YouTube Thumbnail Size in 2026
In 2026, the recommended YouTube thumbnail size is 3840 x 2160 pixels. You can still use lower resolutions with a 16:9 aspect ratio, like 1280 x 720 pixels, but your image probably won’t look as good after it’s been automatically compressed and resized for display.
Choose JPG if the main element of your thumbnail is a photo or a video still, or if the quality of gradients or shadows is important. Choose PNG for sharp logos, illustrations, text, or icons.
The YouTube video thumbnails you can upload to replace the automatically generated versions are called “custom thumbnails.” Make them as large as possible in a 16:9 format, keeping the file size under 50 MB (2 MB when uploading on a mobile). You can only use custom thumbnails for standard videos, not for YouTube Shorts.
The recommended size for a YouTube thumbnail for a podcast in 2026 is 1280 x 1280 pixels. Podcast thumbnails should be in a 1:1 aspect ratio.
YouTube thumbnail dimensions
| Recommended size | 3840 x 2160 |
| Minimum width | 640 |
| Maximum file size |
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| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| Example 16:9 dimensions |
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| Accepted formats | JPEG, PNG, or GIF |
| YouTube podcast thumbnail size |
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| YouTube Shorts thumbnail size | You can’t upload custom thumbnails for YouTube Shorts |
YouTube thumbnail size vertical format
For vertical YouTube videos, you should still upload a custom thumbnail in a 16:9 aspect ratio. But on the mobile Subscriptions, Explore, and Home pages, YouTube will replace it with an automatically generated 4:5 thumbnail.
Your 16:9 custom thumbnail will still be used in watch history and the watch feed and on non-mobile platforms.
Make sure the opening frames of your vertical video are well composed with the main subject near the center to increase the chances of getting an appealing automatically generated thumbnail.
How to use YouTube thumbnail templates
You can use a thumbnail template, like the ones in Quillbot’s free online YouTube Thumbnail Templates tool, to quickly create an impactful custom thumbnail.
1. Select a YouTube thumbnail template
Let’s say you’re making a custom thumbnail for your YouTube travel vlog. You browse through Quillbot’s template library and find one that you think will work with your brand identity.
2. Customize the template elements
You select the template and begin customizing it in Quillbot’s intuitive design workspace.
First, you upload an image to replace the main visual.
Then, you edit the placeholder text, changing the fonts to ones from your brand guidelines and setting the text color to white for better readability.
Resizing and realigning the text boxes is easy using Quillbot’s smart positioning guides.
3. Download the image file
Finally, you download your custom thumbnail at the recommended size of 3840 x 2160 pixels, choosing JPG as the file format because the main visual is a photo.
And that’s it. You’ve created a polished custom thumbnail for your latest vlog in just a few clicks using Quillbot’s free Thumbnail Templates tool.
Frequently asked questions about YouTube thumbnail size
- What is the minimum YouTube thumbnail size?
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In 2026, the minimum YouTube thumbnail size is an image with a width of 640 pixels. But the recommended size is 3840 (width) x 2160 (height).
Quickly create an impactful YouTube thumbnail with Quillbot’s free YouTube Thumbnail Templates tool.
- How can I make a YouTube thumbnail?
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You can make a YouTube thumbnail using a template like the ones in Quillbot’s free YouTube Thumbnail Templates tool.
When saving the file, choose the recommended YouTube thumbnail size of 3840 x 2160 pixels and limit the file size to 50 MB (2 MB for mobile upload).
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