YouTube thumbnail size
YouTube now recommends 3840 × 2160 for a video's thumbnail and 2160 × 3840 for a Short's, at least 640 pixels, as a JPG or PNG. The file can be up to 50 MB from a computer but only 2 MB from a phone.
YouTube thumbnail size
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Video thumbnail | 3840 × 2160, 16:9 | App help |
| Shorts thumbnail | 2160 × 3840, 9:16 | App help |
| Minimum | 640 px wide (videos), 640 px tall (Shorts) | App help |
| Format | JPG or PNG | App help |
| File size | 50 MB from a computer; 2 MB from a phone | App help |
| Who can upload one | Verified accounts | App help |
Checked on November 3, 2026 against each platform's own pages. Platforms change these; the source link is the one to trust.
Good to know
- The long-quoted 1280 × 720 and 2 MB are no longer what YouTube's page says. 1280 × 720 is still above the 640-pixel minimum.
Questions
Is 1280 × 720 still fine for a thumbnail?
It's accepted, because it's above the 640-pixel minimum, but YouTube now recommends 3840 × 2160, which stays sharp on large screens.
How do I get a thumbnail under 2 MB?
Save it as a JPG at quality 80 to 90 with the image converter, or make it smaller with the image resizer. The 2 MB limit applies only to uploads from a phone.