YouTube thumbnail resizer
This resizer starts on 3840 × 2160, the 16:9 size YouTube recommends for video thumbnails. Pick the HD size (1280 × 720) instead if you upload from a phone, where the limit is 2 MB.
Free, no sign-up. Runs in your browser. Nothing you type or upload is sent to us or stored.
At a glance
- Shape
- 16:9 for videos, 9:16 for Shorts, 1:1 for podcast playlists
- Source: support.google.com, checked 2026-11
- File limit
- 50 MB from a computer; 2 MB from a phone for video thumbnails
- Source: support.google.com, checked 2026-11
Put your images on your page
Add photos and galleries to a free Liite page. Images are shrunk and stripped of location data before they upload, so your page stays fast and your photos stay private.
YouTube thumbnail resizer: what to know
This page starts the social media image resizer for this case. For every option and how to use it, see the social media image resizer.
4K or HD
Both sizes are 16:9, so they look the same in search results and on the home page. The 4K version stays sharp on TVs and as the preview in the embedded player, which is why YouTube asks for an image as large as possible.
The file is bigger, though. If you upload from the YouTube Studio app and the JPG comes out over 2 MB, lower the quality or switch to 1280 × 720.
Questions
Can a YouTube thumbnail be 4K?
Yes. YouTube recommends 3840 × 2160 pixels, which is 4K at 16:9. Keep the file under 50 MB from a computer, or 2 MB from a phone.
Is 1280 × 720 still fine for a thumbnail?
Yes. It is 16:9 and above the 640-pixel minimum width. It just has less detail on large screens.