Google’s update for Veo 3.1 lets users create vertical videos through reference images

Google on Tuesday updated its Veo 3.1 AI video generation model with the ability to create native vertical videos for social platforms using reference images. The changes will make videos generated from reference images more expressive and dynamic.

When creating YouTube Shorts or AI-generated videos for other platforms like Instagram or TikTok, Veo users can now choose the native 9:16 vertical format to avoid any cropping. Google is also adding this feature directly to YouTube Shorts and the YouTube Create app.

Google released first Veo 3.1 in October 2025 With better audio output and more detailed editing controls than previous versions.

When you provide reference images, Veo 3.1 now creates videos with better character expressions and movements, even if your gestures are small. Google said the update also improves character, object, and background stability. Additionally, users can blend different characters, backgrounds, objects, and textures to create a cohesive output.

Users can access these features directly in the Gemini app. Professional users can access them through Google’s video editor Flow, Gemini API, Vertex AI, and Google Vids.

The new update also brings an improved upscaling feature to 1080p and 4K resolutions, available on Flow, Gemini API, and Vertex AI in Google Cloud.