Recommended sizes for YouTube thumbnails
Limits
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
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| Minimum width | 640 px |
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| Maximum file size | 50 MB (computer), 2 MB (mobile app) |
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| File formats | JPG, PNG |
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Safe zone and tips
- The video length is shown in the bottom-right corner, so keep text and faces out of it.
- Thumbnails are often shown very small: use few words, large type and strong contrast.
- Stick to 16:9; other shapes get bars or are cropped in many places.
- Uploading from a phone? Export a smaller JPG (for example 1280 × 720) to stay under the 2 MB limit of the mobile app.
- You may need to verify your account before you can upload custom thumbnails.
Making a 16:9 image from a phone photo
A typical 12-megapixel phone photo is 4032 × 3024. The largest 16:9 area you can cut from it is 4032 × 2268 pixels: crop to that, then scale it down to 3840 × 2160. Cropping first and scaling second keeps everything in proportion.
The calculator is set to 3840 × 2160. Enter your own width and height to see their ratio, or type a new width in box 2 to get the height that matches.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best size for YouTube thumbnails?
Use 3840 × 2160 (Recommended (4K), 16:9) and 1280 × 720 (Common minimum, 16:9). The first one is the safest default.
Which aspect ratio should YouTube thumbnails use?
16:9. Crop to the ratio first and then scale to the size in pixels, so nothing is stretched or cut off unexpectedly.
Why is my YouTube thumbnail blurry?
Usually because it was made smaller than 1280 × 720 and scaled up, or compressed heavily to fit a file-size limit. Design in 16:9 at 3840 × 2160 (or at least 1280 × 720) and upload from a computer, where files up to 50 MB are accepted; the mobile app limits thumbnails to 2 MB.
Other platform sizes
Open the full aspect ratio calculator All platform sizes · All common resolutions
Aspect Ratio Calculator