Black bars on the sides or top of videos on an Android smartphone are a common problem that users encounter when watching movies, streams or camera recordings. They appear due to mismatch aspect ratios the screen and the video file, encoding errors or incorrect player settings. In most cases, you can eliminate the defect without special apps - just change the playback parameters or trim the video with built-in tools.

However, not all stripes are the same: sometimes they arise due to hardware limitations (for example, on older smartphones with resolution 720×1280), and sometimes due to software bugs in the firmware or applications. In this article we will analyze all possible causes and offer proven solutions, from simple to advanced. If you are unsure of the source of the problem, start from the first section and check each method one by one.

⚠️ Attention: Some methods (for example, changing the system aspect ratio settings) may cause image distortion in all videos. Before experiments, make a backup copy of important files or check the solution on a test video.

1. Why do black bars appear on video in Android

The main reason is mismatch of proportions the smartphone screen and video. Modern smartphones usually have an aspect ratio 19.5:9 or 20:9, while many films are shot in 16:9 (Full HD), 21:9 (CinemaScope) or even 4:3 (old recordings) formats. When the player cannot automatically fit the picture to the screen, it adds black fields (letterboxing) along the edges.

Other common reasons:

  • 📱 Hardware limitations: on budget smartphones (for example, Redmi 9A or Samsung Galaxy A03) there may be no support for some resolutions, which leads to forced framing.
  • 🎬 Coding errors: videos with non-standard codecs (HEVC, AV1) or broken metadata may be played with artifacts.
  • 🔧 Player settings: in VLC, MX Player or the standard Android player, the "no trimming" mode may be enabled (Fit to screen turned off).
  • 📹 Recording from a camera: If you shot video in manual mode with a non-standard resolution (for example, 960×720), stripes may appear when viewed on another device.

Less commonly, the problem is associated with firmware - some custom ROMs (for example LineageOS) do not process video metadata correctly. In this case, stripes may even appear in the gallery when viewing thumbnails.

📊 What black stripes have you encountered?
Only on the sides
Top and bottom
During streaming (YouTube, Twitch)
When viewing recordings from the camera

2. Method 1: Changing the aspect ratio in the player

The simplest solution is to adjust the display directly in the playback application. Most popular players (for example VLC, MX Player, Kodi) allow you to manually select the zoom mode.

Instructions for VLC (recommended for most cases):

  1. Open the video in VLC.
  2. Tap on the screen to make controls appear.
  3. Click on the ⚙️ icon (Playback settings) → Aspect ratio.
  4. Select Original (original), 16:9, 4:3 or Fill (fill the screen). Option Fill will trim the edges, but remove the stripes.

For MX Player:

  • During playback, swipe up to open the control panel.
  • Tap on the icon 🔍 (Zoom) and select Fit to screen or Stretch.
  • If the stripes remain, try Crop (trimming) and manually adjust the borders.

☑️ Checking the player settings

Done: 0 / 4

⚠️ Attention: Mode Stretch (stretch) can distort the proportions of objects in the video. Use it only for videos without people or important details (for example, for the background in streams).

3. Method 2: Trimming videos using standard Android tools

If black bars are “imprinted” into the video itself (for example, when recording from a camera or after editing), they can be trimmed using built-in tools. Most smartphones with Android 10+ have a basic editor in the application Gallery or Google Photos.

Instructions for Google Photos:

  1. Open the video in Google Photos.
  2. Tap Edit → Crop.
  3. Drag the corners of the frame to remove the black margins. Use the grid for precise cropping.
  4. Click Save a copy (the original will remain intact).

For standard Gallery (Samsung, Xiaomi, etc.):

  • Select video → Edit → ✂️ (Crop).
  • Some firmware (for example, MIUI) offer automatic cropping - look for the option Smart cropping.
  • After cropping, check the result: if the video has become "squished", go back and try a different ratio.
Application Supported formats Max resolution Features
Google Photos MP4, MOV, AVI 4K (3840×2160) Saves a copy, the original is not changed
Samsung Gallery MP4, 3GP, MKV Full HD (1920×1080) There is a mode "Cinema" for 21:9
CapCut All popular 4K (with watermark) Advanced tools, but requires registration
InShot MP4, MOV 4K Adds a watermark in the free version

💡 If after trimmed video starts playing jerkily, try converting it to another format (for example, from MKV to MP4) using the application Video Converter.

4. Method 3: Converting video with changing aspect ratio

When the bars are part of the video file itself (for example, in recordings from the screens of old monitors or console streams), the only reliable way is to re-encode the video from with the correct proportions. Applications like Video Converter Android or HandBrake (if you are ready to work on a PC) are suitable for this.

Step-by-step guide for Video Converter Android:

  1. Install the application from Google Play (the free version has a length limit video).
  2. Import the file and select the output format (we recommend MP4 H.264).
  3. In the settings, find the option Aspect Ratio and install 16:9 or 9:16 (for vertical videos).
  4. Activate the option Crop (cropping) and manually remove the black fields by moving the frame.
  5. Click Convert and wait for completion (on weak smartphones the process can take up to 30 minutes).

For advanced users (HandBrake on PC):

1. Open the video in HandBrake.

2. Go to the "Dimensions" tab.


3. In the "Aspect Ratio" field, select "Custom" and enter 16:9 (or other ratio).


4. Turn on "Crop" and set the values to remove stripes (for example, Top: 120, Bottom: 120).


5. In "Video", select the H.264 or H.265 (HEVC) codec.


6. Click "Start". Encode".

⚠️ Attention: Converting with a change in resolution may reduce the quality of the video, especially if the source file has already been compressed. Always check the result on a test segment of 10-20 seconds long.

