. Now I know why.

A lot of people seem unaware that video recording and playback on phones can be done in “landscape” mode (the correct and sensible way for videos) by simply holding the phone on the side.

TikTok exploited this demographic of the technically unaware by making their format portrait mode.

@Kropotkin I’ve always naturally held my cell phone horizontally (on its side) when taking a picture or video. Seems odd to me that so many people choose to take video and pictures vertically.

When I transfer video from my GoPro to my cellphone application (“GoPro Quik”) I have to select the horizontal configuration (every time). If I forget to do that then the video will automatically be transferred into the vertical (TickTock) configuration.

There are other apps that are oriented to the portrait setting.