Free tool · YouTube
YouTube video thumbnail size: 3840 × 2160
YouTube now recommends 3840 × 2160 (it was 1280 × 720 for years — most guides still say so). Minimum width 640 px. Shorts thumbnails are the reverse, 2160 × 3840 (9:16); podcast playlists 1:1. Vertical videos with a 16:9 thumbnail get an auto-generated 4:5 crop on Home.
Pixels
3840 × 2160
Ratio
16:9
Format
JPG or PNG
Max file
2 MB on mobile upload
Source: YouTube Help — Add custom thumbnails, read 2026-08-29.
YouTube video thumbnail · 3840 × 2160
Frequently asked questions
What size should a YouTube video thumbnail be?+
3840 × 2160 pixels (16:9). YouTube now recommends 3840 × 2160 (it was 1280 × 720 for years — most guides still say so). Minimum width 640 px. Shorts thumbnails are the reverse, 2160 × 3840 (9:16); podcast playlists 1:1. Vertical videos with a 16:9 thumbnail get an auto-generated 4:5 crop on Home.
Which file format and size?+
JPG or PNG. Maximum file size: 2 MB on mobile upload.
Where do these numbers come from?+
From YouTube Help — Add custom thumbnails, read on 2026-08-29. The link is at the bottom of the page; if the platform changes the rule, the date tells you whether this page has caught up.
Is my image uploaded anywhere when I use the cropper?+
No. The crop and the export happen in your browser with the canvas API; the file never leaves your device.
Other sizes
Related tools
Guides
Tired of cropping per platform?
The composer fits the image for you
An image outside a platform's ratio is padded with a blurred copy of itself — no white bars, no export per platform. The sizes on this page are the ones it fits to.
Media fitted per platform
An image outside a platform's ratio is padded with a blurred copy of itself. Carousels where allowed, a PDF as a LinkedIn document.
Write once, tailor per platform
One caption; each platform gets its own card with its real limit, a title where one is needed, a first comment where the platform allows it.
Schedule, queue, or repeat
Pick a time, drop it in recurring slots, or recycle a post every few weeks. Best times to post come from your own history.
$5 per connected account / month
Two accounts is ten dollars, eleven is fifty-five. No tiers, no seats, unlimited posts. Cancel from your account page.