💡

Before converting, check whether the video is DRM-protected (for example, downloaded from Netflix or Disney+). Such files cannot be edited without special tools.

5. Method 4: Correction via ADB (for advanced users)

If black bars appear on all videos in the standard Android player (including videos you have recorded), the problem may lie in the system display settings. In some firmware (especially custom ones), the parameters overscan or display_sizeare lost. They can be reset via ADB.

Requirements:

  • 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
  • 📱 Enabled USB debugging on your smartphone (Settings → About phone → Build number (tap 7 times) → For developers → USB debugging).
  • 🔌 USB cable (preferably original).

Commands to reset display settings:

adb shell settings put global overscan 0,0,0,0

adb shell wm size reset


adb shell wm density reset

If this does not help, try manually setting the correct resolution (replace 1080x2340 with the native resolution of your screen):

adb shell wm size 1080x2340

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect ADB commands can lead to interface failure or a “blurry” screen If after the changes the smartphone no longer works correctly. display the menu, reset via adb shell wm size reset or reboot the device.

What to do if ADB does not recognize the device?

Make sure that the drivers for your smartphone model are installed (download them from the manufacturer’s website Also try another one). USB cable or port on a PC. On some devices (for example, Xiaomi), you need to additionally enable debugging in the window that appears on the screen.

6. Method 5: Checking codecs and updating software

Black bars (as well as green artifacts or “torn” video) may appear due to the lack of codec support in the firmware. For example, video in. format HEVC (H.265) or AV1 will not play correctly on older versions of Android without additional libraries.

How to check and fix:

  1. Update the firmware: go to Settings → System → Software update and install the latest version.
  2. Install codecs manually:
    • For MX Player: when you first launch the application, you will be prompted to download additional codecs. Agree and. select Custom Codec.
    • For VLC: codecs are built-in, but update the application to the latest version.
  • Check the video on another device: if the bars are also on the PC, the problem is in the file, not in the smartphone.

    • List of codecs that may cause problems:

    • 🎥 HEVC (H.265) —requires Android 5.0+ and hardware support (may not work on budget smartphones).
    • 🎥 AV1 —only supported on Android 10+ with hardware acceleration (for example, Snapdragon 855+).
    • 🎥 VP9 —may slow down on weak processors, causing artifacts.
    • 🎥 DivX/XviD - outdated codecs, often require manual installation.
    💡

    If the video is played with black bars in only one application (for example, in TikTok or Instagram), the problem is not in the file, but in the settings of this service. Try clearing the application cache or reinstalling it.

    7. errors

    If none of the methods helped, check these nuances:

    • 🔄 Rotate your smartphone: some videos (for example, with TikTok or Reels) have a vertical orientation. If you hold the phone horizontally, stripes will appear on the sides.
    • 📶 Problems with streaming: to YouTube or Twitch black fields may appear due to low Internet speed. Switch to a lower resolution (for example, from 1080p60 to 720p30).
    • 🔋 Saving charge: on some smartphones (for example, Samsung with enabled Adaptive Battery) the background processes of the player are limited, which leads to playback failures.
    • 🛠️ Hardware defects: If stripes appear even in the smartphone menu, this may indicate damage to the display cable. In this case, diagnostics are required at a service center.

    💡 Useful life hack: If you often encounter black stripes in camera recordings, adjust the shooting resolution manually. For example, on Xiaomi go to Camera settings → Video resolution and select 1920×1080 (16:9) instead of 1280×720 (16:9) - this will reduce the likelihood of stripes appearing when viewing on other devices.

    FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions

    ❓ Why do black bars appear only on some videos and not on others?

    It depends on aspect ratios the source file. For example, films in the format 21:9 (film) will have stripes at the top and bottom on the smartphone screen 19.5:9, while video 16:9 will be displayed without distortion. Some formats (for example, codec: some formats (for example, MKV With HEVC) can be played with artifacts if the smartphone does not support them.

    ❓ Is it possible to remove black bars without losing quality?

    Yes, if the stripes are added by the player (and are not part of the video). In this case, it is enough to change the display settings in the application (see Method 1). If the stripes are “imprinted” into the file, cutting them will lead to losing part of the image (for example, in movies, subtitles or part of the frame will be cut off. In this case, it is better to leave them or re-encode the video with the correct one). ratio.

    ❓ Why did it become “squished” after cropping a video in Google Photos?

    This happens if you manually changed the aspect ratio, but did not correct it resolution. For example, when cropping a video 1920×1080 (16:9) to 1:1 (square) without changing the pixel dimensions, the picture will be distorted. To avoid this, use the option Free transformation and watch the aspect ratio grid.

    ❓ How to remove black bars in screen recordings (screencasts)?

    Stripes appear in screencasts if the recording resolution does not match the screen resolution. For example, on a smartphone with a resolution 2400×1080 recording in 1920×1080 will have black fields. Solutions:

    • Use recording applications that support native resolution (for example, AZ Screen Recorder).
    • In the recording settings, select No Crop or Full Screen.
    • Crop the video after recording to CapCut or KineMaster.

    ❓ Why on one smartphone the video is without stripes, and on the other - with them?

    It depends on:

    • Screen aspect ratios: on smartphones with 21:9 (for example, Sony Xperia) video 16:9 will have smaller margins than on devices with 19.5:9.
    • Firmware: some manufacturers (for example OnePlus or Oppo) optimize video playback in their shells.
    • Players: standard application Video on Xiaomi can show stripes, while VLC cannot.

    Solution: use universal players (VLC, MX Player) and adjust the display manually.