YouTube video thumbnail size
3840 × 2160pixels · 16:9
YouTube now recommends 3840 × 2160 for video thumbnails (2160 × 3840 for Shorts), with a minimum width of 640 pixels. Files can be up to 50 MB from a computer but only 2 MB from the mobile app, so the older 1280 × 720 is still useful when uploading from a phone.
Checked November 14, 2026
Crop your image to 3840 × 2160
YouTube video thumbnail specs
- Recommended size
- 3840 × 2160 px
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9
- Also used
- 1280 × 720 px (Smaller file (mobile uploads))
- Minimum size
- 640 px wide (videos). Shorts: 640 px tall.
- Maximum file size
- 2 MB when uploaded from mobile (10 MB for podcasts). 50 MB from desktop (video, Shorts and podcast thumbnails).
- Formats
- JPG, PNG
Sources
- officialsupport.google.com/youtube/answer/72431?hl=en
- secondarysproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-image-sizes-guide/
- secondaryblog.hootsuite.com/social-media-image-sizes-guide/
Platforms change these often. If something looks out of date, let us know at hello@edits.io.
Frequently asked questions
What size is a YouTube video thumbnail?+
3840 × 2160 pixels, an aspect ratio of 16:9. 1280 × 720 (smaller file (mobile uploads)) also works.
What is the maximum file size for a YouTube video thumbnail?+
2 MB when uploaded from mobile (10 MB for podcasts). 50 MB from desktop (video, Shorts and podcast thumbnails).
How do I resize an image to 3840 × 2160?+
Drop your image into the tool on this page, drag and zoom to choose the crop, and download it at exactly 3840 × 2160. It runs in your browser, so the image isn’t uploaded.
Where do these numbers come from?+
From YouTube’s own documentation and widely used design guides. We checked them on November 14, 2026; the sources are listed on this page.
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